Lucas: Ahead Of Schedule

By Adam Lucas

A few hours after North Carolina toppled third-ranked Louisville in Chapel Hill on Feb. 17, Tar Heel head coach Courtney Banghart couldn't sleep.

Not because of the heart-pounding nature of the one-point victory. Not because she kept replaying the final frenetic seconds.

"I couldn't sleep," she says, "because it felt like my wedding. Did I say hi to everyone? What did I miss? I was so focused on possession by possession, and I made a vow that I wouldn't do that again, that I wouldn't feel that way again."

Fortunately for Banghart, her Tar Heels had an equally satisfying win over Duke at Carmichael Arena ten days later. And this time, she took at least a second to pause and soak in the atmosphere. Over five thousand fans packed into Carmichael for the 28-point Carolina victory, the largest attendance in the Banghart era.

But more than just raw numbers, the Tar Heel head coach saw faces—members of the community who have adopted her program, fans who have become friends,  fellow student-athletes from across one of the nation's best athletic departments who have grown to appreciate the way this particular team plays.

It hasn't been an easy three years since taking over as Carolina's head coach, with the first year devoted to transitioning from the previous entrenched staff and a pandemic dominating the second year. This season, at the same time her Tar Heels have earned more national attention than at any point in her tenure, Banghart finally felt she had arrived.

"I had been waiting for the time that I first really felt like the basketball coach at the University of North Carolina," she says. "And the second half of this season, it happened. The atmosphere at that Duke game was electric."

Fans have caught on to a team that opens NCAA Tournament play tomorrow at 7:30 in Tucson as a five seed, the program's best seed since 2015…when the sophomore core of this year's squad was still in seventh grade.

The Tar Heels are still largely ahead of schedule. In a season dominated by veteran teams with multiple sixth-year seniors, Carolina has zero. But Banghart has found the perfect blend of veterans like Carlie Littlefield and Eva Hodgson to mix with that sophomore group of Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby, Kennedy Todd-Williams, Anya Poole and Alexandra Zelaya, and the leadership of senior Jaelynn Murray. The result has been a team that's noticeably fun to watch, one that plays with Littlefield's grit but also with the zest of Kelly.

And remember, they're still not whole just yet. Injuries to Teonni Key, Kayla McPherson and Ariel Young deprived the Tar Heels of three key pieces this season; they'll be back next year to join another stellar recruiting class that includes Paulina Paris, who this week was picked for the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic Girls National Team.

Word is spreading. It's not unusual for fans to stop Ustby on Franklin Street to take a picture. Attendance is growing. And if you feel like you see the women's team around town more than ever before, it's not by accident. Banghart tries to ensure her entire team understands the opportunity they have every day in Chapel Hill.

"I don't require it," Banghart says. "But I really try to gently mention there are other things that matter besides basketball. This place is awesome. You're in a one mile radius of all these amazing people. If you have a bad practice, go to the soccer game. Invest in the goodness of other people."

That has created a team that actually enjoys hanging out together. Last week, when their male practice players were in a campus intramural championship game, virtually the entire team showed up to cheer them on for a game that started near midnight. Ustby was recently asked if the team is having as much fun--both on and off the court--as they appear to be having. "I think even more fun than that, actually," she replied.

Continuing the momentum, of course, will require postseason success. The Tar Heels will try to get the Banghart era's first NCAA Tournament victory tomorrow against Stephen F. Austin.

"This team has had a really good season," Todd-Williams says. "This is our time now. We've made it this far, but we don't want to forget about everything that happened in the past. That's the chip we want to keep on our shoulder.

"The growth in Carolina women's basketball has been amazing. Our fans support us so much, and we love it. And it gets us really excited for what's to come."

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Eva Hodgson

Deja Kelly

Teonni Key

Carlie Littlefield

Kayla McPherson

Jaelynn Murray

Anya Poole

Kennedy Todd-Williams

Alyssa Ustby

Ariel Young

Alexandra Zelaya

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