Instability lies ahead for the Michigan women's basketball team.
What do the Wolverines have to do to make up for a player that scored 1,251 career points and was Michigan's first all-Big Ten selection?
Pollyanna Johns, the 6-3 center who was the centerpiece of the Michigan offense for the past three years, graduated last May, and her 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game are also gone.
The question now is: Can anybody step up and assume the role that Johns played?
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| DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily With the loss of star Pollyanna Johns, forward Ruth Kipping will be one of the freshmen who will step up to try to fill her shoes. |
Since Johns can't be replaced by an individual, the entire frontcourt must focus on working as a unit to put up the numbers that Johns was able to accomplish alone.
But several Wolverines feel that they will be better this year with a platoon of forwards instead of one force in the middle.
"I believe that our frontcourt can be even better than last season's," Dykhouse said. "We will miss a dominant scorer in the middle, but we will be a better frontcourt since we will all factor (in)."
The biggest weakness that the frontcourt must face is its lack of size and experience. Height obviously cannot be altered, but with more playing time and practice, experience will become less of an issue.
"We are not meaty girls," Dykhouse said. "We might not be big, but we are very quick, and we are able to shoot, dribble and play defense."
This year's responsibilities in the frontcourt will fall mainly on the shoulders of Raina Goodlow, Ruth Kipping, and Stacey Thomas.
The supporting cast will consist of Kenisha Walker, Alison Miller, Dykhouse and Mandy Stowe.
Alison Miller, a sophomore transfer from Bowling Green, is slated as the lone center on the Michigan roster. Miller will be a key player off the bench, inserted to help on the boards and provide key points in the post.
Michigan's frontcourt is known for its versatility. Kipping believes that "any of them can play the three, four or five positions."
Thomas - who spent her freshman and sophomore years as a shooting guard - will be rotating into the small forward position periodically.
Thomas is fourth on Michigan's field goal percentage list with .469 and is the all-time steals leader.
She spent last summer playing in Europe on the USA Select Team. The 1998 all-Big Ten second-team selection led the Select Team in rebounding twice with seven-and 13-rebound performances.
Thomas' experience on the Select Team will help her lead an inexperienced frontcourt.
Though she is primary known for her scoring, she will also be called upon to rebound for the Wolverines. She will be a key factor in the triple-post offense.
The triple-post is the perfect offense for a team with no dominant center. This offensive requires athletic and mobile forwards.
Also, this offense does not firmly establish any player in a particular role. Thus, no frontcourt player will ever be known as the primary scorer.
"This offense lets us be creative," Dykhouse said. "We play a high-low and our offense will allow us to improve as a frontcourt."
Due to the nature of the team, this season there will be a lot of pressure on the freshman to perform.
Michigan coach Sue Guevara signed a stellar group of recruits in forward/guard Heather Osterle, Kipping, Goodlow and guard Alayne Ingram. All three forwards were recognized as three of the top forwards in the Midwest.
"The freshman have done a really good job," Dykhouse said. "Everyone was very skeptical at first, but they have really worked hard in practice and with time they should become important players in the frontcourt."
The experienced backcourt will be required to produce most of Michigan's offense.
The frontcourt's major duty will be to step it up defensively and box out for rebounds.
"Defense is our main focus in the frontcourt," Dykhouse said. "We will be better offensively in time, but we must improve on our rebounding and defense."
Michigan's frontcourt players are characterized by their speed and agility, which will be important on defense. But the boards tell a different tale.
"We need to improve our boxing out," Kipping said.
"The Big Ten is very physical, and we need to learn to box out better if we want to be successful."
Although the Wolverines have set their goals on returning to the NCAA tournament, they all admit that this year is a rebuilding year. Dykhouse, however, feels that this is a different kind of rebuilding year."
"This year we are definitely rebuilding," Dykhouse said. "Since we lost Pollyanna and we have a lot of young players we must expect that.
"But we expect to do very well this season and only improve. It's not so much a rebuilding year as a season of improvement and learning."
11-16-98
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