Carmichael Comments: Taking The Lid Off

It almost defies logic. When the horn sounded to conclude Carolina's second game in Estero, Fla., at the Gulf Coast Showcase, the Tar Heels' three-point shooting in the tournament sat at 4-for-36. That's 11 percent.

Sure, there were some shots that players might want back. That's any game. But when Lexi Donarski hits the rim multiple times – once so much that the ball rolled an entire revolution of the cylinder before bouncing out – Carolina fans, coaches, players, broadcaster, and maybe even Rameses himself were left wondering what sort of hex was on the Tar Heels.

The truth of the matter is that while the numbers were similar (2-for-16 and 2-for-20) in Carolina's games against Vermont and Kansas State, the way in which the offensive struggles impacted the Tar Heels was different. In Friday's tournament opener against Vermont, the reigning America East champions from the Green Mountain State, Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart felt the Tar Heels' effort from the floor (8-for-33 in the first half, 24.2%) impacted their overall play.

"We couldn't quite find our rhythm on the offensive end," Banghart said. "I'm not I've been a part of many games that look like that in the first half."

At the end of the day, shooting is a bit of an inexact science. Last year, the very best three-point shooter by percentage was Alex Giannaros of Boston University, who shot 51.5 percent. Even on two-point field goals, the national leader was Mya Berkman of Liberty at 69.5 percent. Point being: it's way rarer to have a perfect offensive game (more on that below) than run into adversity. Coach Banghart is fond of saying that basketball is the ultimate team game because it requires players to constantly play at both ends of the floor. It's not football, where the quarterback sits on the bench as the linebackers and edge rushers go to work. Or even lacrosse, where two-way midfielders have to be the most athletic players on the team, but a fixed number of players are stuck behind a restraining line. The frustration from offensive adversity can easily seep into the minds of players who are responsible for the entire 94 feet at all times.

"We've got to be able to take the right shots and live with the result.," Banghart said. "I think we got a little stiff because they didn't fall early, and that affected the rest of the game."

The "rest of the game" included the free throw line, where the Tar Heels were a mere 12-for-26 (42.6%). Shooting Boxing Day at the foul line will get you in some trouble.
Now, let's not bury the lede more than we already have. Carolina won that game. The Tar Heels forced seven second-half giveaways from Vermont and capped the game on a 15-3 run, all while making just two substitutions in the entire fourth quarter.

"We didn't shoot the ball well all night, so we had to generate some more turnovers," Banghart said. "We put a really good defensive unit in and that changed the tempo for (Vermont)."

A day later, those problems between the ears were gone, but in a cruel twist of irony, the Tar Heels suffered their first loss of the season, 63-56 to No. 16 Kansas State. Banghart was delighted with how much better her team handled the adversity.

"The fact that shots didn't fall – we didn't let that affect our defense," she remarked. "We were excellent on the defensive end."

The numbers back it up, with 21 forced Wildcat turnovers, approximately a third of the Kansas State possessions. After halftime, K-State was only 37 percent from the floor and 29 percent from three. With so many stops, the Tar Heels were able to find shots they wanted at a much higher rate than against Vermont. But Carolina could never turn an early 14-point deficit into a lead at any point in time, and the Wildcats pulled away with free throws.

"We missed a lot of great shots, but unfortunately you've got to knock down a lot more shots to win games," Banghart said.

So back to the drawing board. Sunday's tournament finale, a one-point loss to Florida Gulf Coast in which the Eagles hit the game-winning bucket with seven seconds left, saw the Tar Heels post a season-best 51.2 percent mark from the floor. Forty-six of the 64 points came from two sources, Deja Kelly and Maria Gakdeng. The duo is arguably Carolina's best 1-2 punch on two-point field goals, with Kelly possessing a lethal midrange jumper and Gakdeng a terrific finisher around the rim. The Tar Heels attempted a mere five threes as a team, the fewest in a game under Banghart. The intent was clear: find ways to make shots go down, or as Banghart put it, "get the lid off the basket."

Banghart knows that if her team keeps plugging away and finding ways to generate quality shots, a regression to the mean from a greater chunk of the roster is imminent.

"My job is to put them in position to score, and sooner or later the ball is going to fall," she said.

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Gakdeng's Perfect Day
The basketball left Maria Gakdeng's hands fourteen times on Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast – eight field goal attempts, and six free throw attempts. All 14 times, the ball went into the net. Gakdeng set Carolina career highs with 22 points and six made free throws in the game against the Eagles, both totals that matched her overall career highs set while playing at Boston College. The eight made field goals without a miss is the best performance under Banghart, and eight also matches the season high in made buckets for any Tar Heel. The effort came a day after being held scoreless against Kansas State and battling foul trouble in Carolina's first loss of the season, making the bounce-back feel even better for the junior.

"She's got great size," Banghart said of her 6-3 center. "She didn't play well (Saturday), so she felt like it was important that she came out with more urgency, and it showed."

Quick Turnarounds
Thanksgiving tournaments are one of two times over the course of a season in which teams will play two (or more) games in successive days, with the other being conference tournament season in March. Every game matters in the course of a season, but by March, the stakes are ratcheted up a notch. The similarities between a Thanksgiving tournament and a conference tournament are one of the reasons why coaches enjoy scheduling trips like the one the Tar Heels took this week. The effort required from players, coaches, and support staff to turn around and prepare for a game 24 hours after another is quite extensive, though.

"The tournaments are always really fun if you're a fan, because you get a lot of games in a short period of time," Banghart said. "For the coaches, and the training and sport performance staff, it's not so fun."

The biggest difference between an early-season tournament and a conference tournament, however, is the unfamiliarity of opponents in a non-league event. Tar Heel players and coaches had to digest new scouting reports and understand tendencies rapidly. You probably know when else that's relevant: the NCAA Tournament.
"It's been a late night (and an) early morning, lots of film," Carolina's fifth-year head coach said. "It doesn't matter how much we know, it matters how much our kids are able to grasp," adding that film preparation requires breaking down an opponent into "tangible chunks."

Supported En Masse
The Carolina cheering section was a little bit larger in Estero. Roughly a dozen of the program's supporters were invited to travel with the team to the Gulf Coast Showcase, immersing in the travel party for the event. Players, coaches, and staff were able to interact informally with the Rams Club members who help make all of Carolina's success possible. That experience left Banghart feeling grateful over the Thanksgiving holiday.

"They are people who have donated their time and their finances and support to our program over time," she said. "And I was thinking 'man, there are a lot of people who care about Carolina basketball.' The energy that this team has brought to this community is earned, and I'm so proud to be a part of it."

If you're one of the folks who was with us on the trip, thank you so much for the fellowship, hospitality, and laughs! Let's do it again sometime soon.

Up Next
There's just one game on the docket for the Tar Heels this week but calling it a "big game" might be an understatement.

No. 1 South Carolina will bring its 5-0 record to Carmichael Arena on Thursday for the Tar Heels' first home game against No. 1 in the Courtney Banghart era. It's the first time since 2013 the two border rivals will clash in the regular season, with the last three meetings occurring in the NCAA Sweet 16 (2014, 2015, 2022). The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 11-9, and will look to add a 12^th triumph, simultaneously the fifth win over a top-five foe in the last four seasons. The sold-out game, the second sellout in the last two years, will be a "Blue Out" for all 6,000+ fans in attendance. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m., with our THSN coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. As always, hear the broadcast worldwide for free on the Varsity Network App from Learfield, GoHeels.com, or the GoHeels app. Thursday's game will air locally in the Triangle on 97.9 FM/1360 AM WCHL, the flagship station of Carolina Women's Basketball.

That's all for now. Go Heels!

-Matt