Carmichael Comments: Week of Experiences

Playing basketball at Carolina offers numerous unique experiences for student-athletes. Some are unique compared to the general population, but others are unique when compared to nearly every other comparable player across the country. We say "nearly" because there are only two other teams who can say that their campus is within a half hour drive of not one, but two conference mates at the Power Five level. Those teams, of course, are Duke and NC State, Carolina's fiercest rivals. While the Tar Heels and their fans love nothing more than beating a rival, it's important to point out that Duke and State's existence is necessary to create the distinctive three-way rivalry in the Triangle. Like we said, unique.

Last week, the ACC schedule makers added yet another layer to the fun, as Carolina visited No. 21 Duke on Thursday and hosted No. 3 NC State on Sunday in a double-Triangle, double-ranked foe week. While the Tar Heels finished the week 1-1, posting a 78-62 win at Duke and falling to NC State 66-58, the week still provided memories and excitement that only playing at Carolina could provide.

"You feel like you're a Carolina basketball player this week," Tar Heel coach Courtney Banghart said. "Going into Cameron, that was such a great rivalry game and knowing that our kids have adjusted to the way we wanted to play, that was just a special night."

Both games were played in front of crowds north of 4,100 fans, an experience that Carolina had only been able to savor twice earlier in this season – and one of those was the first meeting with NC State at the Wolfpack's home in Reynolds Coliseum. And while Carolina fans show up all over the country to see the Tar Heels on the road, there's something special about needing to drive just eight miles to see a road game. When the Tar Heels raced out to a 21-point halftime lead against the Blue Devils, a group of Carolina blue-clad Tar Heel students who had infiltrated the "Cameron Crazies" student section yelled out "TAR!" From across the court, the Carolina parents, families, and friends responded "HEELS!", much to the dismay of the stunned Duke fans and students.

By the time the final horn sounded, the evening felt like a coronation of all things Carolina, and a statement of arrival for the Coach Banghart era in Chapel Hill. The 16-point win was Carolina's first in Cameron since 2014, snapped a five-game losing skid to Duke in the overall series, and marked the first ranked road win in Banghart's three-year tenure. Not only that, but it gave Carolina its best nine-game ACC start (6-3) since 2013, and helped the Tar Heels avoid their first losing streak of the season.

"I know how much this means to so many people," Banghart reflected. "We're grateful to be able to bring a win home. This program has put it together brick by brick, and I couldn't be happier for our guys."

Later, Banghart admitted she didn't even know the winless drought in the venerable Duke gym was so lengthy. Why dwell on history when you can make your own?

Come Sunday, while the Tar Heels fell short, Carmichael Arena hosted its largest crowd for a women's basketball game since the pandemic began, and the energy was tangible. When Carolina built a 12-point first half lead, a full student section blended with the Chapel Hill community, new women's basketball fans, and die-hards alike to create a din that fueled the Heels to a much better start than the Jan. 6 game in Raleigh. Even when the Wolfpack surged ahead, Carolina was able to punch back thanks to the support from their home crowd.

"That was a great environment for college basketball with two really, really good teams," Banghart said when addressing the crowd postgame. "It means a lot to our guys, it really does. It's about their college experience and you gave them a night to remember."

This week is what being a Carolina basketball player is all about. Rivalries, fans, and the challenge of elite opponents in your own backyard. Unique. Here's hoping there's more memorable weeks like this one in the near future.

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Todd-Williams Fills it Up
For those who intently watch Carolina women's basketball, you know of Kennedy Todd-Williams' ability to lock down opposing scorers on defense. But as Coach Banghart often points out, basketball is the ultimate team sport and ultimate two-way game. The offensive end of the floor has started to catch up to the defensive for Todd-Williams, who has scored in double figures in eight of her last 10 games, and set her career high in scoring with 15 points against Virginia, prompting a spotlight in this column. Well, she matched that high with two more 15-point games against Duke and NC State this past week, so here we are again.

"Kennedy feels good about how she can help us," Banghart said. "She's really finding her groove offensively, how to be aggressive both on the catch and also where her attack lines are to finish at the rim."

Overall, Todd-Williams is averaging 13.6 points per game in Carolina's last five contests, and has shot 60 percent from the floor. And on that note from Banghart about finishing at the rim: when a player drives, they're more likely to be fouled. Todd-Williams has taken advantage of those opportunities, as she's 13-for-14 at the foul line since Jan. 16.

Ustby's Bounce-Back
Carolina's leading scorer in the Duke victory was Alyssa Ustby, who was playing in her first ever game against the rival Blue Devils. Ustby scored 20 of Carolina's 78 points, shooting 9-for-15 (60 percent) from the floor, and converting her lone attempt from three while also sinking her one free throw attempt. The game was Ustby's second 20-point effort of the season, following a 23-point game against VCU in Bimini, Bahamas in November, and served as a significant bounce-back game for the sophomore. She had scored 13 total points on 6-for-22 shooting (27.3 percent) in the previous two games against Virginia and Georgia Tech, so seeing Ustby back in double figures in scoring was a welcome sight.

Banghart points to two factors in enabling the bounce-back for Ustby, and both deal with slowing down.
"In transition, our guards did a better job of changing their pace to allow for her separation," Banghart explained. "When we're trying to play so fast, sometimes we don't allow her to get any of that separation that she's so great at."

But while Ustby's speed in transition and ability to beat the Blue Devils down the floor was critical, her ability to slow down in the halfcourt was also a key component to her success.

"I think she had been playing a little bit too fast," Banghart said. "When things are difficult and you're a good worker like she is, you try harder. In this instance, we just needed her to slow it down, and she did that and it paid off."

Valuing the Ball
A key factor in Thursday's win at Duke was Carolina's ability to not just win, but thoroughly dominate, the turnover margin. The Tar Heels gave the ball away six times in the victory, the fewest number of turnovers committed in the Courtney Banghart era and fewest since a five-turnover game against Georgia Tech in the 2019 ACC Tournament Second Round. The performance was especially notable given that the Tar Heels had committed at least 15 turnovers in each of their previous three games against Notre Dame, Virginia, and Georgia Tech, respectively. Not only that, but Carolina forced 18 Duke turnovers, and turned them directly into 27 Tar Heel points. The 3:1 turnovers-forced to turnovers-committed ratio was the best since an identical 3:1 ratio in the aforementioned 2019 game against Georgia Tech, when the Yellow Jackets turned it over 15 times. Though committing only six turnovers was a major key, the 18 forced is what sticks out to Carolina's head coach.
"I was happy that we didn't have a lot of careless turnovers," Banghart said postgame. "We really were active on defense, which I thought was a key part of the game. In a lot of ways, it was a two-way effort, but really happy with our defensive intensity."

Up Next
The Tobacco Road swing will continue for Carolina this week with a visit to Winston-Salem for the lone meeting of the season with Wake Forest on Thursday night. This will be the sixth time in the last 49 Carolina games that the Demon Deacons will occupy the other bench – two of the last four games of the 2020 season, three meetings a season ago, and this week's matchup. Last year's Wake squad took two of the three meetings en route to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1988, but lost standouts Gina Conti and Ivana Raca to transfer and the WNBA Draft, respectively. Carolina will need to keep an eye on Jewel Spear, the ACC's leading scorer at 19.3 points per game. Tip is set for 8 p.m. on Thursday. Broadcast coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. Catch the call on all our streaming options – The Varsity Network App from Learfield, GoHeels.com, and the GoHeels app – all for free. Additionally, our flagship station, 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL, will carry the broadcast in its entirety.

Then on Sunday, Miami pays a visit to Carmichael Arena as part of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration. The Hurricanes own a win over Georgia Tech already this season, and are always dangerous thanks to their aggression, toughness, and pressure defense. Tip is set for 12 p.m. on Sunday. Broadcast coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. Catch the call on all our streaming options – The Varsity Network App from Learfield, GoHeels.com, and the GoHeels app – all for free. Additionally, our flagship station, 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL, will carry the broadcast in its entirety.

In the meantime, a new edition of Holding Court with Courtney Banghart will air on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on WCHL. Tune in to hear from Coach Banghart on all things Carolina Women's Basketball, including a preview of this week's games. As always, the show will be available on the Tar Heel Voices Podcast Channel. It's set to roll out Wednesday morning wherever you get your podcasts.

That's all for now! Go Heels!

-Matt