Carmichael Comments: A Great Start

Carmichael Comments: Inside Carolina Women's Basketball
Vol. 2, Edition 2: A Great Start
By: Matt Krause (@MattKrausePxP)

There were hugs and high-fives. A special video message and commemorative jerseys. And most importantly for Tar Heel players and coaches, two convincing Carolina victories.

Yes, the Courtney Bangart era is off to a smooth start.

The 2019-20 Tar Heels, Bangart's first team in her tenure as head women's basketball coach in Chapel Hill, debuted a new-look roster last Thursday and quickly put serious doubts to rest with a 92-55 thrashing of Western Carolina to start the season 1-0. Three nights later? The margin of victory only grew in an 80-40 triumph over visiting Navy.

"It's good to get out there and finally play against someone else," Banghart said after the Western Carolina triumph. "I thought there were some bright spots and there's obviously going to be room for growth as we continue to try to get a little bit tougher and grittier on the defensive end."

A major bright spot through two games has been offensive balance for Carolina. In each contest, four separate players have reached double-digit scoring, paced by the preseason all-ACC selection Janelle Bailey, whose team-best 21 points on Thursday were followed up by 20 on Monday. A fellow upperclassman, team captain Taylor Koenen, has started strong with a 17-point game Thursday and a team-best 21 point effort Monday, which matched a career high. The third player to score in double figures in each game is freshman Malu Tshitenge, whose 19 and 11 points, respectively, have shown flashes of the potential that she exhibits for years to come.

On top of the balance, the Tar Heels have been efficient. Eighty-two of Carolina's 172 points scored this season have come in the paint (48%), where Tshitenge and Bailey have established themselves as a force. Thursday was Tshitenge's time to shine, as she was 8-for-10 from the field, while Bailey was 7-for-9 on Monday. Make no mistake — Carolina has enjoyed a height advantage in each of the first two games, as neither Western Carolina nor Navy boasted a starter over 6' tall, while the Tar Heels trotted out three. However, the Tar Heels have taken full advantage of that height disparity.

On Thursday, as Carolina put the finishing touches on the first win of the year, Banghart joined her team for the traditional playing of the Alma Mater. The moment was enhanced by a special video message for Banghart from Roy Williams, the Hall of Fame Head Coach of the Carolina men's basketball team, and the presentation of a commemorative "BANGHART" jersey with the uniform number "1" on it from Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham.

Even with the well-deserved celebration for her accomplishment, Banghart was quick to credit her players.

"I really have heartfelt gratitude for what the Athletic Department did for me after the game," said Banghart. "This is about (the players), but I certainly appreciate the sentiment."

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Bailey Mentors Tshitenge

The addition of Malu Tshitenge to the Tar Heel lineup has given Carolina an extra "big" option in the starting lineup. Last season, Taylor Koenen, who is quite versatile in her own right, played a bulk of the minutes at the four. However, Tshitenge's arrival gives Janelle Bailey a more natural frontcourt counterpart. It's also given Bailey the chance to become a mentor and leader in her junior season.

"Janelle is able to show what a good teammate she can be," Banghart said. "She's really brought Malu along inside the lines. In practice, she's in her ear a lot. In games, she tries to promote her, so for Janelle to continue to grow as a young woman and a Tar Heel, she has to show what a good teammate she is. Malu has given her the chance to do that."

Valuing the Basketball

The Tar Heels committed just 10 turnovers in the Western Carolina game, and by forcing 22, dominated the points-off-turnovers stat 28-4. That created quite the intriguing "something's got to give" scenario when looking at Monday's matchup and noticing that Navy forced 31 takeaways in each of its first two games.

Heading into the Navy game, Banghart said the focus for the Tar Heels was on playing their brand of offense, versus trying something specific to prevent Navy from continuing their dominating run.

"It's paralysis by analysis," she said. "If you try to analyze a defense, versus attacking it, you're going to be paralyzed by it. So, we've got to stay aggressive."

And aggressive the Tar Heels were. It was Carolina that won the turnover margin 13-10, and controlled points off turnovers 18-6.

Up Next

The Tar Heels will stay home on Friday to continue their season-opening four-game homestand with a visit from Charleston Southern. Tip is set for 5 p.m., as the Carolina men play at 9 p.m. at the Smith Center on Friday evening. Our broadcast coverage of the Tar Heels and Buccaneers begins at 4:30 p.m. on the Tar Heel Sports Network via the TuneIn app (search "North Carolina Tar Heels") or GoHeels.com or the GoHeels app.

Talk to you then! Go Heels!
-Matt