Student-Athletes
#44 ARIEL BRAKER Hometown: Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. High School: Grosse Pointe North
Forward 6-1 BRAKER’S CAREER HIGHS Points: 10 vs. IUPUI (11/26/10) Rebounds: 8 vs. Southeast Missouri (1/2/11) Assists: 2, twice (MR: vs. Southeast Missouri, 1/2/11) Field Goals: 4, twice (MR: at Valparaiso, 12/20/10) Field Goal Attempts: 6 vs. IUPUI (11/26/10) Three-Point Field Goals: None Three-Point Field Goal Attempts: None Free Throws: 3 vs. Southeast Missouri (1/2/11) Free Throw Attempts: 8 vs. Southeast Missouri (1/2/11) Steals: 4 vs. New Hampshire (11/12/10) Blocked Shots: 3 vs. Loyola Marymount (12/30/10) Minutes Played: 17 vs. Southeast Missouri (1/2/11)
MISCELLANEOUS Double-doubles Double-figure scoring games 20-point games Double-figure rebound games 5-block games 5-steal games
24
0 1 0 0 0 0
OVERVIEW: Long, lanky post player who is a versatile asset, particularly on the defensive end of the floor with her rebounding and shot-blocking prowess … agile and aggressive with good athleticism that can be valuable in traps and presses … also has the size and potential to play bigger than her 6-foot-1 frame, giving Fighting Irish talent and depth in the post that it has not had in recent years … production as a freshman was somewhat limited due to lingering effects from knee surgery during her high school career, but already has shown significant development during preseason that may give her chance to make greater contribution during the 2011-12 campaign. FRESHMAN SEASON (2010-11): Appeared in 26 games, averaging 1.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest …
So.-1V
highly-efficient defensive presence who led team with one rebound every 2.7 minutes played … nearly had “5-5-5” game in her college debut against New Hampshire, registering five points, five rebounds and season-high four steals in 12 minutes … grabbed four rebounds in six minutes against Morehead State … came off the bench vs. IUPUI and netted season highs of 10 points and six rebounds in 13 minutes; also blocked a pair of Jaguar shots … rejected two Creighton shots in three minutes … finished 4-for-4 from the field with eight points and three steals in nine minutes at Valparaiso … delivered three points, four rebounds and season-high three blocks in 10 minutes against Loyola Marymount … did a bit of everything in 17 minutes vs. Southeast Missouri State while finishing with five points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks … grabbed three boards against Pittsburgh … shot 2-for-2 at the foul line against No. RV/23 St. John’s while blocking two shots … one of three Fighting Irish players to grab game-high six rebounds in win over Seton Hall … had two points (2-4 FT), three rebounds and two steals in home finale against Cincinnati. HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Grosse Pointe North High School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., where she was a four-year letterwinner and mainstay for head coach Gary Bennett, helping Norsemen to combined record of 94-11 (.895), including a schoolrecord 24-game winning streak during her senior season (2009-10) … also led team to 2007-08 Michigan Class A state title, as well as three regional championships (and one regional runner-up finish), four district crowns and
four conference titles (undefeated in league play her final three seasons) … two-time Michigan Class A Player of the Year (2008 by Detroit News; 2010 by Associated Press) … finished close third (five votes shy of second) in 2010 Michigan Miss Basketball voting (and was tops among players from eastern half of state, including Detroit metro area) … Detroit Free Press Final Four All-Tournament Team (2007) … three-time Detroit News Dream Team selection (2007, 2009, 2010) … fourtime Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) Class A all-state (2007 - third team, 2008, 2009, 2010 - first team) … four-time all-metro selection (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) … four-time MAC Red Conference MVP and all-conference pick (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010) … three-time team captain (2008, 2009, 2010) … ranked 41st by All-Star Girls Report (eighth among wing forwards), 42nd by Blue Star Basketball, and 85th by Dan Olson Collegiate Girls Basketball Report (14th among small forwards) … career per-game averages of 14.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.0 steals and 3.4 assists … as senior in 2009-10, averaged 17.6 ppg., 11.4 rpg., 7.6 spg., 5.4 bpg. and 4.0 apg. … as junior in 2008-09, averaged 12.3 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 4.3 spg. and 2.4 apg., after suffering a knee injury during AAU ball the previous summer … as sophomore in 2007-08 (state title season), averaged 16.0 ppg., 11.0 rpg., 7.2 spg. and 3.8 apg. … as freshman in 2006-07, averaged 10.6 ppg., 8.8 rpg., 5.0 spg. and 3.4 apg. … holds numerous school records including rebounds in game (24), steals in a game (12), rebounds in season (271), steals in season (181), free throws made in season (96) and free throws attempted in season (163) … a triple-double machine in high school, she nearly had a quadruple-double in a January 2010 win over Saginaw Arthur Hill (15 points, 17 rebounds, 10 steals, eight assists, four blocks) … found great AAU success playing for Michigan Shock/Pistons and head
2001 NCAA National Champions | 2011 NCAA National Finalists | 3 NCAA Final Fours 21-44Student-Athletes.indd 24
11/9/11 1:14 PM