Kim Barnes Arico Lauds Daniels’ Infectious Intensity On ‘Coffee With The Coach’

Basketball is a game of runs, and it takes both ends of the court to go on a big run.

The Michigan Wolverines women's basketball squad trailed in the second quarter of last Sunday's win over rival Michigan State, before ripping off a 12-0 run and never looking back in an 86-65 blowout victory. Credit is due to Syla Swords and Olivia Olson combining for 47 points on 16-for-31 (51.6%) shooting in the win, but starting guard Brooke Quarles Daniels and her eye-popping tenacity can't go unnoticed, either.

Wolverines head coach Kim Barnes Arico lauded Daniels for her contributions to the team that go beyond the box score during a new "Coffee With The Coach" interview on 94.7 WCSX. Daniels' defense and energetic play did show up on the sheet in the form of three steals and a game-high five (!) offensive rebounds, but her pure intensity is what really rubs off on the rest of the team. That kind of energy can especially go a long way in the college ranks, and Barnes Arico certainly sees the value in it--and loves the fact that she wants to be that presence on the court.

"She wants it all," Barnes Arico said. "I mean, that is her personality, and I think our team loves that personality. Last year was her first year with us, and we saw that in her last year, and now she's even more comfortable having a year under her belt. But she is that person. Every team needs that person that is like, 'Bring it on, I am tough, I am fearless, I'm going to be our energizer, I'm going to ignite this defense,' and our defense ignites our offense, and that's something that we really pride ourselves on.

"I think that's something that our team has really prided itself on all year long, is being a great defensive team, and Brooke spearheads that. She's at the front of that. She ignites that, and she takes ownership in that."

Barnes Arico also pointed out that the Wolverines forced 24 turnovers against a typically discipline Spartans team, and limited their ball movement as evicenced by just nine total assists. Quarles Daniels had a team-high five assists by herself.

The guard's well-rounded game opens things up for the Wolverines' top scorers and functions as a glue to keep the team game humming together as a unit. And people are taking notice.

Listen every Thursday in the 8:00 hour on "Big Jim's House" for "Coffee With The Coach" live on 94.7 WCSX.