University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Dana Gentry
Malu Tshitenge Reflects on First Season as a Tar Heel
April 13, 2020 | Women's Basketball
Malu Tshitenge's first season in Chapel Hill was outstanding – she started all 30 games for the Tar Heels, averaging 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds. After leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in offensive rebounds with 4.13 per game, an average that ranked 15th in the nation, she was named to the All-ACC Freshman team. The business administration major capped her freshman year with All-ACC Academic honors.
"Malu deserves all that she has earned so far as a Tar Heel," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "She meets every day with purpose, to grow her skill level and to continue to evolve into a great player on both ends of the ball. She's an absolute joy to coach and her future is so bright, due to the discipline, intangibles, and work ethic she demonstrates every single day."
GoHeels.com spoke with Tshitenge about her freshman year and what lies ahead.
GoHeels: As you look back on your freshman season, what were some of the highlights for you?
Malu Tshitenge: "Looking back into my freshman season, one of my highlights personally was my ability to crash the boards every game, which led me to be have the most offensive rebounds in the league. A team highlight would be beating NC State."
GH: Was the transition from high school to college easier or harder than you thought it would be?
MT: "I expected it not to be easy at all. Change is never easy – it takes time to adjust and eventually I did."
GH: What are some lessons you learned this season?
MT: "Lessons I learned this season are not being too hard on myself and to just calm down and play the game like I was born to do."
GH: You did a great job of balancing academics and basketball, as evidenced by making the All-ACC Academic Team. What was the key to doing that?
MT: "The key to doing that was time management and being organized. And also knowing how to separate school from basketball, meaning as soon I was done with practice or working out I knew that the next thing I need to do is hit the books and make sure I was prepared for the next day of class."
GH: What will you work on this spring and summer as you look toward your sophomore year?
MT: "What I will work on is definitely letting my body recover a bit from the intense season and then as soon as my body is ready I gradually get myself back into it and get ready for the next season. One of my biggest things I want to work on is mainly getting my lower body stronger and getting more confident in my mid-range shots so they are more consistent."
"Malu deserves all that she has earned so far as a Tar Heel," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "She meets every day with purpose, to grow her skill level and to continue to evolve into a great player on both ends of the ball. She's an absolute joy to coach and her future is so bright, due to the discipline, intangibles, and work ethic she demonstrates every single day."
GoHeels.com spoke with Tshitenge about her freshman year and what lies ahead.
GoHeels: As you look back on your freshman season, what were some of the highlights for you?
Malu Tshitenge: "Looking back into my freshman season, one of my highlights personally was my ability to crash the boards every game, which led me to be have the most offensive rebounds in the league. A team highlight would be beating NC State."
GH: Was the transition from high school to college easier or harder than you thought it would be?
MT: "I expected it not to be easy at all. Change is never easy – it takes time to adjust and eventually I did."
GH: What are some lessons you learned this season?
MT: "Lessons I learned this season are not being too hard on myself and to just calm down and play the game like I was born to do."
GH: You did a great job of balancing academics and basketball, as evidenced by making the All-ACC Academic Team. What was the key to doing that?
MT: "The key to doing that was time management and being organized. And also knowing how to separate school from basketball, meaning as soon I was done with practice or working out I knew that the next thing I need to do is hit the books and make sure I was prepared for the next day of class."
GH: What will you work on this spring and summer as you look toward your sophomore year?
MT: "What I will work on is definitely letting my body recover a bit from the intense season and then as soon as my body is ready I gradually get myself back into it and get ready for the next season. One of my biggest things I want to work on is mainly getting my lower body stronger and getting more confident in my mid-range shots so they are more consistent."
Players Mentioned
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