Carmichael Comments: On A Journey

The NCAA Tournament isn't played in November for a reason.

Sure, college basketball isn't like the pros, where trades, signings, and releases can alter a roster and provide an external spark midseason. The personnel with which you begin the season is the personnel with which you hope to make a postseason run come March.

What separates the good from the great is the ability to grow and develop along the journey, and for the last several years, the guideposts of the journey of the Tar Heels under Courtney Banghart have been defensive achievements, stifling opponents and earning wins. Yet this past week was a defensive effort not seen in over a decade: back-to-back games without allowing 40 points. In beating Hampton 62-32 and Elon 68-39, Carolina opponents failed to crack 40 in consecutive games for the first time since November of 2011. It's no surprise that when asked about her takeaways from the first few games of the year that Banghart immediately pointed to the defensive end of the floor.

"Defensively, we continue to make progress and can be quite disruptive on that end," she remarked.

It conjures up memories of 2021-22, when the Tar Heels stifled a quality Charlotte team and held them to a mere 33 points in the second game of the season. A week later, they held TCU to 46 points in a road win over a Big 12 team. Soon after, the Pac-12's Washington Huskies scored only 37. In four of the first six games that season, the Tar Heels didn't concede a double-digit scorer. That feat was replicated this week, with no Hampton Pirates or Elon Phoenix reaching 10 points. The Tar Heels of two years ago didn't peak in November, they instead rode the defensive effort all the way to a Sweet 16 berth. Carolina fans, players, and coaches alike can all hope this year's early season defense is a sign of equally impressive things to come.

So what's next in this team's progress?

For starters, it begins with continuing learning how to harness aggressive play and not play with too much aggression.

"There are times where our aggressiveness is helpful, and there are times when it gets us a little out of position," Banghart explained.

Positional mistakes will only be magnified come games against high-level power conference opponents and in the ACC, so being able to make those mistakes in a game setting, but still have the ability to win, is a benefit. In the last edition of this column, we talked about how much more experienced depth Carolina possesses this season, a point that stands with 11 players appearing in both the Hampton and Elon wins. Carolina is making progress – with emphasis on the progress – as a unit.

"I, of course, have a real high standard, so I can't help but find some holes still," Banghart said. "But we're getting a lot of guys a lot of good experience."

But to Banghart, every single time the ball goes up, the 2023-24 Tar Heels are improving.

"One more game helps our journey," she said after Saturday's triumph.

Free Throws, Free Points

Even with a 29-point win over Elon on Saturday, Carolina bucked a trend from its first three games of the season by making only eight free throws and attempting 11. You see, in the first three victories of the year, the Tar Heels attempted at least 25 free throws and hit at least 17 in each win. That stretch marked the first time ever under Banghart that Carolina had been to the foul line for 25 or more attempts in three straight games, and it matched the longest run of games making 15+ foul shots in her five-year tenure.

Was this a point of emphasis, or merely a byproduct of the matchups?

More of the former, Banghart said, but more so as an adjustment to some early-season struggles from long range.

"We're being aggressive," Banghart reflected. "We're not shooting the ball as well as we'd like from three, so we have to be aggressive on the dribble attack."

The good news for Banghart and her team is that the Carolina roster is built for that aggressive mindset.

"We've got big, strong, physical kids who aren't afraid to get into the paint," she said.

Role Models for the Next Generation

Wednesday's win against Hampton was played in front of 1,500 local elementary and middle schoolers as part of the team's annual Field Trip Day. Kids cheered loudly for every made basket, increased the volume even more when the video board beckoned the crowd to "get loud," and congregated around the victorious Tar Heel players postgame seeking an autograph. Not only does coming to Carmichael Arena provide the local students with a fun day away from the classroom, but it allows the Carolina players to become real-life examples of success to their younger student counterparts. The students were able to have meaningful interactions with players who pursued their dreams and goals and maximized their talents to become collegiate athletes.

"What a great opportunity to see people in their zone of talent, and see their zone of passion," Banghart said.

Ironically, two of Banghart's three children were on a field trip of their own, to the Morehead Planetarium on campus. The common theme there? Reaching for the stars.

Smith Returns Home

Saturday's win over Elon was more than just a November non-conference game for those who appreciate the rich history and tradition of Carolina women's basketball. Charlotte Smith, who hit the game-winning shot for the Tar Heels in the 1994 National Championship Game and has her No. 23 retired in the Carmichael Arena rafters, was back on the opposing bench as Elon's head coach. The game marked the third time in Smith's 13-year tenure that she has returned to Carmichael, with the two programs meeting up once in Myrtle Beach and once on Elon's home floor as well. Smith, whose face and voice are heard at each home game in the "I'm a Tar Heel" video played during a late media timeout, greeted fans and staff members alike before and after the game. Smith's impact is especially meaningful to Banghart as she strives to build another championship team in Chapel Hill.

"What Charlotte has meant to Carolina Basketball is unparalleled," Banghart said. "She's one of the main royalty pieces of this puzzle. Any time we can get her back, even as the opposing coach, she's always a Tar Heel."

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Up Next

Carolina will head to Estero, Fla., just outside of Fort Myers, to play in the 2023 Gulf Coast Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend. The eight-team, bracketed event tips off Friday, with the Tar Heels in action at 1:30 p.m. against reigning America East champion Vermont. The Catamounts return head coach Alisa Kresge and all five starters off the NCAA Tournament team from a year ago, which lost to UConn in the first round back in March. Vermont's quest to go back-to-back in its conference is off to a 3-1 start with the lone loss coming to Big East member Providence. Our THSN coverage of Friday's first ever meeting between the Tar Heels and Catamounts begins at 1:00 p.m. with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. Catch the call worldwide for free on the Varsity Network App from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app.

Saturday's second game of the event will be against either No. 16 Kansas State or Western Kentucky. A Carolina win Friday will set Saturday's tip time at 5:00 p.m., while a Friday defeat means Saturday is an 11:00 a.m. tipoff. As for Sunday, the game time will not be known until after Saturday's action, but if the Tar Heels are in the Championship Game, that game would tip at 7:30 p.m., with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show starting at 7:00. As always, hear the broadcast worldwide for free on the Varsity Network App from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app. Sunday's game will air locally in the Triangle on 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL, the flagship station of Carolina Women's Basketball. The most intriguing potential matchup for Sunday is Carolina and No. 5 Iowa, led by superstar Caitlin Clark. If the matchup comes to pass, it provides the Tar Heels the chance for their third AP top-five win in the last two seasons after beating No. 5 Iowa State in Portland last Thanksgiving and beating No. 4 Notre Dame at home in January.

That's all for now – Happy Thanksgiving and Go Heels!

-Matt

The Tar Heels huddle on the Carmichael Arena court.

The Tar Heels are 4-0 as they head for Florida and this weekend's Gulf Coast Showcase.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 22, 2023 | Women's Basketball

By: Matt Krause (@mattkrausepxp)

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Carmichael Comments: On A Journey

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