Despite youth, Michigan women's basketball team poised for deep run in WNIT

When journalists vote for the preseason conference standings, the Big Ten releases just the top three teams to the general public. But word usually gets out about the bottom eight. And this year, it was fairly widely known that the Michigan women’s basketball team was picked to finish dead last.

Few people around the Wolverine camp argued. The team was 10-20 in the 2008-09 season, winning just three conference games and had a roster with six freshmen for the 2009-10 season.

Michigan set out to do one thing with its season: Prove the critics wrong.

Michigan guard Veronica Hicks scored 18 points Friday in the Wolverines' 69-34 victory against Kent State. (Photo: Mark Bialek | For AnnArbor.com)

While the Wolverines season ended just outside the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday's matchup with Toledo in the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament helps dispel those early-season predictions. Michigan reached the second round with a 69-34 victory against Kent State on Friday.

But it’s been a long learning experience for Michigan.

Before this season, the Wolverines took on Toledo, the same team they’ll play today, in a short scrimmage. And, with a bunch of freshmen that had yet to play in a college game, Michigan didn’t fare well.

“They handled us pretty good,” Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said. “I think they were up about 15 on us in the 20 minutes we played, so we have our work cut out for us in the next couple days.”

Freshmen Jenny Ryan said that she still gets nervous before every game, but the team is coming around. She says that every game, there’s improvement, and the youngsters are becoming more mature as the season progresses.

“I don’t even consider them freshmen anymore,” junior Veronica Hicks said at a pregame press conference before the Wolverines’ blowout win over Kent State in the WNIT first round.

She elaborated on that sentiment after Friday’s win.

“This is like a whole new season, and we’re all another year older,” Hicks said. “I feel like a senior, and they should feel like sophomores. And (redshirt senior Ashley Jones) is like a sixth-year,” she added with a laugh.

Andy Reid covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at andrewreid@annarbor.com