What Comes Next for Anamaria Virjoghe?

Although Lisa Fortier runs a deep bench, behind the steady hands of the Wirth twins, the minutes were always a bit more slim for the rest of the frontcourt. For Anamaria Virjoghe, that equated to a slight uptick in minutes this season. Now, the big question, is what will come next year?

Virjoghe, by all accounts, did what was asked of her in the limited minutes she received this season, putting together some nice defensive stretches throughout the season. In back-to-back (sort of, Jan. 4 and Jan. 14) games, Virjoghe had six blocks in 29 minutes. The tallest player on the roster, she showcased she can be a menacing presence in the post.

Despite playing just a total of 192 minutes this season, Virjoghe was second on the team in blocks (16), and just one behind the leader Jenn Wirth (17), who needed 499 more minutes to hit that mark.

For next season, the Zags frontcourt takes a hit—teams can’t lose two stalwarts like the Wirth twins and be able to just shrug it off. The Zags are better suited for that situation than most teams, however. Virjoghe, now going into a redshirt senior year (or another redshirt junior year depending on how she views the extra year of eligibility) has a chance to carve out some of the 50+ minutes the Wirth twins received last season.

She’ll have her competition—specifically in the form new Syracuse transfer Maud Hujibens, another 6’5 tower for the post. There isn’t much in the realm of anything on Hujibens on the internet, but the limited video available has her looking a bit more mobile than Virjoghe. That said, Virjoghe has the advantage of being within the system for the past three years, so there is a good chance we will see her in double-digit minutes next season.