State hoops: UM women (8-0) proving they're a program, not just a team

When Kim Barnes Arico made her first NCAA Tournament, in her fourth season as head coach at St. John's, the legendary Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma had some wise words for her.

"Geno said, 'The easy part is getting here, the hard part is staying here,'" Barnes Arico recalled. "At the time, I was like, 'Whatever!' ... Now, I get it. The great programs are the ones that can stay there year in and year out."

Barnes Arico now is in her 10th year at Michigan, which she is building into the premier programs in the nation.

Michigan has made four consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time ever, advanced to its first Sweet 16 two years ago, made its first Elite Eight last year -- and now is off…