University of North Carolina Athletics
Wednesday shifted from game day to practice day for the Tar Heels.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Adapt To Week's Changing Schedule
December 15, 2021 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – As planned, the UNC women's basketball team was at Carmichael Arena late on Wednesday afternoon. Instead of preparing for their 10th game of the season, however, the Tar Heels were wrapping up practice and getting in extra shots before heading home.
Less than 24 hours before Wednesday's scheduled 6 p.m. tipoff against Jacksonville, the game was canceled due to Covid protocols within the JU program. At that point, the day flipped from a chance to improve to 10-0 to an opportunity to practice resilience and flexibility.
"We're obviously disappointed we don't have a chance to play, but safety is always first in how we train and how we compete," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "There's a lot going on in the world right now and it's important for us to be flexible. Our mentality is 'next up' and now that's BC."
Without a midweek game, Carolina looks ahead to the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sunday at Boston College. So on Wednesday, instead of a game day, the Tar Heels were at Carmichael starting in the early afternoon (about the time they would have arrived for pregame shootaround) for video, weights and practice. The rest of the week will also be tweaked, based on the additional day in which they'll be focused on the Eagles.
The Tar Heels have played a non-conference schedule that has prepared them well for whatever comes their way: they've warmed up in the morning for noon tipoffs and they've left the gym close to midnight after night games. They've played on little rest, and had quick turnarounds between taxing trips. The on-court competition has been invaluable as they've seen a variety of playing styles and environments, but the off-court flow, or lack thereof, has also provided an opportunity for growth as they played five of their first seven games away from Chapel Hill.
"That's partly why we did what we did in the nonconference – the more you can get your team out of a routine, the more they learn not to rely on that and to be ready for whatever happens," Banghart said. "We want to be durable and flexible. In a season of this length you're going to play through disruptions, and what's important is how we can be resilient and stay focused on the task. This week, the task has shifted and we'll adjust our focus accordingly."
After the trip to Boston, the Tar Heels will play one final nonconference home game, hosting Alabama State on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Carmichael. (For those tracking, the Alabama State game is now the Ugly Holiday Sweater Game, with free t-shirts for the first 500 fans.) After that UNC will have a holiday break before hosting Syracuse on Dec. 30 and Clemson on Jan. 2 for back-to-back ACC contests on the home court.
This week continues an anything-but-routine month, which now will contain three spans of seven or more days between games. (In addition to this week's unplanned break and the holiday break, the Tar Heels were off from Dec. 5 to Dec. 12 for semester exams.) The schedule highlights the importance of the "team behind the team," the group making sure that players are healthy, well-conditioned and ready when the ball is tipped.
"With no game today, our sport performance team works closely with me to make sure we're making the right adjustments so that we're physically prepared on Sunday," Banghart said. "We rely on their expertise to make sure we're peaking at the right time."
No matter when that time might turn out to be.
Less than 24 hours before Wednesday's scheduled 6 p.m. tipoff against Jacksonville, the game was canceled due to Covid protocols within the JU program. At that point, the day flipped from a chance to improve to 10-0 to an opportunity to practice resilience and flexibility.
"We're obviously disappointed we don't have a chance to play, but safety is always first in how we train and how we compete," UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. "There's a lot going on in the world right now and it's important for us to be flexible. Our mentality is 'next up' and now that's BC."
Without a midweek game, Carolina looks ahead to the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sunday at Boston College. So on Wednesday, instead of a game day, the Tar Heels were at Carmichael starting in the early afternoon (about the time they would have arrived for pregame shootaround) for video, weights and practice. The rest of the week will also be tweaked, based on the additional day in which they'll be focused on the Eagles.
The Tar Heels have played a non-conference schedule that has prepared them well for whatever comes their way: they've warmed up in the morning for noon tipoffs and they've left the gym close to midnight after night games. They've played on little rest, and had quick turnarounds between taxing trips. The on-court competition has been invaluable as they've seen a variety of playing styles and environments, but the off-court flow, or lack thereof, has also provided an opportunity for growth as they played five of their first seven games away from Chapel Hill.
"That's partly why we did what we did in the nonconference – the more you can get your team out of a routine, the more they learn not to rely on that and to be ready for whatever happens," Banghart said. "We want to be durable and flexible. In a season of this length you're going to play through disruptions, and what's important is how we can be resilient and stay focused on the task. This week, the task has shifted and we'll adjust our focus accordingly."
After the trip to Boston, the Tar Heels will play one final nonconference home game, hosting Alabama State on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Carmichael. (For those tracking, the Alabama State game is now the Ugly Holiday Sweater Game, with free t-shirts for the first 500 fans.) After that UNC will have a holiday break before hosting Syracuse on Dec. 30 and Clemson on Jan. 2 for back-to-back ACC contests on the home court.
This week continues an anything-but-routine month, which now will contain three spans of seven or more days between games. (In addition to this week's unplanned break and the holiday break, the Tar Heels were off from Dec. 5 to Dec. 12 for semester exams.) The schedule highlights the importance of the "team behind the team," the group making sure that players are healthy, well-conditioned and ready when the ball is tipped.
"With no game today, our sport performance team works closely with me to make sure we're making the right adjustments so that we're physically prepared on Sunday," Banghart said. "We rely on their expertise to make sure we're peaking at the right time."
No matter when that time might turn out to be.
UNC Women's Soccer: Tar Heels Advance to Third Round with Win in Penalties vs Texas Tech
Saturday, November 22
Carolina Insider - Interview with Dan Shulman (Full Segment) - November 21, 2025
Friday, November 21
Women's Lacrosse: Jenny Levy enters IWLCA Hall of Fame
Friday, November 21
Carolina Insider - Football vs. Duke Preview (Full Segment) - November 21, 2025
Friday, November 21