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#UNC coach Courtney Banghart press conference at women's basketball media day
Oct 23, 2025
#UNC coach Courtney Banghart press conference at women's basketball media day
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0:00
We'll start with the statement and open
0:01
up to questions.
0:02
You sure will. It's good to see
0:03
everybody.
0:05
Um, thank you in advance for covering
0:09
um, our team early stages. I'm sure
0:12
through the middle and to wherever it
0:14
ends. Um, it is early. You know, I found
0:17
out in preparation that um we are the
0:20
eighth youngest team in college
0:21
basketball with an average of 19 years
0:23
of age and a team like the oldest team
0:26
in college basketball, Syracuse, has an
0:28
average of 23 years of age, right? Um so
0:30
I didn't know the statistics, but I do
0:32
feel the the youth after um you know the
0:36
natural progression of the program was
0:37
losing a lot of really experienced kids
0:39
and so it's been a different vibe. It's
0:41
been really fun you know and teaching um
0:44
a lot. really changed a lot of things,
0:46
you know, because the strength of our
0:47
team is different than it was last year.
0:49
Um, and so that's been fun. Um, and it's
0:53
it feels early because everything's new
0:55
and our people are are learning new
0:57
things. Um, but we're excited to to
0:59
finally get start putting this to work
1:01
against other people. So, happy to
1:04
answer any questions you all might have.
1:06
Glad you had a chance to meet meet them.
1:08
It's an eclectic, a different, a
1:09
diverse, interesting, talented, a hungry
1:12
group. So, hope you guys enjoy them.
1:14
Even with the young uh team there, you
1:16
guys still preseason number 11. I know
1:19
that you don't put too much into things
1:20
like that this early, but um what about
1:23
this team already that we don't get a
1:25
chance to see that you that you know
1:26
makes them uh worthy of that uh that
1:28
preseason ranking?
1:29
Yeah, you I feel like what preseason
1:31
rankings are is they are a testament to
1:33
the strength of your program. Not so not
1:35
so much this team, right? And so they
1:37
haven't really done anything for that
1:38
quite honestly. Um I give a lot of um
1:40
appreciation for the program over the
1:43
last years um to um to have assumptions
1:47
assumptions that Carolina's going to be
1:48
good at basketball, right? And it's our
1:50
job to make those assumptions correct.
1:52
Um and then of course the talent that we
1:54
were able to to bring in off the portal
1:56
and in freshman class and then people
1:58
respecting the pieces that we still have
1:59
and the growth that they've made, but
2:01
that's what preseason rankings are
2:02
about, right? Um and so shout out to the
2:05
people that have played uh in this
2:07
program and made this program one that
2:08
people have eyes on.
2:10
Courtney, a lot of your guys' showcase
2:12
games early in the season are either
2:14
going to be on the road or in neutral
2:15
sites here in Vegas, Texas.
2:18
I know you love playing at Carmichael,
2:19
but how much are you looking forward to
2:21
putting this team out there in some big
2:22
environments and seeing what they got?
2:24
Yeah, you know, you look at the
2:26
progression of a team, right? And so you
2:28
look at um for example UCLA, they've
2:30
got, I think, seven seniors. It's kind
2:33
of where we were last year, right? So,
2:34
they'll lose a ton next year and be in
2:36
the same conversations about how much
2:37
they lost and what they're rebuilding
2:38
and what they're regrouping to. Um, and
2:41
so what a great test early. We knew if
2:44
we were only going to bring back 35% of
2:47
our offense and defensive productivity.
2:49
Um, that we want to know what the
2:50
standard is so that we can by the time
2:52
we get to ACC play, we have a better
2:54
understanding of what the standard is.
2:56
Um, and so you schedule year to year. Of
2:58
course, there's some changes because
2:59
people rosters change from what you were
3:01
hoping for. Um but why you schedule um
3:04
those type of teams is you know what
3:06
they have coming back you know usually
3:08
good players ultimately good programs
3:10
too much um and it allows you to see the
3:13
standard that's what we need to do we
3:15
need to see what is the standard out
3:16
there um our first year went to the
3:18
sweet 16 um we scrimmaged South Carolina
3:20
to start the year I think to see what
3:22
that was was really helpful as we built
3:25
um and so the non-conference will really
3:27
challenge us it's not about how many
3:29
wins Courtney Dhart can stack it's how
3:31
that I can get my team to be when the
3:32
ACC season comes. And I think the only
3:34
way this particular team can do that is
3:36
to really see the standard early
3:40
talking to coach Davis about this
3:43
yesterday. You see a lot of teams
3:51
will
3:56
have
3:57
what is the importance for you in terms
3:59
of
4:01
particular like
4:04
states kind of local.
4:06
Yeah. Well, the South Carolina
4:08
exhibition game was kind of what I said.
4:09
We wanted to have the standard set
4:11
early, right? Pace, size, physicality,
4:14
value of possession, the things that
4:17
matter, right? That's really hard to
4:18
simulate um in the non-conference and
4:20
especially in the preseason. Um and then
4:22
the first game of the year is our is our
4:24
school day game. And I know one of the
4:25
one of the initiatives of our of the
4:27
university is to continue to engage with
4:30
counties in our state, you know, in
4:31
terms of service, in terms of
4:32
educational programming, in terms of all
4:35
different ways to showcase and to
4:36
connect to the communities and the
4:38
counties. And we have, I think, 30 plus
4:39
counties coming um for this kids day
4:41
game. We've got 75 buses that we've got
4:43
to figure out where to park, right?
4:45
That's really good for our state, right?
4:47
Um and then um the more we can play
4:49
regionally against our state, the more
4:51
we allow them to be showcased here at
4:52
Carmichael, you know? I mean, if you're
4:54
going to have somebody here, it might as
4:55
well be people that um that are within
4:57
our system. And then the non and then
4:59
the non regional games are your
5:01
opportunity again set standard be the
5:03
standard um try to aim to play games
5:05
that are going to help you host you know
5:07
that's thankfully that's where we are as
5:08
a program now it's how can we find a way
5:10
to host every year um you know more and
5:12
more chances um to get to the next round
5:15
for the next weekend
5:16
can you speaking of the kind of using
5:18
this team can you talk about what you've
5:20
seen from about her game and
5:23
how's her recovery process been I know
5:25
it's been about
5:26
two
5:27
She hasn't played in so long. It's
5:29
crazy. Um, dynamically athletic,
5:31
incredibly hungry, a great competitor.
5:34
You know, Ria celebrated her. Someone
5:36
asked her at Pedia Day at the ACC, you
5:38
know, who is who are you most excited
5:41
about? And she said, "Tillia Henderson."
5:43
She said, "She's my dog." And that's how
5:45
I would describe Tillia, she's going to
5:46
give you everything she's got. Um, you
5:48
know, she when she plays out against
5:50
South Carolina, we were first putting a
5:51
uniform on in quite a while. She had to
5:53
miss her entire senior year. Um, and so
5:56
You know what I've seen from her as
5:58
someone who is going to do everything it
6:00
takes to help our team. She's an elite
6:01
athlete. She's her numbers and her pre-
6:04
combine stuff are on par with Indians
6:09
in the 1 percentile in terms of the W
6:10
numbers numbers that are that are in the
6:13
combine. And so um she's a great
6:14
athlete, right? And it's the more and
6:16
more she continues to learn our game and
6:18
learn our system and learn the pace and
6:21
speed of college basketball will help.
6:23
But she's a real bright spot.
6:26
with you. It seems like Lane has kind of
6:28
taken on this leadership role. She's
6:31
living with them incredibly. She may
6:33
still be one of the youngest.
6:35
Yep.
6:35
So, how is she obviously she came here
6:37
and played early and had an impact. How
6:39
does her she kind of used that blueprint
6:42
for like a lot of others?
6:45
Yeah. I think the big thing for Laney is
6:47
she was so young. What she did last year
6:48
was pretty unprecedented on the women's
6:50
side. um she decided in the spring um
6:53
she even I we joked about it the day of
6:55
her state championship game and then you
6:57
know 48 hours later she had decided that
6:59
she was recessing right and usually you
7:01
recess down she recess up um and she's
7:03
still the youngest kid on our team and
7:05
so you know she introduced herself at
7:07
our donor event the other night as a
7:08
freshman right so she still feels like
7:10
she's you know one of the younger guys
7:12
that she is but she has a whole year of
7:14
experience right and that matters right
7:16
your your chronological age is different
7:18
than your experience in our program Um,
7:20
and so yeah, she lives with three of the
7:22
freshman. Um, but she's learned a lot in
7:25
her one year. Um, and she knows what
7:27
it's like to be a freshman because she
7:28
just lived it. Um, and she's really
7:30
taken on the job. Like her job is to
7:32
make sure these freshman can help us um,
7:34
in terms of how they concentrate, their
7:36
competitive character, and how they how
7:38
they show their job.
7:39
You guys are moving on from Maria in
7:40
front court. So, how do you see Blanca
7:42
stepping up and what are you expecting
7:43
from her this season? Yeah, Marie and
7:45
Alyssa were two of the more dominant um
7:47
interior presences in the country,
7:49
right? They were a problem. They were
7:50
they were A1 and AB and and and um 1A
7:55
and 1B on the scouting report, right?
7:56
And although they play on the interior
7:58
mostly, um they were really reliable. So
8:01
whether it's mid- possession, early
8:02
possession, or late possession, you can
8:04
sort of throw it in there and over a 50%
8:06
efficiency rate, you're going to get
8:07
something from that sister score. Um,
8:09
and that now is is that's not
8:12
necessarily what we can guarantee and
8:14
count on right out the gate, right? Um,
8:16
they're going to play a little bit
8:17
differently. Blanca's got great size,
8:19
but she's more of a face up presence.
8:21
You know, she can, of course, because
8:22
she's so so big and so long and all
8:24
those things, she's definitely a low
8:26
post dominant threat as well. Um, but
8:28
Maria really wasn't able to stretch it
8:30
all the time, right? And that's where
8:32
different. She can do that. Um, I don't
8:34
think yet any of our posts can play as
8:37
hard as those two played. Um because
8:39
again the standard is still they're
8:40
still figuring out how hard you have to
8:42
play, right? Um to do that over 94 feet
8:45
and then throughout possessions. Um but
8:48
you know, Blanca's really young in terms
8:50
of her experience in our program. Um and
8:52
we're really excited about who she's
8:54
going to be. We just have to keep hoping
8:55
that it's sooner rather than later that
8:57
she's the version that we know she can
8:58
be.
8:59
Following up on that, the ACE tail, you
9:01
said you were a little bit worried about
9:02
rebounding. Yeah.
9:03
Since then, have you started to feel a
9:05
little better about that? Yeah.
9:06
practice.
9:08
Yeah, I did. But don't tell them that.
9:09
So, don't listen to us. I have them
9:11
worried about it. Um, you know, 17
9:14
rebounds a game went out the door,
9:15
right? Um, and so we've got to come up
9:17
with those. Um, and I'm just having them
9:21
focus on that. That's their main
9:22
priority. But yeah, we've been able to
9:24
secure that much better. Um, but again,
9:26
don't tell them that. I use my I use my
9:30
um use my voice strongly in that area.
9:34
Only been here for a couple months. um
9:37
how she gotten acclimated and do you
9:39
have any early expectations for or is or
9:41
is this more so a work in progress?
9:43
Yeah, good question. I mean you guys
9:45
it's really remarkable how she even got
9:46
here. I'm sure she told you the story um
9:48
was really remarkable. It's like
9:50
something I've never even imagined, you
9:52
know, and the first time I met her, she
9:54
had already been on three classes at
9:55
Carolina. She got in at midnight with
9:57
one bag very after midnight, I should
9:59
say. She had an 8 a.m. math class in a
10:01
language she doesn't know, right? I
10:03
don't know math language much less, but
10:04
at least I know the English teacher
10:05
that's teaching me it. Um, and so she
10:07
has just come so far. You know, these
10:09
kids that come over from overseas, it's
10:11
they're basically pros that do some
10:14
school, right? And then they come here
10:16
and you're actually doing both at a high
10:18
level. Um, and she's just totally leaned
10:20
into that. She plays like a true
10:21
European and that she's got her versat
10:23
her versatility and length um, and
10:25
ability to play multiple positions is
10:27
ahead of where her strength and power
10:28
are. Um, but she's increased her
10:31
strength numbers by 31% since she's
10:33
arrived. I mean, she's getting stronger.
10:35
Um, but the game at this level is really
10:36
physical and that's a part of the game
10:38
that she's going to have to continue to
10:39
build, too. Um, and so again, without
10:42
having the opportunity to know yet the
10:44
standard, we haven't seen it. Um,
10:46
there's going to be it's going to be a
10:47
work in progress for her. just follow
10:51
that um
10:54
visa process for her wild
11:00
NCA.
11:07
What was that process like for you guys?
11:09
I understand
11:10
a lot of
11:14
Yeah. So, first you watch a kid in
11:16
Europe, you watch a kid in FIA and you
11:17
realize she's good enough. That's hard
11:19
enough. Once you do that, the rest is
11:21
even harder, right? And that is um you
11:24
have to get into school. I give Carolina
11:25
a lot of credit. They're really
11:27
thoughtful about how to think through
11:28
how uh education looks different in
11:30
other countries, right? You don't have
11:32
the same flow of classes. You don't have
11:34
the same your transcripts don't look the
11:36
same, right? And here we are trying to
11:37
fit them in the model of how do you get
11:38
into Carolina with these parameters.
11:41
Those parameters aren't the same in
11:42
other countries, right? So, first you
11:44
have to which takes a while because
11:46
obviously this is a educational
11:47
institution. You're not going to we're
11:49
not going to be ashamed of that or or
11:51
move from that. So once you handle that
11:53
process, you can't even start the visa
11:54
process until that's done. So then you
11:56
have to start the visa process which
11:57
coming from Russia in this climate. I
12:00
mean go for it, right? So we went for
12:01
it. Um she had to go and stay in Serbia
12:04
for eight days, live in a hotel by
12:06
herself um to hope she can get a visa
12:08
there. Gets the visa. to fly from Serbia
12:11
to our country, you can't go through a
12:12
European Union country. You fly her
12:14
through Turkey and then we get her here
12:16
and because classes had already started,
12:18
there was a chance she could have been
12:19
sent back because there's a federal law
12:21
that you have to if you're on a student
12:23
visa, you have to be here when classes
12:24
start. Um, so she was in Chicago, she
12:26
landed about 9:30 and we all were like,
12:28
I guess we will let you find out. She
12:29
waiting in line. Um, and then got
12:31
through and there she is. So, uh, it was
12:34
pretty wild. Um, and you know, but
12:36
starts with can they do they have the
12:38
talent that a lot that is talking to
12:40
their people. Sometimes you need some
12:41
translators to help with that. Then can
12:43
you get into school? Then can you get a
12:44
visa? And then can you actually get
12:45
here? And all those steps are incredibly
12:48
painful. Take a lot of patience. And I
12:49
give my team a lot of credit because um
12:51
here they are living in their suite and
12:53
next thing you know, we tell them that
12:55
in two days they're going to have a have
12:57
a roommate. You don't tell them before
12:58
that because I really didn't believe
12:59
we'd ever get her visa, right? So I give
13:02
our team a lot of credit. They went out
13:03
and um went and bought her sheets and
13:06
towels and they just welcomed her by
13:08
making sure she had a place that felt
13:10
like home.
13:12
I hope this doesn't come across a harsh
13:15
why is that you know all that
13:19
I got from her perspective.
13:22
Yeah, I I think you my job is to this
13:25
brand, my job is to make sure that I get
13:27
the very best players and people here
13:28
and it would be irresponsible of me to
13:30
do it in just the high school sector or
13:32
just the transfer portal sector or just
13:33
the domestic domestic section. So, we're
13:36
going to be do our due diligence and
13:37
we're going to find we're going to go
13:38
international, we're going to go high
13:39
school, we're going to go portal, we're
13:40
going to go transfer, we're going to go
13:41
whatever. Um, and when you watch her
13:43
play, she does something different than
13:45
what we have. Um, and we felt like it
13:47
was an aspect on our team that we were
13:48
excited about.
13:50
What can fans expect? this team when
13:52
they come out and see you guys play this
13:54
season.
13:55
Oh man, they're so fun. Um I would say
13:59
there's lots of different ways we can
14:00
play. We've got when we're healthy,
14:03
right, which obviously is a work in
14:04
progress for every team at this point in
14:05
the season, but um you know, we've got
14:07
some bigs that offer great size and
14:09
mobility because we can really space the
14:11
floor. So you've got more spacing than
14:12
we've had in the past, right? Um we've
14:15
got more decision making guards, right?
14:17
So Ria really shouldered the load for 35
14:20
minutes a game making decisions with the
14:22
ball in her hands and now you've got
14:24
Elena can do that and Laney can do that
14:26
and Ria can do that and Sid can do that
14:28
from that spot and then you've got these
14:30
dynamic wings and media and um Nyla
14:33
Brooks and Tia go right on down the
14:35
line. So um there's we're still figuring
14:37
out how to put it all together. Um but
14:40
that's what's going to be fun. I think
14:41
we can play a variety of ways based on
14:43
who the opponent is and how we have to
14:44
play. Um but we're also still learning
14:47
the urgency, the consistency that we
14:51
were so spoiled to have in so many five
14:53
year seniors, right? I mean um so
14:55
hopefully the version that we have in
14:57
November and I'm confident the version
14:59
that we you guys would have seen in July
15:00
is not the version you're seeing now.
15:02
The version you would have seen last
15:03
month is also not the version, right?
15:04
And so this group has to continue which
15:06
they've done so far week to week the
15:08
version is not the same, right? And then
15:11
you have to keep coming back to keep
15:12
seeing the upgraded version.
15:14
You mentioned Nyla Brooks and Grant just
15:17
talked about her and describe her as a
15:19
bundle of joy. What's she like to be
15:21
around and what does she add to this
15:22
team?
15:23
Yeah, she is awesome. She comes every
15:24
day, gives me a hug, smiles, and says,
15:26
"I'm here to do two things, coach. Get
15:28
better and to learn." And and she does
15:30
that every single day, you know. Um and
15:32
she laughs at herself. Um she doesn't
15:34
let one mistake suffer her confidence.
15:36
She doesn't let one miss shot make her
15:38
question herself. She's got an enormous
15:40
sense of of inner confidence, but she's
15:42
really joyful and she's allowing things
15:44
to come to her. You know, as an
15:46
that is at Carolina. She's all the
15:48
things you want. It's not about her.
15:50
It's about her getting better to help
15:52
this team. Um and and she's not wasting
15:55
time on things that don't matter like I
15:57
did I I do everything right today. It's
15:59
like let's focus on what you did right
16:00
and let's learn the things you didn't do
16:02
right. Um you guys are going to be
16:03
really happy to have her calendar.
16:06
Yeah. And I talked to Na and she was
16:08
talking about how when she came here, it
16:09
felt like you weren't just recruiting
16:11
her, you recruiting her whole family.
16:12
her family was the one that told her
16:14
like you have to come here. Like what
16:16
made you like so interested in like
16:18
having her and adding her to the program
16:20
and like showing up Carolina not just to
16:22
her but her whole family?
16:23
Yeah, she's the best. Her sister's the
16:24
best, her dad, her mom, they're all
16:26
remember I called called her mom and I
16:28
said you need to make your daughter come
16:32
to Carolina. Like it has to I don't care
16:34
how you have to do it. Um but I went up
16:36
to Bishop during that contact period and
16:39
I actually didn't watch her play
16:40
basketball. I walked around all of her
16:42
all her teachers and her president and
16:45
school head and de students and
16:47
everybody just feels the way I feel
16:49
about that. Everyone was like, "Oh my
16:51
god, I love this kid." Right. Um and so
16:53
I knew she was coming from a great
16:54
community. Her dad's been a basketball
16:55
coach for a long time. Um and is a
16:58
cheerleader of others. Um they're just
17:01
her sister's hilarious. I mean, they're
17:03
just a great family and it just fits
17:04
what we are here.
17:07
question
17:11
all that stuff.
17:13
I'm curious
17:19
um what's
17:27
install?
17:32
Yeah, it is. And I think it's a work in
17:34
progress, you know. I think having the
17:36
hire of of Steve Newark and and Bubba
17:39
staying on in a role that can he can
17:41
make sure that the department continues
17:42
to thrive. I mean, I think they're still
17:44
figuring all that out quite honestly.
17:45
And how we've gotten to where we are is
17:47
keeping the main thing the main thing,
17:48
right? I have to make sure the product
17:50
down there Carmichael continues to draw
17:52
attention and continues to draw
17:54
excitement for our community that I
17:55
continue to recruit kids that represent
17:57
this program the right way. Um, and the
17:59
rest will work itself out, right? Make
18:02
yourself I always say this to my team,
18:03
make yourself invaluable. just it's a
18:05
good life skill. Make yourself
18:07
invaluable. And I think this exactly
18:09
what this program's done. They've made
18:10
themselves um we've made ourselves an
18:12
invaluable asset on this campus. We were
18:14
on national TV, linear TV, more than any
18:16
team in the country last year. Um any
18:19
team, right? And so you want to talk
18:20
about brand value, you know, you've
18:22
heard the TV channel and women's
18:23
basketball is all over all the time,
18:25
right? This year on ABC as we know on
18:27
ESPN multiple times. Um and so the brand
18:29
value that we bring um to the university
18:32
is again making our social What is
18:34
Kayla's role going to be for this team
18:36
this year? How meaningful is it that she
18:39
has decided to stick around and help you
18:41
guys out even after having retired?
18:43
Yeah, I mean everyone talks about the
18:44
outgoing pieces all the time and the
18:46
transfer portals that is across that's
18:48
rampant in our game. Um I think it's
18:50
undertold how many five year seniors
18:51
have stayed around Carolina, right? I
18:53
mean this is a kid that um she I can't
18:56
imagine I haven't had to coach a game
18:57
without her in five years, right? I know
18:58
she's not playing but she's every bit as
19:01
important. She was in she's in our staff
19:03
meetings. She's actively coaching. Um
19:06
she's a really good going between a
19:08
basketball standpoint. There's times
19:09
where when Lisa doesn't understand me,
19:11
I'll say, "Kayla, go. Make sure she
19:13
understands what I'm saying, right?" Um
19:15
she's gonna be a great coach someday.
19:16
And here anywhere else that she is, you
19:19
know, she's providing incredible value.
19:21
It's just not in the way that either one
19:22
of us would have thought.
19:23
And you have multiple players on this
19:24
team, Sierra Tia, who have gone through
19:27
severe knee injuries. How vital is it to
19:29
have someone who that like just be a
19:33
calming voice during rehab.
19:34
Yeah. I think it's just relentlessness,
19:36
right? Like it's like this your journey,
19:38
not everybody's journey looks the same,
19:40
right? Um but a little adversity doesn't
19:43
make you um lean out, it's got to make
19:45
you lean in. What a better example than
19:46
Caleb how she's leaned in. I mean, I was
19:48
getting some treatment yesterday at
19:50
about 8 a.m. and she was in there, you
19:52
know, she was in the the cold tub
19:54
working on mobility and stuff. Um, you
19:56
know, at 8 a.m. So, she's just the the
19:58
the rehab process you have to lean into
20:01
and she's just a great example. You just
20:03
don't stop. That is a being injured is a
20:05
time commitment that you have to honor.
20:07
This group being fun is something that I
20:08
heard multiple times even from you. How
20:11
I heard that you get in on the fun a
20:12
little bit too, but how how do you
20:14
balance it? Um, trying to you know, you
20:16
want team chemistry. That's always
20:17
important, but also you want them to be
20:19
focused on the goals.
20:20
Yeah. I just think anything of
20:21
importance and value has to have joy.
20:23
That's just who I am, right? I always,
20:26
you know, I think the hardest thing
20:27
about taking over a program when I first
20:28
got here was that the team hadn't fit my
20:30
personality yet because you're not
20:31
coaching a team that you necessarily had
20:33
your hands on enough, right? The team
20:35
now fits my personality. Did last year,
20:37
you know? Um, and so they're not
20:38
perfect. I'm not perfect, right? We're
20:40
going to stand up for each other, right?
20:42
We're going to stick up for each other.
20:43
Um, we're going to keep the main thing
20:44
the main joy is part of it. That's just
20:47
who I am. So, um I think they they've
20:49
signed on for that. Um and there's not
20:52
one of them that I wouldn't want to sit
20:53
next to on an airplane. That's kind of
20:54
like your baseline. Like if if when
20:57
they're handing out plane tickets and
20:58
I'm stuck sitting next to you and I
20:59
don't like you, I shouldn't recruit you,
21:00
right? Um they are Yeah, they're they're
21:04
goofy, but they're serious. Their
21:05
pursuit to this process has been as
21:08
admirable as it is on any team I've
21:10
coached. Now, that doesn't mean they're
21:12
as good yet as any team I've coached,
21:14
but their commitment to the process of
21:16
improvement. You know, Nyla Harris,
21:18
Indian Navar, Raniah Kelly, and Sid
21:20
Barker are only four upper classmen, and
21:22
they are not letting one day go away
21:24
without getting better. Um, it's pretty
21:26
remarkable because I am hard on them,
21:28
right? Because I'm the standard right
21:29
now. There is no other standard that
21:30
they know. So, I am continually
21:32
promoting what the standard is. Um, and
21:34
I know they're looking forward to
21:36
somebody else doing that, which is the
21:37
opponent that we're about to play.
21:38
Coach, if you had to describe your music
21:41
one word. What would you say about it?
21:44
I would say connected. I mean, they just
21:46
they're connected to each other. They're
21:48
connected to the big picture of a
21:49
mission. They're connected to the daily
21:51
steps. Um, and that's not coach B, but
21:53
this group is connected even when I'm
21:55
mad at them. Like, they just you can't
21:57
really stay mad at them because you're
21:58
like, that's not good enough. And then
22:00
they're totally connected on making that
22:01
change as a group, right?
22:04
And then if I if I get on so and so for
22:07
not doing something, her teammates are
22:09
ensuring that she does it better the
22:11
next time, too. They're just connected
22:12
to what we're doing, you know, which
22:13
gives me great hope on where we'll be
22:15
over time and we'll have the patience
22:17
and persistence needed to get this
22:21
leadership.
22:22
How is Nyla Harris kind of come in and
22:24
taking on that role? Obviously new.
22:28
Yeah. And she's she came here for for an
22:30
elevated role. You all want an elevated
22:32
role until you have the elevated role.
22:33
It's like everybody wants to be a point
22:35
guard. Then they come to college and
22:36
they're like, "No, no, no, not me. Not
22:37
me." Right? Um, so she has a new and
22:40
elevated role. Um, and it's been really
22:43
fun to help her understand what that
22:44
entails. And I always say what we are
22:46
shifting trying to shift towards is we
22:48
have a lot of available players. We need
22:49
to find reliable players. Right? She was
22:52
available and she was an animal, right?
22:56
I need her to be reliable, right? And
22:58
so, um, she's been such a joy. She leads
23:01
the She laughs every day. I'm sure any
23:03
of you would talk to her, you left
23:04
smiling. How can you not? She's joyful.
23:06
She's she's experienced. She's so
23:09
grateful to be here. Um, and so we have
23:11
a really good relationship, and it's a
23:13
lot of pushing right now, but it's not a
23:15
lot of pulling, right? Like, I can push
23:17
her. I don't have to pull her. She's She
23:18
wants to be as good as I want her to be,
23:20
as reliable as I want her to be. Um, and
23:22
then she's one of those
23:26
What does hosting
23:28
do you know last year feel like for you
23:30
in the program and what are you telling
23:32
players about getting back?
23:34
Yeah.
23:34
Well, I love that question because it's
23:36
one of the reasons that I ultimately
23:38
ended up leaving Princeton as I felt
23:39
like I had reached that program to about
23:41
as far as I could get it, right? Um you
23:43
go 30 and0, you finish the season 13 in
23:45
the country, you still don't get those,
23:47
right? And so to get to do it, I knew
23:50
how cool it would be. Um and then you
23:52
just hope it's as cool as you thought
23:54
you knew it was going to be. and liking
23:55
it to the NCA tournament. So when I
23:57
first got here, I was telling I wanted I
23:59
was telling our team, "Guys, the NCA
24:01
tournament is the best. Whatever it
24:02
takes to get there, we got to do that."
24:04
Then as you remember, the first
24:05
tournament that I was actually here for
24:07
because the first one was canceled was
24:08
the one in San Antonio. So it was the
24:11
opposite of awesome, right? So I was
24:12
like, "No, no, I mean it." Like the next
24:14
one will be awesome. They said the next
24:15
one, right? Um and so I was I was hoping
24:17
it wasn't that. Um and it was absolutely
24:19
such a gift to host. It was I felt like
24:22
it was the perfect give back to a that
24:24
have lifted this program up, stood by
24:26
it, and showed up for it. And then for
24:27
us to be able to bring an NCA tournament
24:29
right into their laps and to allow them
24:31
to be celebrated and allow them to be
24:33
important and be part of the tournament.
24:35
I mean, you know, if you have to be if
24:38
you have to try to get excited about
24:40
that again, then check your heartbeat.
24:42
Like that's what I'm that's what I'm
24:43
driven for now to see as many how often
24:45
can I host. Then you have an easier
24:48
easier track to the sweet 16, which
24:50
means you're 80 minutes in your final
24:51
four, right? Now you're working on 80
24:53
minutes, you're not working on 160,
24:55
right? So it was really amazing. Our
24:58
community showed out in every way. Um
25:02
people dying,
25:04
you know, that's what you want.
25:10
Questions for
25:11
coach, what does the community mean to?
25:15
Yeah, I think this is kind of they've
25:16
become a little bit of Carolina's
25:18
community sweethearts, right? They're
25:20
very engaged in the You know, I was at a
25:24
I was talking with a recruit yesterday
25:26
and she was asking me about all these
25:27
people and none of them were on my team.
25:29
I was like, why are you asking about
25:30
those people? And those people along her
25:32
official visit, she had met a lot of
25:34
those people that she was asking about,
25:35
right, that were not that are just in
25:36
her community or whatnot. Um, you know,
25:38
so it's I'm still I was telling somebody
25:41
the other day, it's still a place that
25:43
if I'm at an exercise class or at a
25:45
grocery store, at a restaurant, people
25:47
literally say, "Thank you for being our
25:49
coach." Right? Like I people are
25:51
grateful that I'm here and don't take
25:53
that time for granted. Um, and that's
25:56
how they treat our team. You know,
25:58
they're so grateful that there was a guy
26:00
who came like one of our donors was
26:02
elevated his giving level. He was
26:04
talking about how his um his wife had
26:07
fallen ill to um Alzheimer's and he said
26:10
it was really hard because throughout
26:12
the year she knew me less and less. He
26:15
said, but he teared up in our circle and
26:17
he said, but she knew who Kelly was. And
26:20
that kind of says it all, right? Like
26:22
this is a guy that had been married for
26:23
over 50 years and his wife had gotten so
26:25
sick that he didn't she didn't know who
26:26
he was, but she knew, right? Um and I
26:30
think our kids have owned that. Um they
26:32
speak when spoken to and they engage
26:34
when when have given the opportunity,
26:37
right? And so that shows itself with how
26:39
many fans show up for them
26:41
and
26:44
coach. What is Kelly's leadership?
26:47
What does that
26:52
Ray Kelly is a dog? I know everyone
26:55
loves watching her play. She's an even
26:56
better person to have in your locker
26:58
room. Um she's I remember when she was
27:01
struggling through her freshman year. I
27:02
showed her some film and I showed her
27:04
not what happened in the clip, but the
27:06
one second after the clip for like 16
27:09
possessions. And I asked her kind of
27:11
what did you notice? And what she could
27:13
tell that her body language didn't
27:15
change. So, we had no idea what happened
27:16
in the session because I didn't show
27:18
that part of the session. And I said,
27:19
"That's leading our team." Like a lot of
27:21
like I need you to have I want the team
27:24
to play your personality. So, you got to
27:26
show your personality, right? And now
27:28
she is she has really taken that on and
27:30
made a huge jump this past year in terms
27:32
of how she communicates, how she
27:34
celebrates, how she challenges, how
27:35
engaged she is. You know what's
27:37
happening good or bad now by just
27:39
watching her, right? So, that was huge.
27:41
Um her faith is very important to her.
27:43
She and Sid Barker run our weekly Bible
27:45
studies, you know, which has been really
27:47
special for our team. Um, yeah, she's
27:50
just you can trust her, you know. I
27:52
think people, this age group doesn't
27:54
understand consistency yet. It's just
27:56
not what they're great at. Quite
27:57
honestly, is I think people
28:03
consistency is probably where I would
28:06
where I would put her as an elite
28:07
category. and her ability to adjust her
28:10
personality as part of our leadership
28:13
has been huge. But yeah, she's a key
28:15
piece of
28:18
questions.
28:20
Great.
28:21
All right, guys. Thank you so much.
28:23
Thanks for showing up. Got it.