Carmichael Comments: No Letdown Here

Basketball players and coaches are human beings.

Now there's a statement that shouldn't surprise you, but it's an important reminder of just how difficult consistent success can be across a four-month college basketball regular season. Elite players and coaches succeed in part because they find a way to offset human nature and devote maximum energy and effort to each and every challenge, even those that may appear easier "on paper."

Teams and players who are still in the process of learning to win will occasionally have lapses in which they'll play down to their competition, and as a result, take a loss against a team that stats and rankings suggest they're not supposed to lose to. That possibility certainly existed this week for the Carolina women's basketball team, which finally completed a seven-game stretch through January in which the Tar Heels played six out of seven games against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. With that gauntlet squarely in the rearview, Carolina dealt with two unranked opponents this week in Wake Forest, which entered the matchup on a six game-losing streak, and Miami.

The situation would cause some to breathe a sigh of relief, but had Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart was aware of what could happen if her team wasn't ready to go and taking the Demon Deacons and Hurricanes seriously.

"We had a potential for a letdown," she explained, "going to Wake for an 8 o'clock game on a rainy night, and then coming back home for a noon tip after a big weekend for the (Carolina-Duke) rivalry on the men's side."

Luckily for her and Tar Heel fans everywhere, there was no letdown. Carolina built a 25-point halftime lead in Winston-Salem on Thursday night and rolled to a 78-59 win over the Demon Deacons. If that wasn't enough, Sunday's game was downright historic. The Tar Heels led 28-2 after the first quarter, 53-13 at halftime, and finally 85-38 over Miami. Just five nights earlier, the Hurricanes fell to now-No. 3 Louisville by just three, 69-66. Yet the Tar Heels beat that same Miami team by 47, the largest margin of victory in an ACC game for Carolina since a 49-point win over Wake Forest in 2007 – nearly 15 years ago.

"The kids' purpose and pace was excellent all week. We talked about getting sweeps, getting back to that in February, and so far, we're 1-for-1," Banghart said.

Some coaches might worry privately about that chance for a letdown. Not the leader of the Tar Heels. Instead, she addressed the subject head on with her still-young team. Remember, you might feel like you've watched Alyssa Ustby and Deja Kelly play forever by now, but they're only sophomores.

"Sometimes people leave things unsaid that are better said," Banghart remarked. "So I tell them, 'I think this is an opportunity for a letdown.' I told them that. I told them that Wake had beaten us last year two of three times, and Miami is really starving to get into the NCAA Tournament."

That message was certainly taken to heart. Carolina struggled with being able to throw the first punch in some games earlier this season – think NC State or Georgia Tech – but was able to do so in both contests this week. Against teams like Wake or Miami, that can lead to the results that followed.
Two wins and tangible growth? No letdown here.

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

300 Reasons to Celebrate
Thursday's win for the Tar Heels marked the 300^th in the coaching career of Carolina's Courtney Banghart, who is in her 15^th season as a head coach – 12 at Princeton University, where she racked up 254 wins, and now in her third season at Carolina. Following the game, Banghart received a "shower" of blue and white confetti inside the Tar Heel locker room, a fitting moment to celebrate her accomplishment with a group that has Carolina women's basketball playing at a level that hasn't been reached in nearly a decade.

"It's a daunting deal, this coaching thing," she reflected. "And when you look at that group and you celebrate moments, you're looking at a team that you really love. This is a group that celebrates others really well, and when I get to be the one celebrated, it makes me feel loved and appreciated in that moment."

Then on Sunday, Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham presented Banghart with a commemorative ball to recognize the milestone, a moment made even more special by the presence of Banghart's three young children on the floor with the Tar Heels players.

"They have to share me," Banghart said. "I'm not just a mom, I'm a working mom. The working mom thing is real, and I'm glad to be an example to our players that it can be done, but it's real. As much as I can intermix the two, the better it is for me."

Defense Clicking
Carolina's dominant defense was on display again this week in the two wins over the Demon Deacons and the Hurricanes. Opponents hit only 33 of 122 shots (27 percent) this past week, and went 9-for-40 from three-point range (22.5 percent) against a stingy Tar Heel defensive effort. The defensive effort was especially apparent in first halves, when Carolina held Wake Forest to 15 points and Miami 13 points in the opening 20 minutes. To put some of that into perspective, the games were the eighth and ninth this season in which Carolina has held foes to 20 points or fewer in an opening half. Miami's 1-for-17 start from the floor (5.9 percent) was the best defensive quarter for Carolina this season.

For Banghart, her team's performance on the defensive end of the floor was a symbol of its togetherness and connectedness.

"Our key before the game was that we wanted to be really strong on our own, and best together defensively," Banghart reflected after the win over Miami. "I thought individually we did a good job dealing with our accountability, and then we never played 1-on-1. Our guys had each other's back at every turn."

Déjà vu
Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking. How did it take this long to make this pun in this column? Well, it did. But we saved it for a good time. It was no secret that Deja Kelly was in a funk at the tail end of January – the sophomore guard went from scoring in double figures in 17 straight games to open the season to a three-game stretch of failing to reach the 10-point mark, a stretch that ended with a scoreless game on Jan. 30 against NC State. Turns out the turn of the calendar to February was the change that Kelly needed, as she returned to the 10+ point column with a 12-point effort on Thursday at Wake Forest that included a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the foul line. Then, she went out and dropped a team-best 18 points on Sunday against Miami, scoring 12 of them in a 1:52 span late in the second quarter when she drained four three-pointers. It certainly felt like we were back to watching the Kelly that scored at least 15 points 10 times in an 11-game span bridging December and January.

"Every time Deja misses, I'm surprised," Banghart said. "Her shot is so clean. Her success is something that she continually works hard for, and to see the team celebrate her and want her so badly to see that ball go in the net the way we have all year, it's gratifying as a coach."

If Kelly heats up down the stretch, well, look out.

Up Next
No. 23 Carolina will play back-to-back games at Carmichael for the first time since Dec. 30 and Jan. 2 as the Tar Heels will remain home for a Thursday night matchup with the Pitt Panthers. Though Pitt has a narrow lead in in the all-time series at 6-5, Carolina has won the last two in the Courtney Banghart era with an 81-72 win in Pittsburgh last season and a 70-62 triumph in Chapel Hill in December 2019. This year's Pitt team sits 11-11 overall and 2-9 in ACC play, with conference wins against Wake Forest at home and Clemson on the road. Tip is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday. Broadcast coverage begins at 5:30 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 join the broadcast right at 6:00 for tipoff.

Then on Sunday, it's rematch time with Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels dominated the Hokies, 71-46, at Carmichael Arena on Jan. 9, but the game is more anomaly than rule for this year's Hokies. Tech has lost just twice since that day, road losses to NC State and Notre Dame. The Hokies will begin this week 8-3 in the ACC, but the Tar Heels hope to both sweep this year's series and win a second straight game in Blacksburg after a 68-63 triumph on Feb. 28, 2021. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday. Broadcast coverage begins at 12:30 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.

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

Alyssa Ustby and the Tar Heels picked up a pair of big wins last week, at Wake Forest and home against Miami.

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

February 8, 2022 | Women's Basketball