…and the 2025-26 season is down to its last few games. On Sunday, Carolina will learn who it will play and where in the NCAA Tournament. The tournament does provide for a maximum of six games, but for that a team would have to reach the final championship game. If UNC is selected as a host site, most likely at least three more games will be added. The Heels currently are at 26-7.
As is usually the case, there are people who are unhappy with the results of the season. If that is examined objectively, it would appear that most of the preseason objectives were reached. Finish in the top 20? Check. Finish in the top 4 ACC (and earn a double-bye in the ACCT)? Check. Host NCAA Tournament games? Maybe 50/50 between a 4-seed and a 5-seed and we will know Sunday. Note that for the last 25 seasons, every team with 14 or more conference wins (UNC is 14-4) has hosted. There is a huge difference between #3 (as last year) and #'s 4 or 5 that put a team into the same draw as a regional #1. Except for hosting, a #6 seed might actually be preferable.
On the statistics side, UNC performed well. In conference games the Heels were 7th (71.9 ppg) offensively but 2nd (59.9 ppg) defensively. The scoring margin was 11.9 ppg (4th). Across all games, UNC outscored its opponents by 543 points for a scoring margin of 16.5 ppg. In 3-point shooting UNC was .360 (2nd behind Notre Dame) and also 2nd in 3-point defense (.274, trailing only dook). The Heels also ranked 3rd on defensive rebounds (28.6 rpg). Carolina’s rebounding margin was the best in the league: 7.3 rpg.
Individually, Nyla Harris and Indya Nivar were 2nd Team All-ACC; Indya Nivar made the All-Defensive Team and Nyla Brooks the All-Freshman Team.
Looking back over the schedule there will always be high points and low points. Seven losses are bothersome. Keep in mind however that two of those losses were to UCLA (currently #2) and Texas (#3) nationally. Particularly frustrating was the first Louisville game, when UNC overcame a 7-point deficit in the 4th quarter to take a 3-point lead on a Lanie Grant layup and then could not close out the game, missing critical free throws with 00:05 on the clock. The game went to overtime, and UNC would have been better off if they had headed for the showers. Scoring zero (0) points in overtime is never acceptable.
Carolina also lost in overtime to Stanford, 71-77. The Heels were the better team. They lost by 23 a week later in South Bend to Notre Dame. The Irish certainly played better. That loss seemed to get the team’s attention as they closed out the season 12-1, losing only to dook in Durham. That streak included a 61-59 win over Moo U in Raleigh.
The less said about the Louisville game in the ACCT the better. Carolina was well off its usual game as admitted by the Head Coach postgame. Ciera Toomey quite possibly had her worst game as a Tar Heel. Hopefully that team performance will fire up the Heels for the NCAAs.
One observation more: this blather about “needing a new coach” is just dumb. We have the coach we need. Courtney Banghart has done a first-rate job with the transfer portal, and the players she brought in – Petra, Carlie, Eva, Maria, Lexi, Grace, Tray, Nyla H, Indya, and Elina – have either started or been valuable reserves. PS, you could add Steph Watts to that list as well
Recruiting hasn’t been bad, either. Coach CB saw something in a lightly recruited kid from Minnesota and that kid became our all-time leading rebounder (and a 1791-point scorer): Alyssa Ustby. Deja Kelly became an 1,858-point scorer. All-Freshman Lanie Grant, a career 39.3% 3-point shooter and 81.1% FTs. All-Freshman Nyla Brooks. Most recently, Kate Harpring. Yes, some players have left: Destiny Adams and Teonni Key, for example. In the era of the TP that will happen.
It might also be noted that Carolina’s home attendance is 3,250. The stated capacity of Carmichael is 6822. That’s 47.6% of capacity. If UNC wants to compete with the big kids, that needs to be improved. The Heels are 7th in the ACC. N° 1 is Louisville at 8108. BTW South Carolina regularly draws 16,000. Of course, there is little night life in Columbia SC.
If there is a fair criticism it would possibly be that Carolina’s post-season play has not been particularly rewarding. Between the ACCT and the NCAAT Carolina is 10-12
There are games to play. Hopefully the Heels will win. I'd like to write a few more previews.
As is usually the case, there are people who are unhappy with the results of the season. If that is examined objectively, it would appear that most of the preseason objectives were reached. Finish in the top 20? Check. Finish in the top 4 ACC (and earn a double-bye in the ACCT)? Check. Host NCAA Tournament games? Maybe 50/50 between a 4-seed and a 5-seed and we will know Sunday. Note that for the last 25 seasons, every team with 14 or more conference wins (UNC is 14-4) has hosted. There is a huge difference between #3 (as last year) and #'s 4 or 5 that put a team into the same draw as a regional #1. Except for hosting, a #6 seed might actually be preferable.
On the statistics side, UNC performed well. In conference games the Heels were 7th (71.9 ppg) offensively but 2nd (59.9 ppg) defensively. The scoring margin was 11.9 ppg (4th). Across all games, UNC outscored its opponents by 543 points for a scoring margin of 16.5 ppg. In 3-point shooting UNC was .360 (2nd behind Notre Dame) and also 2nd in 3-point defense (.274, trailing only dook). The Heels also ranked 3rd on defensive rebounds (28.6 rpg). Carolina’s rebounding margin was the best in the league: 7.3 rpg.
Individually, Nyla Harris and Indya Nivar were 2nd Team All-ACC; Indya Nivar made the All-Defensive Team and Nyla Brooks the All-Freshman Team.
Looking back over the schedule there will always be high points and low points. Seven losses are bothersome. Keep in mind however that two of those losses were to UCLA (currently #2) and Texas (#3) nationally. Particularly frustrating was the first Louisville game, when UNC overcame a 7-point deficit in the 4th quarter to take a 3-point lead on a Lanie Grant layup and then could not close out the game, missing critical free throws with 00:05 on the clock. The game went to overtime, and UNC would have been better off if they had headed for the showers. Scoring zero (0) points in overtime is never acceptable.
Carolina also lost in overtime to Stanford, 71-77. The Heels were the better team. They lost by 23 a week later in South Bend to Notre Dame. The Irish certainly played better. That loss seemed to get the team’s attention as they closed out the season 12-1, losing only to dook in Durham. That streak included a 61-59 win over Moo U in Raleigh.
The less said about the Louisville game in the ACCT the better. Carolina was well off its usual game as admitted by the Head Coach postgame. Ciera Toomey quite possibly had her worst game as a Tar Heel. Hopefully that team performance will fire up the Heels for the NCAAs.
One observation more: this blather about “needing a new coach” is just dumb. We have the coach we need. Courtney Banghart has done a first-rate job with the transfer portal, and the players she brought in – Petra, Carlie, Eva, Maria, Lexi, Grace, Tray, Nyla H, Indya, and Elina – have either started or been valuable reserves. PS, you could add Steph Watts to that list as well
Recruiting hasn’t been bad, either. Coach CB saw something in a lightly recruited kid from Minnesota and that kid became our all-time leading rebounder (and a 1791-point scorer): Alyssa Ustby. Deja Kelly became an 1,858-point scorer. All-Freshman Lanie Grant, a career 39.3% 3-point shooter and 81.1% FTs. All-Freshman Nyla Brooks. Most recently, Kate Harpring. Yes, some players have left: Destiny Adams and Teonni Key, for example. In the era of the TP that will happen.
It might also be noted that Carolina’s home attendance is 3,250. The stated capacity of Carmichael is 6822. That’s 47.6% of capacity. If UNC wants to compete with the big kids, that needs to be improved. The Heels are 7th in the ACC. N° 1 is Louisville at 8108. BTW South Carolina regularly draws 16,000. Of course, there is little night life in Columbia SC.
If there is a fair criticism it would possibly be that Carolina’s post-season play has not been particularly rewarding. Between the ACCT and the NCAAT Carolina is 10-12
There are games to play. Hopefully the Heels will win. I'd like to write a few more previews.
