Kate Harpring — the No. 2 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class that committed to North Carolina in mid November — is expected to be in attendance for the Tar Heels' regular season finale against Duke on Sunday, a source told Inside Carolina.
Kate Harpring Expected To Be In Attendance For UNC-Duke Game
- Thread starter CadeShoemaker
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Wonderful ! I wish she could suit up Lol.
I am so happy Kate is soaking in the UNC culture.
All us UNC WBB Diehards can't wait to see her on the court next season.
I am so happy Kate is soaking in the UNC culture.
All us UNC WBB Diehards can't wait to see her on the court next season.
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Welcome back home, Kate! Stripe out game vs Duke. All fans get free t shirts
I hope Kate is sitting with a couple of 2027 blue chip recruits
Wouldn't it be funny if Kate run out with the team and sat on the bench beside Noelle. That would turn some heads for sure. I just glad that she will be in the house for that game. I hope we have some 2027 recruits at this game as well. I would love to see some "Welcome Home Kate" signs by fans at this game. Go Heels!
Heels gave Kate a pretty good show today. Go HEELS!!!
3400 points in the backyard shooting by yourself would still be impressive. Wow.
Some great players have come out of Georgia so that is quite a feat. She can do some things that no one on the current UNC team can do. Day 1 starter.
Absolutely ! Kate starts from day one. She is that good. She is a great 3 point shooter but her ability to
get into the paint and finish after contact is supreme.
I cannot wait to see Kate in Carolina Blue playing for UNC.
get into the paint and finish after contact is supreme.
I cannot wait to see Kate in Carolina Blue playing for UNC.
With that eight point lead and two minutes on the clock next year, she will be the one at the top of the key dribbling the clock down.
Kate can score at all three levels, which I already know. Her offensive game is legit. The only question that I want to see and have answered is can she defend top level guards on the defensive side. As I have been stating this whole time. I am not worried about her offensively; my question is can she defend elite guards on the defensive end. This is what Muffet McGraw stated about freshman coming into the college game. She said, the majority of freshman coming in to play college ball from Day 1 struggle on the defensive side of the ball. I am in total agreement with her on this. There have been a few exceptions. HH for ND is an exception. When I watched the McDonalds AA game, I will be looking to see if Kate can defend those elite guards. Can she defend the elite guards in the ACC next year as a freshman, like HH, the two guards from NC State, K. Johnson, if she cannot do that then this is why I stated she will not start from Day 1 and she may start as the season goes on once she is able to do that.
Kate's baseline is she will start - and likely be UNC's best player as a freshman - even if she experiences some of those common defensive struggles as a freshman that you're talking about.
You seem to always make this an either/or where it's like, either she plays lockdown defense or she won't start for Carolina. She isn't exactly having to beat out Hannah Hidalgo to start for UNC next season.
She's going to start, and she's going to thrive. But obviously the quicker she can adjust to the college game defensively, we'll be even better off for it.
We shall see. I am just stating the facts about most freshman that come into college their defense is what causes a lot of them not to see time on the floor. These are just the facts, no matter how talented they are on the offensive end. If you cannot defend than what good is that going to do a team. If you score 47 points and the person that you are guarded scores 46 points than that is doing either one of you any good. Anybody that has ever played college basketball will tell you that 99% of the ballers who are highly ranked in the top 100 can score like crazy, the question is can they defend. The best players to have ever played the game could score and defend, case in point MJ, KB, Scottie Pippen, etc. I remember when VC first came into the league and MJ told him and his mother that championships are won by being able to defend and not just scoring. His mother and him got mad and was very defensive towards MJ. MJ was just telling him the truth. As I stated before, Kate is legit on the offensive end, I want to know if she can defend elite players because that is what she is going to face next year in the ACC. All the elite guards in the ACC can flat out score and defend. When they were freshman their defense was the issue except for a few like HH. That is all that I am saying. In closing, I will say this. The McDonalds AA and the Jordan Brand game will be a good measuring stick for Kate and for me as well. She will be playing against the elite high school players in her class. On the offensive side, I know she is going to get buckets, she is elite. I am going to check to see if she can shut down the person that she will be guarding. If she does that in both of these games than my answers will be answered and then I will definitely say that she will be starting at UNC next year. I am more concerned with her defensive capabilities. Does anyone know if her high school team played against any elite players that are ranked in the top 100? If so, I would love to see the stats on that game or those games. Thanks.
I would caution you against using the high school All-Star games as an indicator of anyone’s defensive capabilities. The All-Star games are exhibitions and notoriously don’t have much defense played in either direction.
I’m not sure about the competition her high school team played.
It will be interesting to see, as the daughter of an elite college player who works out extensively with her dad, if she arrives in Chapel Hill better prepared for all aspects the college game than other incoming first year college players do.
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We will have to wait and see. If she does start from Day 1, than I will admit that I was wrong. I do not have a problem stating that I am wrong. I just want to know if she can defend. Offensively she has all the tools and she will be a force. I just want to know how she is on the defense end.
There are a lot of good points presented on both sides as to whether she will start or not. Have to agree with Jriv23 that a lot will depend upon her being able to play defense which is a priority with CB. Take in perspective of the freshman who are on the team this year, offensively they were good at times, but their defense left a lot to be desired. Harping will play a lot during her freshman year, but it could be an outreach to say she will start. Granted if her defense is up to par she will be in the starting lineup around mid season, but it's too early to state it's a sure thing.
The most ready-to-start prospect we've signed in a while.
Absolutely Correct ! It would be a bad look for Kate to not start.
It would be used by other coaches recruiting against us. We just should not go there.
Plus, from my eyes studying her film she is simply really really good.
Her ability to get into the paint and finish with contact will take our offense up a big jump.
It would be used by other coaches recruiting against us. We just should not go there.
Plus, from my eyes studying her film she is simply really really good.
Her ability to get into the paint and finish with contact will take our offense up a big jump.
The biggest factors on whether Harpring starts will be her defense and the recovery of Kelly.
it would take both Sr captain Kelly being 100% at mid-season 2024-25 level as with no concern for her sEason-long durability and Harpring slow to pickup the concepts for her not to start. (I love Aarnisalo but I don’t think she is keeping a top 5 player off the court.)
my guess is Harpring starts because I thing the combination of factors above is unlikely.
it took Harris as a 1st team/2nd team All ACC performer and Nivar as the 2nd best defender in the league plus majors defensive lapses from Brooks to keep Brooks out of the starting lineup.
it would take both Sr captain Kelly being 100% at mid-season 2024-25 level as with no concern for her sEason-long durability and Harpring slow to pickup the concepts for her not to start. (I love Aarnisalo but I don’t think she is keeping a top 5 player off the court.)
my guess is Harpring starts because I thing the combination of factors above is unlikely.
it took Harris as a 1st team/2nd team All ACC performer and Nivar as the 2nd best defender in the league plus majors defensive lapses from Brooks to keep Brooks out of the starting lineup.
Harpring is the Naismith NPOY!
Thanks for sharing. I was wrong. Kate has to start now. Somebody will have to go to the bench. I do know who right now, but the Naismith POY cannot come off of the bench. This is what I do know. That will not look good for recruiting. Just like this year on the men's side. There was not way that Caleb Wilson was going to be coming off of the bench this year. That would have been bad for recruiting. Here is the irony, both Kate and Caleb are from the ATL. Go Heels!
Likewise, Jriv23 with the accolades which she has received no doubt she will have to be in the starting lineup. Most have concerns about her defense, which there were concerns with Caleb Wilson defense as well. But to improve her defense it will be a teaching on the behalf of CB and the staff. Congrats to her being named Naismith POY, that's an impressive list of past winners.
KJ I suspect Kate's Dad Matt will have Kate well prepared defensively before she arrives on campus
ready for Coach CB to teach her the Carolina team defense.
I will be shocked if she is not well prepared. Kate Harpring is going to be a great player.
ready for Coach CB to teach her the Carolina team defense.
I will be shocked if she is not well prepared. Kate Harpring is going to be a great player.
Caleb Wilson surprised a lot of us with him being able to help out and block shots and guard on the perimeter at his height. I am sure that Kate will probably being able to do the same thing on the defensive end like he did.