Friday, November 9, 2018 // TIP OFF 2018
8B 

where she helped her high school 
to a 22-2 record and the first 
Final Four appearance in school 
history. Rauch, while small at 
5-foot-8, showed tenacity on 
the glass during her high school 
career at Bishop Ludden in 
Syracuse, N.Y. Rauch averaged 
7.1 boards per game and should 
be a force on the defensive side 
of the ball as well, evidenced by 
her 4.5 steals per game average 
last season.
Forwards:
While the guard spot features 
an influx of youth, many of the 
Wolverines’ 
veteran 
leaders 
can be found patrolling the 
frontcourt. Starting at forward is 
senior co-captain Nicole Munger. 
After shooting 40.4 percent from 
deep last season, Munger returns 
as Michigan’s top threat from 

deep and should be one of the 
team’s top offensive options. Last 
season, she averaged 9.1 points 
per game, and she emerged as a 
leader on the defensive side of 
the ball, averaging 1.1 steals per 
contest.
Joining 
Munger 
in 
the 
frontcourt 
will 
be 
sophomore 
Hailey 
Brown. 
Hailing 
from 
Ontario, Canada, 
Brown 
was 
a 
key 
contributor 
last 
season 
as 
a 
freshman 
and 
should 
return 
strong 
after 
having 
her 
campaign 
cut short by a 
lower leg injury. Before she 
was sidelined, Brown was one 
of Michigan’s key contributors, 
averaging 9.0 points and 5.2 
rebounds per game and shooting 

46 percent from the field.
Junior Kayla Robbins also 
figures to be a fixture despite 
coming off the bench, bringing 
impressive hustle and tenacity 
on the defensive side of the 
ball. While Robbins only played 
11.8 minutes per game in her 
sophomore 
season, she should 
see more playing 
time this year.
Michigan will 
also 
see 
two 
freshmen slot in 
at forward, with 
Emily Kiser and 
Naz 
Hillmon 
likely in line to 
earn 
minutes 
early. 
Kiser 
averaged 21 points 
and 13.4 rebounds as a senior, 
while Hillmon won a gold medal 
with the U18 USA basketball 
team at the FIBA Americas 
Championship, where she shot 

67 percent from the field.
Rounding out the forwards 
are senior Samantha Trammell 
and graduate transfer Taylor 
Rooks, who previously played 
at 
Stanford 
and 
Harvard. 
Trammell should provide a solid 
veteran presence as a senior, and 
Rooks’ successful 
stint 
with 
the 
Crimson, 
which 
saw her earn All-
Ivy 
honors 
in 
her senior year 
with averages of 
12.5 points and 
7.3 rebounds per 
game, should be 
a solid addition to 
the 
Wolverines’ 
front line.
Center:
Michigan only has one center 
on its roster, but she’s arguably 
the team’s most important player. 
Senior Hallie Thome will hold 
down the middle after coming 

off a season where she averaged 
17.4 points and 7.0 rebounds 
per game and earned All-Big 
Ten first team honors. Thome 
will likely be the focal point 
of the offense, and she should 
be a consistent scoring threat 
after scoring over 20 points 
in 13 games last 
season, reaching 
double 
figures 
in all but three 
contests. 
She’s 
also an incredibly 
efficient shooter, 
converting 
61.6 
percent 
of 
her 
field goals and 
77.5 
percent 
of 
her free throws 
last 
season. 
Thome 
will 
also be taking on more of a 
leadership role this season, and 
will serve as the Wolverines’ 
captain along with fellow senior 
Nicole Munger.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN
From Page 7B

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico has a deeper team than she has had in the past, with a talented group of freshmen from the last recruiting class and a bevy of returning talent in the frontcourt.

Munger returns 
as Michigan’s 
top threat from 
deep.

Thome will 
likely be the 
focal point of 
the offense.

