B1G 25-26 | Page 6 | The Boneyard

B1G 25-26

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cancontent said:
. . . Fox going all in on Michigan for their conference play coverage this year.
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Five BIG schools scheduled for 4 or more Fox/FS1 appearances in 2025-26:

Michigan-9 (also 1 NBC)
UCLA-6 (also 1 NBC, 1 ESPN2)
Iowa-6
USC-4 (also 3 ESPN)
Michigan State-4

(ESPN/ESPN2 schedules with leagues other than the BIG still in progress)

Will be interesting to see if Swords, Olson & Holloway can turn their repeated feature exposure into ratings gold. In the recent boomlet of WBB TV ratings, Michigan has been an underperforming ratings team. The Michigan brand/fan base has yet to really embrace WBB. But this year’s sophomore class is special, and Swords, in particular, plays with a flair that might build a following.
 
BigTenGuy said:
Five BIG schools scheduled for 4 or more Fox/FS1 appearances in 2025-26:

Michigan-9 (also 1 NBC)
UCLA-6 (also 1 NBC, 1 ESPN2)
Iowa-6
USC-4 (also 3 ESPN)
Michigan State-4

(ESPN/ESPN2 schedules with leagues other than the BIG still in progress)

Will be interesting to see if Swords, Olson & Holloway can turn their repeated feature exposure into ratings gold. In the recent boomlet of WBB TV ratings, Michigan has been an underperforming ratings team. The Michigan brand/fan base has yet to really embrace WBB. But this year’s sophomore class is special, and Swords, in particular, plays with a flair that might build a following.
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Agreed and I find it perplexing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but to me, the women's program has been more successful over the last decade than the men's. Naz Hillmon broke records, lead their team further in the tournament that some thought possible and now is the WNBA 6th player of the year.

The Juwan Howard era left a lot of be desired, and the current coach (name escapes me) looks to have gotten things straightened out. But to see that the women's program didn't get much of a bump after their Sweet 16 and Elite 8 runs was surprising.
 
BigTenGuy said:
Five BIG schools scheduled for 4 or more Fox/FS1 appearances in 2025-26:

Michigan-9 (also 1 NBC)
UCLA-6 (also 1 NBC, 1 ESPN2)
Iowa-6
USC-4 (also 3 ESPN)
Michigan State-4

(ESPN/ESPN2 schedules with leagues other than the BIG still in progress)

Will be interesting to see if Swords, Olson & Holloway can turn their repeated feature exposure into ratings gold. In the recent boomlet of WBB TV ratings, Michigan has been an underperforming ratings team. The Michigan brand/fan base has yet to really embrace WBB. But this year’s sophomore class is special, and Swords, in particular, plays with a flair that might build a following.
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This team fascinates me. Swords, Olson and Holloway are likely to improve in year two after outstanding freshman campaigns, which would seem to indicate the team will also improve a lot. but Hobbs was just so crucial to what they did last year, and her loss will be felt. Still, I think the Wolverines will be a force. Should be fun to watch.
 
YoDore said:
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Growing the game. I love going to the summer basketball coaching clinics in North Philly, AAU games in some place North Dakota, or other basketball events in Kansas or Missouri and looking up in the stands or sitting next to coach, parent, or player and seeing the diverse programs being represented in merch/gear. Then hearing that person talk about a current and former WNBA/college player. It shows the game is growing.
 
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YoDore said:
This team fascinates me. Swords, Olson and Holloway are likely to improve in year two after outstanding freshman campaigns, which would seem to indicate the team will also improve a lot. but Hobbs was just so crucial to what they did last year, and her loss will be felt. Still, I think the Wolverines will be a force. Should be fun to watch.
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Next to my cousin (Macy Brown), Jordan Hobbs was my favorite player on that Michigan squad. I agree 100% on what you said about how crucial Hobbs was to Michigan last year. Not having her leadership out there this season is going to hurt, but I think from what I saw over the summer while working in the Michigan basketball camps and watching Swords, Olson, Brown, and a few other players, play and work on their games, you are correct. Michigan is going to be force. They are going to cause some problems.
 
JellyBean said:
Next to my cousin (Macy Brown), Jordan Hobbs was my favorite player on that Michigan squad. I agree 100% on what you said about how crucial Hobbs was to Michigan last year. Not having her leadership out there this season is going to hurt, but I think from what I saw over the summer while working in the Michigan basketball camps and watching Swords, Olson, Brown, and a few other players, play and work on their games, you are correct. Michigan is going to be force. They are going to cause some problems.
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From your observations, who is going to handle post/forward duties? The transfer from Middle Tennessee didn't pan out. Is that transfer from Bucknell, Sofilkanich, the right fit for this roster?
 
cancontent said:
From your observations, who is going to handle post/forward duties? The transfer from Middle Tennessee didn't pan out. Is that transfer from Bucknell, Sofilkanich, the right fit for this roster?
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Great question. It all depends on what direction Coach KBA decides to go. She loved the 5-guard/Positionless look last year and that looks to be the mindset going into the summer. If she goes to a 4-Out, 1-In look, I can see Sofi or VanTimmeren getting the nod. With Fields, Crockett, Byars, and Macy, just to name a few, it all just depends on how confident they are in their skills and where Coach wants to take the team.
 
Wow! Cori is on a recruiting tear again landing Okafor. Impressive, though I can’t help wondering if she may even have over-recruited for the front court.
 
Bone Dog said:
Wow! Cori is on a recruiting tear again landing Okafor. Impressive, though I can’t help wondering if she may even have over-recruited for the front court.
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Way to go, Coach Close!! If she can get the players to buy in and sacrifice the "Me for the We", UCLA is going to be Final Four candidate for a few years and just might mess around, if everything falls into place, win a title or two. Women's college basketball is in great hands!!
 
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JellyBean said:
Next to my cousin (Macy Brown), Jordan Hobbs was my favorite player on that Michigan squad. . . .
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FYI

“Michigan has a track record of finding success for its players that have stayed within the program under Barnes Arico. If that were to happen this year, I’d bank on Macy Brown.”

hooplanewsletter.beehiiv.com

2025-26 Team Preview: Michigan

Are the Wolverines ready to be a true contender?
hooplanewsletter.beehiiv.com hooplanewsletter.beehiiv.com
 
YoDore said:
Bonue Illinois episode with Shauna Green

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This is my surprise pick of the Big Ten, them and Minnesota. Working the basketball camps at DePaul and Illinois this summer, seeing the transformation of the Illinois WBB since Coach Green has arrived, is amazing!! This team, under Coach Green's leadership, is a sleeping giant and the media is sleeping on them. If they play to their potential, oh they are going to be a problem in the Big Ten and on the national level.
 


I'd take Talia's list with several grains of salt. I only glanced through the list and was surprised at the breakdown. Need to review it again, but will be interesting to hear what others think.
 
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cancontent said:


I'd take Talia's list with several grains of salt. I only glanced through the list and was surprised at the breakdown. Need to review it again, but will be interesting to hear what others think.
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I don't see it with Iowa. I'd be surprised if they were top 10. I thought USC was a bit too low. Same with ohio state in terms of being a bit too low. It's a hard conference to gauge. I'm not sure about the frontcourts of Maryland, USC and Washington but I really love their guards and wings. Even Michigan at 2 seems a bit much to me.
 
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jdote33 said:
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I don't see it with Iowa. I'd be surprised if they were top 10. I thought USC was a bit too low. Same with ohio state in terms of being a bit too low. It's a hard conference to gauge. I'm not sure about the frontcourts of Maryland, USC and Washington but I really love their guards and wings. Even Michigan at 2 seems a bit much to me.
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Maryland will be better than Michigan. I went to the scrimmage on Saturday and the Terps may have found a BIG surprise in Marya Boiko in the post. She can play. I was pleasantly surprised at how good she was.

Okananwa was super impressive with 21 points and just dominated. Also at point guard, Lea Bartelme was really impressive. Love how she ran the offense. Kyndal Walker was super good as well. With McDaniel back the Terps are super loaded at guard.

I see the the Terps playing a lot of 4 guards with 6'2 Poffenbarger and 6'3 Garzon playing a lot of forward this season. At this time, Boiko is the only player I can depend on in the post.
 
TerpWomenFan said:
Maryland will be better than Michigan. I went to the scrimmage on Saturday and the Terps may have found a BIG surprise in Marya Boiko in the post. She can play. I was pleasantly surprised at how good she was.

Okananwa was super impressive with 21 points and just dominated. Also at point guard, Lea Bartelme was really impressive. Love how she ran the offense. Kyndal Walker was super good as well. With McDaniel back the Terps are super loaded at guard.

I see the the Terps playing a lot of 4 guards with 6'2 Poffenbarger and 6'3 Garzon playing a lot of forward this season. At this time, Boiko is the only player I can depend on in the post.
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Interesting as she seemed to be more of a guard when she played for Indiana.
 
cancontent said:


I'd take Talia's list with several grains of salt. I only glanced through the list and was surprised at the breakdown. Need to review it again, but will be interesting to hear what others think.
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I never get too worked up about these preseason rankings. Just something to spark some conversation.
 
cancontent said:
Interesting as she seemed to be more of a guard when she played for Indiana.
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The Terps pretty much don't have a choice since the other two frontcourt players (Williams and Momodu) don't see to be ready right now. The Terps have a light schedule with only one ranked team scheduled and tons of home games. So hopefully they can develop.
 
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