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UNC retained its spot at No. 11 in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll released Monday after easily winning twice last week. It’s the first time that North Carolina has been in the top 11 for two consecutive weeks since last season, when it was No. 9 on Feb. 17 and No. 8 on Feb. 24.
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina is better when Nyla Brooks is logging more minutes on the court than miles on the exercise bike, and when they can find the shooting range from outside the 3-point arc. Neither happened for much of the game and the first 18 minutes had the Tar Heels upset. No. 11 UNC shook off that terrible first half to make it a 71–37 rout Thursday over Elon in Carmichael Arena despite going 4 of 26 from 3-point range.
Here’s a look at the Thursday night matchup between Elon and the No. 11 UNC women.
CHAPEL HILL — If there was any doubt about the preseason hype that this No. 11 North Carolina team would be good, the Tar Heels quickly shot that down on opening day. Yes, it was against an overmatched N.C. Central team. But Carolina showed off a deep roster of young talent, including six newcomers, in throttling the Eagles 90–42 in the annual mid-day Field Day game Monday at Carmichael Arena.
ATLANTA — The young No. 11 Tar Heels already knew that they would give a significant preseason test against No. 2 South Carolina, and it got even tougher with two key players sitting at the end of the bench.
Just like with the exhibition game against BYU last week, you won’t be able to flip to a television channel and watch North Carolina’s men’s exhibition game Wednesday night against Winston-Salem State.
For Ciera Toomey, the word that defines her redshirt sophomore season will be confidence.
With Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng gone, center Blanca Thomas knows the expectations are rising and a big sophomore leap will be needed if No. 11 North Carolina is going to come close to being as good inside as last season.
With one of the youngest teams in the country, UNC coach Courtney Banghart is embracing the challenge of building chemistry and identity with a roster full of fresh faces and new roles.
Before Coach Courtney Banghart arrived at Carolina in 2019, the Tar Heels hadn’t been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll the previous four seasons, but her team on Tuesday made that preseason poll for the fourth consecutive season.
CHARLOTTE — Jim Phillips says that the ACC is reshaping its competitive balance and its basketball schedule to better position the league for national prominence.
CHARLOTTE — With Lexi Donarski gone, there’s little mystery about who will likely take on the toughest defensive assignments for North Carolina this season. Senior guard Indya Nivar, the Tar Heels’ best returning defensive player, is ready to embrace that challenge, and as one of the team’s veterans, she’ll do it while leading a younger, retooled backcourt.
CHARLOTTE — Most coaches replacing three starters, including a decorated five-year player, face significant challenges. It’s not as if North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart wouldn’t love to have forward Alyssa Ustby, center Maria Gakdeng and guard Lexi Donarski back. But the influx of six talented players, including an incoming recruiting class ESPN ranked No. 5, along with stars returning, could make that transition easier after last season’s Sweet 16 run.
ABC will televise two North Carolina games as part of its college basketball package, one each for the men’s and women’s teams.
Recruiting players in Europe presents numerous challenges, even when there is a two-month gap between the time a player commits and the start of the fall semester. Getting 6–1 Russian Liza Astakhova to campus by the first day of classes on Aug. 18 was daunting, even though she committed to North Carolina on June 17.
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