Carmichael Comments: Big Week

There's something different in the air this week in Chapel Hill, and I'm not talking about the record-shattering temperatures that make the community we love feel like June … in February. Two games remain for the Carolina women's basketball team in the regular season. Two games against some of the ACC and the nation's best competition, and the opportunity to bolster an already impressive NCAA Tournament résumé – potentially to the level of hosting in March Madness.

Oh yeah, it's Senior Night on Thursday. Sunday? The opponent is your fiercest rival. Even the Thursday opponent could be considered a current rival thanks to a series of battles through recent years. So, a big week.

"I think if we win the last two, we get to host," Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart said on her radio show, Holding Court, this week. "It's a huge opportunity for our guys."

Like on many topics, she's right.

On Thursday, Carolina will say goodbye to three impactful seniors in Eva Hodgson, Malu Tshitenge, and Ariel Young in a postgame ceremony. All three have played massive roles both on and off the court in the rebirth of the Tar Heel program in recent years. That's an emotional day in and of itself. But where the magnitude of the day increases is what will happen between the lines, when No. 9 Virginia Tech brings its six-game win streak into Carmichael Arena to write another chapter in what has become one of the best matchups in the ACC in recent years. A win would be the Tar Heels' sixth against a ranked team this season, the third against a top 10 foe, and sixth NET quadrant 1 win of the year.

Then, those same proverbial feathers in the cap are on the line again on Sunday with a trip to Duke for the second matchup of the season with the No. 11 Blue Devils. Coach Banghart is quick to point out how much the rivalry means to her team and her program, which only adds to the motivation into the game.

It won't be easy, but two wins likely would sew up a chance to host, especially if the smoke signals from social media are correct and Carolina is back to full strength come tournament time. The Tar Heels currently sit at 19-8, and a season ago, four 8-loss teams hosted NCAA Tournament games. Most mock brackets project four-loss Oklahoma as a host, a team with a NET ranking of 33 at press time. So while the Tar Heels' 26 NET rank might be on the lower side compared to other projected hosts, it's far from the end-all-be-all. Besides, wins over Virginia Tech (NET 12) and Duke (NET 9) would make that NET ranking go up.

Take care of business this week, and the numbers take care of themselves. It's a big week. And as the head coach says, a big opportunity.

Here's what else caught my eye this week…

Turning The Page
Last Thursday, after the Tar Heels saw a 10-point lead slip away and fell to NC State in overtime, Carolina was left having to flush the disappointing loss and turn the page to Wake Forest for a critical late-season game. Banghart was quick to say that her team didn't need to "regroup," thanks in part to the fact that Carolina wasn't at full strength for the month of February so far. Following the game, the Tar Heels took a bonus rest day on Friday, based upon the data provided from the team's load management technology worn by each player. Then, preparation quickly shifted to the Demon Deacons in Saturday practice. Mentally, though, that shift was already underway.

"We don't have a bunch of front-runners," Banghart reflected. "When you go through some adversity, you really find out what you're about, and (these players) are pointing inward and come with great energy every day."

Rebounding Balance
At the recording of Holding Court on Monday, a fan question for Courtney Banghart asked about how the Tar Heels have adjusted on the glass during the absence of Alyssa Ustby.

"Alyssa made us all a little lazy on the glass," Banghart joked. "Because she just goes it and gets it herself."

While she answered the question with a smile, Banghart is on to something. Let's take the win over NC State on January 15. Carolina won the glass, 45-41. Ustby had 18 of those rebounds – 40 percent of the boards. Only two other Carolina players had at least five rebounds in that game. On Sunday against Wake Forest, the Tar Heels posted their largest advantage in rebounding in ACC play, +8 (34-26). However, no player had more than five. All eight players who logged at least three minutes of game action snared at least two rebounds. That's a fact that Banghart was especially proud of, and a sign of the adjustments the team has made with Ustby out the last few weeks.

"It took us a little bit of time, but we've really hammered down on winning your one-v-one matchup," Banghart said of the mission of late. The hope, she says, is that when Ustby returns, the Tar Heels will be an even better rebounding team thanks to an increased awareness of individual matchups and the simultaneous presence of one of the ACC's best rebounders.

Valuing The Ball
Sunday's win over Wake Forest was a clinic in ball movement for the Tar Heels. Carolina dished out 18 assists in the victory, their most in an ACC game this season and most in a league contest since January of 2021. In a vacuum, that's an impressive number. But when you break it down, it's even more so. The 18 assists came on 30 made buckets – an assisted field goal rate of 60 percent. Seven different players had at least one helper, led by six from Deja Kelly and five from Kennedy Todd-Williams. The seven players fact is, you guessed it, a high for ACC play this season. Let's throw another number at you: the 18 assists came with just 11 turnovers, the first positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the Tar Heels since the Florida State game on Dec. 29. All in all, a great ball movement day.

"When we move the ball, we've got a lot of good scorers to attack," Banghart explained. "And we've really challenged them to make sure the offense is good. When the ball goes in the basket, our offense looks good."

Up Next
The Tar Heels will play their two big games to cap the regular season on Thursday and Sunday against No. 9 Virginia Tech and No. 11 Duke. Thursday's game with the Hokies tips at 8:00 p.m. inside Carmichael Arena, with THSN coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. The game will be the 10th meeting between the two schools in the Courtney Banghart era in Chapel Hill, with all but two of those showdowns being decided by single digits. The Hokies might arrive in Chapel Hill winners of six in a row, but only two of those wins have come on the road. Catch Thursday's call locally on 97.9 FM/1360 AM in the Triangle, or worldwide for free via our THSN streaming platforms: GoHeels.com, the GoHeels app, and the Varsity Network app from Learfield.

If you're able, come out and join us at Carmichael! Get your tickets here.

Sunday's short trip to Duke is a noon tip as Carolina plays for consecutive wins inside Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time since 2005 and 2006. Pending Thursday's outcome, the Tar Heels could also be playing to deny the Blue Devils an undefeated season at home this year. We're on air at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday with the Reeds Jewelers Pregame Show. Catch the call locally on 97.9 FM/1360 AM in the Triangle, or worldwide for free via our THSN streaming platforms: GoHeels.com, the GoHeels app, and the Varsity Network app from Learfield.

In the meantime, check out the latest edition of Holding Court with Courtney Banghart, which is available on the Tar Heel Voices Podcast Channel. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

That's all for now. Go Heels!