Carmichael Comments: Big Stage

Walk in to the team hotel in Charlotte this week, and there was no doubt the Carolina women's basketball team was at a marquee event on the college hoops calendar. The inaugural Jumpman Invitational, a gathering of the four flagship Jordan Brand schools' men's and women's basketball teams, brought Carolina, Michigan, Florida, and Oklahoma together for two days of action at the Spectrum Center, home of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.

All eight teams stayed at the same hotel, which was decked out for the occasion. Black and white Jumpman logos adorned nearly every surface, from elevator doors to columns and walls. Bright team logos for all four schools popped against the black and white color scheme. When the players, staff, and even this radio broadcaster walked into their hotel rooms, the bed was covered in new Jordan Brand swag – shirts, pants, and backpacks. And in the closet? Yes, even a Jumpman-branded robe and slippers.

"You walk in and you know this matters," Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart said. "You know you're at Carolina, and you know you're at a Jordan Brand school."

The event was the second in the span of a month that Carolina was able to partake in as part of its affiliation with Nike and its offshoot, Jordan Brand. Over Thanksgiving, the Tar Heels trekked to Portland, Ore., to play in the Phil Knight Invitational in Nike's backyard. Both the PKI and Jumpman Invitational were televised live on ESPN networks, vastly increasing the exposure of the Tar Heels and Coach Banghart's team.

"I think we play the right style, so the more eyes we can get on us, the better," Banghart said.

The relationship between the success of the current team, the opportunity to play in events like these, and future successes in recruiting is a symbiotic one.

"That's why student-athletes come here, because you're invited to things like this," Banghart said at the Jumpman Invitational. "This is the premier event in December, we were in the premier event in November."

And then there's the shoes. Yes, the Jumpman Invitational provided the players with two new pairs of shoes to go with the two pairs received at the PKI. With the combo of fashion and national exposure, it's no wonder that student-athletes want to come to Carolina, especially in the new era of name, image, and likeness. But Banghart knows that just an iconic shade of blue and a top-10 team this season isn't enough merit the inclusion of her team in these marquee events. Those factors are included along with the three Final Fours and 29 NCAA Tournament trips, of which all but two came before the current staff and player core called Chapel Hill home.

"Part of (playing in this event) is our success, and part of that is the success that came before us because it's Carolina," Banghart said. "Our student-athletes choose Carolina for the opportunity to be on the national stage so consistently."

So even though Michigan walked away with the 76-68 win over the Tar Heels, this season and this experience is just the beginning for Carolina on the national stage in an era in which women's basketball seems to grow bigger and bigger each year.

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Building Bench Depth
With much of the attention this season focused on the four returning starters from a Sweet 16 run in 2021-22, the development of Carolina's bench may not have been in the spotlight for those non-hardcore fans. Still, two performances this week provide some promise for significant depth and bench contribution into the ACC season. On Friday, Paulina Paris dropped in a season-high 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting and connected on three of her five three-point attempts. Especially since Paris was 6-for-23 since Nov. 20, the game against USC Upstate was a welcome sight for Banghart to see her lone true freshman shine.

"The experience makes a big difference for a young player," Banghart said. "She's a young player on a very good team, and she's figuring it out. So I'm not surprised that as she gets better, so will we."

Then, against Michigan, Destiny Adams' breakout sophomore season continued with one of her more significant "box score" games, especially against a ranked team. Adams played a career-best 25 minutes, scoring 12 points to register her second-highest scoring total of the year. The New Jersey native was 5-for-9 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from two-point range and 2-for-4 from three. Two made threes matched a career high for Adams. If the gritty and tough Adams can add consistent range to her game, then look out.

Home Court Success
For the first time since a 14-game win streak at home in the 2012-13 season, the Tar Heels have posted double-digit wins in a row at home. The win over USC Upstate marked Carolina's 10th straight home win, dating back to the Feb. 6 triumph over Miami. Expanding the sample size, Carolina has won 21 of its last 22 home games since a Feb. 7, 2021 win over NC State, with the lone setback to the eventual ACC champion Wolfpack last January.

Wins in the run include a Senior Night drubbing of eventual Sweet 16 team Georgia Tech in 2021, memorable ACC wins over Virginia Tech and Duke last season, a colossal win over No. 3 Louisville in February, and a perfect 11-0 mark in non-conference play. The success at home means greater enjoyment of defending the iconic home court at Carmichael Arena and doing so for an evolving fan base.
"There's a sense of joy playing at Carmichael," Banghart said. "It's so gratifying seeing how many people have taken to this team, and I told them that. People care about what they're doing and show up and support and watch the game."

Even on a Friday night when the options to fill a social calendar are numerous, the Carmichael Crowd was engaged and enthusiastic through the 10th straight win on the home floor.

Fight and Grit
For the third straight game against a ranked opponent, the Tar Heels found themselves trailing by at least 17 when Michigan raced ahead in the middle of the second quarter at the Jumpman Invitational on Tuesday. In that moment, questions lingered as to what Carolina's response would be – after all, in the Phil Knight Invitational championship game, the Tar Heels raced back to beat Iowa State and match the largest comeback against a Power Five opponent under Courtney Banghart. A few days later against Indiana, the Hoosiers ran away with the game to win by 24 and hand Carolina its first loss of the year. So, what would the response be against Michigan? A Carolina timeout with just over five minutes left in the second quarter helped to institute a press when Michigan gained the ball after made buckets and in dead ball situations. The result was a five-minute scoreless drought for the Wolverines late in the second…and again in the third. Soon enough, the once-23-point deficit was down to single digits. Ultimately, the Tar Heels ran out of time and Michigan earned the win, but the adjustments and grit proved Carolina wasn't ready to go quietly.

"Clearly this is a group that takes a lot of pride in competing and giving themselves chances to win," Banghart explained. "It's not a lack of effort. But you can't just play hard and win games, you've got to play well. This is why you schedule the way we do, so you can continue to grow."

Up Next
The first game after the holiday break is also the Tar Heels' first ACC game of the season, a showdown with Florida State at Carmichael Arena. While FSU sits outside the national rankings, the Seminoles racked up 11 wins in non-league play behind the strength of freshman Ta'Niya Latson, who has won every single ACC Rookie of the Week award this season and has scored at least 19 points in each game.

Carolina's defense paved the way for a 64-49 win over the Seminoles last season in Tallahassee, an important road triumph for the Tar Heels en route to a top-four finish the ACC. The Thursday, Dec. 29 matchup at Carmichael tips at 8:00 p.m., with our THSN coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. Catch the broadcast locally on 97.9 FM/1360 AM in the Triangle, or worldwide for free via our THSN streaming platforms: GoHeels.com, the GoHeels app, and the Varsity Network app from Learfield.

Then, 2023 opens with a road test against Virginia Tech, currently ranked No. 8 in the AP Top 25. The seventh meeting between the two teams since January 2021 will be a rematch of an overtime thriller in the ACC Tournament a season ago that saw Virginia Tech emerge victorious. Revenge will be on the minds of the Tar Heels for a 4:00 p.m. tip on New Year's Day. Broadcast coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. on the THSN with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. Catch the broadcast locally on 97.9 FM/1360 AM in the Triangle, or worldwide for free via our THSN streaming platforms: GoHeels.com, the GoHeels app, and the Varsity Network app from Learfield.

In case you missed it, two editions Holding Court with Courtney Banghart are out this week. Listen in for an in-depth chat about the Tar Heels with Coach Banghart and yours truly on the first episode (Dec. 19). The second episode, released Thursday morning, is an entertaining and informative chat with video scouting assistants Sam Miller and Sean Sullivan. Listen any time on demand on the Tar Heel Voices Podcast Channel. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

That's all for now! Merry Christmas and talk to you on the flip side.

-Matt