CHAPE HILL, N.C. — The North Carolina women’s basketball team celebrated the start of a promising season with a “live action” event at the Smith Center on Friday night. The Tar Heels are looking to take advantage of new weapons and new confidence to take the next step. as a program.
Head coach Courtney Banhart spoke confidently to the audience about the team’s promise, repeatedly declaring to fans that he would be dressed in white to foreshadow the team hosting the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Carmichael Arena. .
“I think our play speaks for itself,” Banhart said after the event. “I think the excitement from last year will carry over if we can get people to come. It’s going to be a really fun style of play.”
After the players were introduced to the crowd on Friday, each showed their unique talents and held an intra-team scrimmage.Junior Kennedy Todd Williams stood out and was the game’s high scorer. The guard started all 32 games last season and ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). it was done.
Todd-Williams then competed in a shooting contest paired with the men’s team. His teammates Deja Kelly and Eva Hodgson were also present and Hodgson won the event, scoring eight of his 3-pointers.
Last season, Banhart’s program building paid off.His national university attracted the attention of the world. The team finished his 2021-22 season with him 25-7 overall, ACC 13-5, with the Sweet Sixteen losing to powerhouse No. 1 seed South Carolina 69-61.
“I think we’re just getting older and more mature and deeper and they’re talking more on the floor,” Banhart said Friday. “We’re so far ahead, we don’t have to teach you everything.”
The team brought back 4 of 5 as starters, and alumni guard Curly Littlefield (8.8 wins average, 2.7 wins average) was eliminated after being denied a year of eligibility by the NCAA. . That meant the return of first-team All-ACC guard Kelly (16.5 points, 2.6 passes) and second-team All-ACC forward Arit Sutoby (12.9 points, 8.6 reactions). increase.
With the availability of a redshirted Teonni Key in his first season after tearing the ACL a year ago, one of the key factors that will make the team stronger this season is the depth of the team. Increase. Kayla McPherson also redshirted as a freshman last year while recovering from a high school knee injury.
More experienced and eager to build on last season’s success, these tar heels convey confidence from their Sweet 16 run.
“I think just playing the Sweet 16 against South Carolina and playing closer than anyone else speaks to what this team is aiming for,” Hodgson said. “It is exciting to be able to rely on each other to focus on what we still have and develop it further. I think the bigger thing is our attitude and knowing what we can achieve now.And now we can just go and do it.”
The team will begin the season in Carmichael on October 9 against the Jackson State Tigers. Soon after, he would face tough non-conference challenges, including Oregon State hosting the Phil Night Invitational and Indiana State hosting his ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
North Carolina is projected as the No. 3 seed in the latest ESPN rankings for the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
