Michigan's Kim Barnes Arico named Big Ten coach of the year for second time

For the second time in five years, Michigan's Kim Barnes Arico has been named Big Ten women's basketball coach of the year.

The Big Ten announced its postseason award winners Tuesday, on the eve of the start of the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Barnes Arico's Wolverines have followed up last season's first appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with another banner year. Michigan is 22-5 and 13-4 in the Big Ten, coming up just shy of the program's first-ever Big Ten championship.

The Wolverines are ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press poll — they were ranked as high as No. 4, a program record, earlier this season — and were the No. 8 overall seed in Monday's NCAA Tournament projection. Earning at least a top-16 seed would give Michigan home games for the first two rounds.

Barnes Arico, 51, is in her 10th season at Michigan, and is about to take Michigan to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wolverines have beaten eight opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 this season, including Big Ten co-champion Ohio State twice and co-champ Iowa once.

She also was named Big Ten coach of the year in 2017, when Michigan was snubbed for an NCAA Tournament bid and went on to win the WNIT championship.

For winning the Big Ten coach of the year award in 2022 — she was the top vote-getter by both her fellow coaches and the media — Barnes Arico earns a $20,000 bonus as part of her new contract that went into effect last July 1. The new deal pays her a base salary of at least $850,000 a year.

Barnes Arico had plenty of company in the postseason honor roll, including senior forward Naz Hillmon, who became the first player in program history to be named first-team All-Big Ten four times. She was a unanimous pick by the coaches and media, and also made the all-defensive team.

Hillmon averaged 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds this season, and had 13 double-doubles. She would've been a top choice for conference player of the year if not for Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark, a sophomore guard. Hillmon is the first player in Michigan history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.

Michigan State senior guard Nia Clouden joined Hillmon on first-team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive year. Clouden averaged 20.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in helping keep Michigan State (14-14, 8-9) afloat amid a flurry of season-ending injuries to starters.

Michigan senior guard Leigha Brown was named second-team All-Big Ten for a second straight season, by both the coaches and media. She averaged 14.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists; her highlight game was scoring 25 in an overtime win over then-No. 5 Baylor on Dec. 19.

Michigan State's Matilda Ekh, a guard/forward from Sweden, was named honorable mention by the coaches and the media, and made the all-freshman team, and teammate DeeDee Hagemann, a freshman guard, was honorable mention by the media. Michigan senior forward Emily Kiser and junior guard Maddie Nolan were voted honorable mention by the media.

Michigan's Laila Phelia joined Ekh on the all-freshman team, in voting by both the coaches and the media.

Michigan senior guard Danielle Rauch and Michigan State graduate-student forward Alisia Smith earned sportsmanship awards.

Michigan State opens the Big Ten tournament against Purdue at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, and Michigan gets a double bye and will start at 9 p.m. Friday against either Illinois, Wisconsin or Nebraska.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984