8 — Thursday, November 29, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
A 4-part series of forums on
accountability, transparency
and powerholders in Ann Arbor
Wednesday, Dec. 5 @ 7PM
Ann Arbor District Library
343 S 5th Ave. Ann Arbor
FEATURING PANELISTS
Who Holds the Power
in Ann Arbor?
Speak Truth to Power:
The Role of Journalism
PRESENTS:
ALEXA ST. JOHN
2018 Michigan Daily
Editor in Chief and Moderator
ROBERT YOON
Political Journalist
Howard R Marsh
Visiting Professor
MICKI MAYNARD
Forbes contributor
Adjunct lecturer at UM
DAVID JESSE
Higher Education reporter,
Detroit Free Press
KATREASE STAFFORD
Detroit government
watchdog reporter,
Detroit Free Press
Michigan ready for challenge against No. 13 North Carolina State
When Michigan heads to
Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday to
face No. 13 North Carolina State,
there will be plenty of storylines
to watch for.
One storyline pits the youth
of the Wolverines (5-1) against
the experience of the Wolfpack.
Michigan
—
which
features
just three upperclassmen in
its regular rotation — relies
on youth, balance and depth
to dismantle opponents. NC
State (6-0), meanwhile, uses
experience,
efficiency
and
high-volume scoring from its
players, as it has only three
underclassmen in its regular
rotation.
This matchup will be the
Wolverines’ first time in a hostile
road environment this season,
and it remains to be seen how the
young squad deals with intense
noise and pressure, which is
something it will see more of
come conference play. Michigan
did travel to Kalamazoo earlier
this season to take on Western
Michigan,
but
the
Broncos
averaged a mere 679 fans per
game last season. The Wolfpack,
on the other hand, averaged
2,500-plus fans last year.
Despite the age and experience
gap between the two teams, as
well as the road environment,
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico is not worried about her
freshmen.
“I think (freshman guard)
Amy Dilk has been waiting for
this
opportunity
her
whole
entire life, … as
did
(freshman
forward)
Naz
Hillmon,” Barnes
Arico said. “Our
other freshmen,
I
mean
the
opportunity that
they have every
day in practice
to
go
against
some of the best
players
in
the
country really prepares them.”
Another storyline to keep
in mind will be the battle on
the boards. Both teams have
dominated the glass thus far in
the season and have yet to be
outrebounded by their opponent
in a game.
The
Wolverines have
outrebounded
their opponents
by an average of
over 16 rebounds
per game, while
NC
State
has
out
rebounded
its opponents by
over 11 rebounds
per game, good
for the eighth-
and
26th-best
rebounding
margins
in
the
nation,
respectively.
Michigan, which will take on
its third ranked team in a four-
game span, will also look to
senior center Hallie Thome to
step up and lead the team.
Thome, who averaged over 21
points on 70-percent shooting in
22 minutes over the first three
games, has struggled since the
competition heated up. Over
the course of the three game
Gulf Coast Showcase, Thome
averaged only 10.3 points on
48-percent shooting in nearly 29
minutes.
In addition to heating up on
the offensive end, Thome will
have her hands full on defense
with
her
matchup
against
Wolfpack freshman center Elissa
Cunane. Despite averaging just
20 minutes per game, Cunane
has
scored
13.3
points
on
61-percent shooting in her six
games thus far.
Still, Barnes Arico remains
undeterred,
preaching
total
confidence in her players and
knows that all of Thome’s hard
work will pay off in the end for
the Wolverines — regardless of
the stats next to her name in the
box score.
“(Thome) has continued to
work and work and work for
an opportunity to be the best
player she can be, but also for an
opportunity to help the team be
the best team that we can be,”
Barnes Arico said. “I think she
continues to work (hard) and
… she just sets a great example
every day.”
BENNETT BRAMSON
Daily Sports Writer
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
“... she just sets
a great
example every
day.”