Making the NCAA Tournament has become the norm for the Michigan women’s basketball program under head coach Kim Barnes Arico. This season is no different.
The Wolverines (22-10) are a No. 6 seed and will face the winner of No. 11 Iowa State/Princeton in the first round on Friday in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame (26-5), the No. 3 seed, is the host of first- and second-round games and will face No. 14 Stephen F. Austin (29-5). Michigan’s No. 6 is tied for the second-highest seeding in program history.The Tournament bracket was released Sunday night.
Michigan, which was 11-7 in the Big Ten, is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance under Barnes Arico, in her 13th season. She has led the program to a dozen 20-win seasons, en route to becoming Michigan’s winningest basketball coach — men or women.
Iowa State is 22-11 this season and Princeton, which finished second in the Ivy League, is 21-7.
The Wolverines are led by Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year Olivia Olson, who is averaging 16.2 points and 5.4 rebounds, and fellow freshman Syla Swords is averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. Michigan is the only team in the country with a pair of freshmen averaging at least 15 points per game.
Senior Jordan Hobbs, an All-Big Ten honorable mention, is averaging 13.4 points and freshman Mila Holloway, who also received honorable-mention honors, is averaging just under double figures, at 9.8 points.
Michigan has heavily relied on freshmen this season. Swords is averaging 32.2 minutes a game, Olson 30.3 and Holloway 28.8.