Tuesday, November 7, 2017 
 
 TIP OFF 2017
4B
Jillian Dunston: The unsung hero

‘Coach, they made a mistake.’ 
At the Michigan women’s basketball 

team’s Media Day, coach Kim Barnes 
Arico reminisced about the day after 
her team wasn’t selected to the 2017 
NCAA Tournament. As the players 
circled up before practice, with tears 
in their eyes, Jillian Dunston made one 
thing clear – the Wolverines should’ve 
been included in March Madness.

But the then-junior knew their 

season wasn’t over and that there was 
still work to be done.

“It’s our job to go out to prove to 

everyone in the world that they made 
a mistake,” Barnes Arico recalls 
Dunston saying. “Michigan is one 
of the best teams in the country. We 

should be represented in the NCAA 
Tournament.”

Under the leadership of Dunston, 

the Wolverines went into the Women’s 
National 
Invitation 
Tournament 

with a chip on their shoulders. That 
mentality carried them throughout 
the competition. Michigan won six 
straight games – including a triple-
overtime win in the finals over Georgia 
Tech – to claim the program’s first ever 
WNIT title.

“Not 
being 
selected 
to 
the 

tournament 
was 
heartbreaking,” 

Dunston remembers. “To think that 
our year was in the power of a few 
peoples’ hands, and they just tossed it 
like that was crazy.”

And with a smile on her face, 

Dunston is quick to point out that 
proving the tournament committee 

wrong and playing a role in winning 
the WNIT Championship is the 
highlight of her career. But finding her 
role wasn’t always easy.

Highly recruited players such as 

Dunston were used to being the go-to 
players – they expect to be the one 
scoring the ball. That’s not Dunston. 
She’s the one doing the little things.

***

Playing at Academy of the Holy 

Cross in Silver Spring, Md., Dunston 
was a highly-touted recruit – ranked 
by ESPN.com as the No. 24 small 
forward nationwide and by ASGR as 
the No. 98 overall prospect. Given 
her achievements in high school, a 
successful career at the college level 
seemed likely. But for Dunston, it took 
time to develop.

As a freshman, Dunston didn’t start 

once. In fact, she spent most of her 
time on the bench – playing only nine 
minutes per game and averaging a 
pedestrian 1.7 points and 2.6 rebounds.

“The early part of her career was 

tough. It was a journey,” said Joe 
Dunston, Jillian’s father. “Learning 
to be a major player on the floor and 
contributing is hard work. She had 
to get to where Coach (Barnes Arico) 
wanted her.”

Going from a high school star that 

received college offers from over 60 
schools to just another player may be 
difficult for anyone. But that is the 
harsh reality many college athletes 
face, and Jillian was no different.

“(Freshman year) was frustrating,” 

Dunston said. “Especially coming out 
of high school where I rarely came out 
the game.”

But Dunston had an advantage 

others didn’t: her father.

Growing up, Dunston learned from 

Joe, who played college ball at Tufts 
University. Despite strong basketball 
ties, Joe took a more hands-off 
approach by surrounding her with the 
best coaching possible.

But Joe did coach Dunston in certain 

ways. As he explained, he implemented 
a strong sense of work ethic, a lively 
personality and an appreciation for the 
game. And while Joe takes credit for 
Dunston’s personality, he gives kudos 
to his daughter for putting in the hard 
work necessary to elevate her game.

A lot has changed over the years. Joe 

admits that Dunston is a better player 
than him, but he could “possibly” beat 
her in a game of HORSE.

Backyard 
competitions 
aside, 

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Then-junior forward Jillian Dunston celebrated Michigan’s victory in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament championship game last year by cutting down the nets. Dunston collected 13 rebounds in the contest.

Michigan’s senior forward has grown to embrace her role as the Wolverines’ steady emotional leader 

HUNTER SHARF
Daily Sports Writer

