Hello: Nicole Elmblad (women's basketball)
I wouldn't usually create a post about women's basketball recruiting, but I thought this news might be of somewhat wider interest because of the familial connection to the Michigan hockey team. The St. Ignace News reports that Nicole Elmblad, sister of Eric Elmblad—a walk-on member of the hockey team from 2006 to 2010—has committed to the Michigan women's basketball team and will join the team this fall:
Nicole Elmblad will carry on a family tradition by attending the University of Michigan after being released from her National Letter of Intent at the University of Wisconsin. Her brothers, Eric and Kyle, were graduated from U of M Saturday, April 30, and after meeting with the Wolverine Coach Kevin Borseth Friday, April 29, she decided on the move to play basketball in Ann Arbor.
A coaching change at Wisconsin prompted Elmblad to seek a release from her LOI and explore her options. She is certainly a welcome late addition to Michigan's 2011 class. Elmblad, a 5-11 guard, led St. Ignace to the Class C title this year, and she was named Class C player of the year and was the runner-up for Michigan's Miss Basketball award.
Also of note: The team that Elmblad's squad topped in the championship game was Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, which was led by 5-10 junior point guard Madison Ristovski, who verbally committed to Michigan a couple of years ago. Ristovski is expected to contend for the Miss Basketball award next year. She was named to the Class C first team this year, and both she and Elmblad were named to the Detroit News Dream Team.
EDIT: For those clamoring for a photo, see below. This is from the Class C championship game. Elmblad is in the middle; Madison Ristovski is at right; tangled up with Elmblad is Haleigh Ristovski, Madison's younger sister and a 2013 prospect. The Detroit News had Haleigh on its Class C first team this year, her sophomore season.
we are interested. Most people on this board are interested in all things Blue.
Welcome Nicole to our family. You will not regret it.
Thanks for the post, and welcome Nicole to the UM family.
a second WBB commit in 3..2..1..
And if the pattern is followed the second one will be from over the border...so she'll be from Mackinaw City.
A guard.
I'll wait until Tom confirms.
Welcome Nicole!
Will confirmation from U-M do? (Yes, I know you were joking.)
Anyway, the university has now made it official with this release:
May 11, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's basketball head coach Kevin Borseth announced the signing of 5-11 guard Nicole Elmblad (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle) to a financial aid agreement to join the Wolverines for the 2011-12 season. She joins 5-7 guard Aquashia Anderson (Meridian, Miss./Meridian), 6-3 forward Cyesha Goree (Grand Rapids, Mich./Wyoming Park) and 5-10 guard Brenae Harris (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) in Michigan's 2011 recruiting class.
"We are thrilled to add Nicole to our 2011 class of signees," Borseth said. "She is a proven winner in all facets of her life in that she is a great person, a top-notch student and an elite athlete. She was the runner-up for Miss Basketball this year not only because she is a premier player but also because she is a quintessential leader. She has family connections to the University of Michigan as her two brothers both graduated from the university. We believe she will fit right in, hit the ground running and help elevate our Michigan women's basketball program."
After leading LaSalle High School to the Class C championship during the 2010-11 season, Elmblad was named the Class C Player of the Year in the state of Michigan. She scored 33 points and pulled down 19 rebounds in the championship game, scoring 12 of her team's last 19 points to seal LaSalle's 65-54 win over Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett. Elmblad averaged 24.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, five assists and five steals for the Saints in her final season. Elmblad picked up Class C first team all-state and was named Upper Peninsula Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
She ended her prep career as the third all-time leading scorer (1,960) in the Upper Peninsula, trailing former Wolverine Krista Clement (2005-08), who scored 2,060 points, and Alison Bailey (2,131). She was a three-time Straits Area Conference Player of the Year and earned all-conference three times.
The 2010-11 season saw Borseth pick up his 500th NCAA victory and the Wolverines knock off four ranked opponents, including a sweep of rival Ohio State in regular-season action for the first time in program history. Michigan also reached the postseason for the second consecutive season and for the third time in the last four seasons. U-M loses guard Veronica Hicks (Chicago, Ill./Thornwood) to graduation while returning nine letterwinners for the 2011-12 season.
• Wolverines Add Three Recruits on First Day of Early Signing Period (11/10/2010)
Krista Clement. Nicole Elmblad. We have a pipeline to our UM women's hoops team developing from St. Ignace!
Welcome, Nicole! As a current resident of Madison, WI and former U.P. resident, I was going to cheer you on as a Badger. Now I have extra incentive to cheer even louder when you visit Madison every year as a Wolverine.
Pics or it didn't happen.
Is she hot?
Free Press article has some additional quotes from Borseth and Elmblad:
“Her numbers speak for themselves,” U-M coach Kevin Borseth said. “Her teams win, that’s probably the biggest thing in Nicole’s repertoire. The kid’s got a big heart, and she makes the players around her better.’’
...
“Michigan is the school that I was always a fan of when I was little," [Elmblad] said. “I just love the campus. I’ve been around it a lot. I love everything about it. The coaches are awesome. It was right for me.”