By james art 
ANN ARBOR — Michigan, with a revamped roster that could include three freshmen, faces the ultimate test to open the season.
The Wolverines play No. 1 South Carolina, the defending national champion, on Monday night in Las Vegas (7:30 ET, TNT).
“At the end of last (season) I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we agreed to this,'” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said recently. “And then I called (freshmen) Syla (Swords) and Olivia (Olson) and they said, ‘Let’s go, Coach. That’s awesome. We want to play against the best and test ourselves against the best there is.”
South Carolina certainly qualifies. The Gamecocks went 38-0 last season, outscoring opponents by an average of 29 points per game. That included a 12-point win over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the national championship, their second title in three years.
South Carolina lost star center Camila Cardoso to the WNBA, but returns 87 percent of her minutes and 84 percent of her goals from last season. In the AP preseason poll, South Carolina received 27 of 30 first-place votes.
“It’s going to be a great race for sure,” Barnes Arico said, “and a great start to the season.”
Michigan had faced a No. 1 seed just once before, losing 89-54 to Iowa on Feb. 7, 1988.
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On his radio show last week, Barnes Arico highlighted South Carolina’s size, toughness and athleticism. MiLaysia Fulwiley (a sophomore playing like Russell Westbrook in his prime) and Te-Hina Papao form one of the best backcourts in the country.
Frontcourt starters Chloe Kitts and Sania Fagin are among seven Roosters who are at least 6-foot-2 (including two who are 6-5). Freshman Joyce Edwards is the No. 3 recruit in the country, according to ESPN, one of three five-star prospects to join the program this season.
Barnes Arico knows South Carolina coach Dawn Staley well. They are the same age; Staley was in Philadelphia at Temple, while Barnes Arico was at St. John’s in New York. Barnes Arico was an assistant on Staley’s staff with USA Basketball in 2014 and 2015 when the United States won two gold medals at FIBA youth events.
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“She’s one of the best coaches in the business,” Barnes Arico said. “But I’m even more impressed with how she’s using her platform and voice to fight for opportunities for women in this game. I think she really made a difference.” Barnes Arico’s daughter, Ceci Arico, a top-20 player in the class of 2027, has a scholarship offer from South Carolina.
Michigan travels west on Saturday to acclimate to the three-hour time difference, with the plan to practice at the Aces practice facility on Saturday and T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. Monday’s game is part of the Hall of Fame Series, a doubleheader that features a men’s game between Ohio State and Texas at 10:00 PM ET.
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