Up next in 10
UNC's Indya Nivar, Reniya Kelly, Lanie Grant and Courtney Banghart press conference Sunday #UNC
Mar 23, 2025
Subscribe to the Tar Heel Tribune channel so that you don't miss any videos.
View Video Transcript
0:24
good afternoon everyone to North
0:27
Carolina's press conference couple quick
0:29
announcements announcements please
0:31
silence your cell phones make sure to
0:33
provide your name and media affiliation
0:34
each time you ask a question for the
0:37
folks on Zoom we'll get to you after
0:38
we're through questions in the room and
0:41
recording press conferences on cell
0:43
phones or cameras is prohibited today
0:46
for North Carolina we've got Laney Grant
0:48
Rah Kelly and Indian Navar we'll start
0:52
with questions go ahead and raise your
0:53
hand we'll get you a
0:55
mic Jeremiah go ahead uh Jeremiah
0:58
Holloway with inside Carolina for you
1:00
guys obviously you have West Virginia
1:01
coming up tomorrow I know that they're
1:03
you know points per game wise a really
1:04
Stout defensive team based on what you
1:07
guys know about them so far what are
1:08
some of the early challenges that they
1:10
you know present for any of you three RI
1:12
why don't you go ahead and start um yeah
1:14
I'm going to say ball control I think we
1:16
really have to take care of the ball
1:17
this game um just limit the turnovers
1:20
and try to score when we get to the
1:22
court to
1:24
court L you want to add anything yeah
1:27
you know they have a couple really
1:28
Dynamic guards so you know playing
1:30
really good group defense making them
1:32
play in crowds stuff like that kind of
1:34
piggybacking limiting turnovers in the
1:36
back court you know they press a lot so
1:38
just being and playing under
1:43
control Doug buor Associated Press you
1:46
know a lot of course is made of their
1:48
defense and how unique it is um have you
1:51
faced anyone similar to that or anything
1:54
you can compare it to or is this truly
1:56
something new for you India you want to
1:59
take this one
2:00
I think somebody similar is probably
2:01
Duke they they pressure in the full
2:03
court manto man but um West Virginia I
2:06
feel like they're a little bit different
2:07
they're very sporadic in the way we just
2:09
don't know which defense they're going
2:11
to do at which time but I feel like our
2:14
teams in our conference have prepared us
2:15
for this anything to add Rai
2:24
good come on RL you can do it
2:30
uh Ariel bam torill Tribune along those
2:33
lines you guys have had Rock fights with
2:36
Duke when you know they were a good
2:39
defensive team as well how was that how
2:42
will that be helping you guys in
2:44
tomorrow's matchup in dealing with that
2:47
sort of
2:48
game R go
2:50
ahead um like Andy said this team is
2:54
very different from duke I think they
2:56
are very sporadic like she said but I
2:57
think Duke also helped us just be
3:00
prepared for the full court pressure but
3:02
as far as comparison you really can't
3:04
compare any team to West Virginia right
3:07
now anything to add Lany would just say
3:10
you know we've been in a lot of close
3:11
games so we feel confident throughout if
3:13
it is a rock fight um then we're going
3:16
to be confident we have a lot of good
3:17
senior leaders um as well as these two
3:20
sitting next to me so you know playing
3:21
under control but
3:25
yeah different sort of question uh when
3:28
uh Lexi hit the fifth
3:30
three-pointer uh on the sidelines uh
3:34
there were there was a little
3:35
resuscitation from two players of
3:38
another player uh can you comment on
3:41
some of the activity there some of the
3:44
creative celebrations that we saw
3:47
yesterday I feel like that just shows
3:49
the personality of our team we love each
3:51
love each other so much and want to see
3:53
um everyone be successful and I think
3:56
what they were doing yesterday was kind
3:57
of just showing their personality and
3:58
celebrating Lexi
4:03
you do you guys practice that sort of
4:06
thing
4:09
no
4:18
no you're good good go uh this one's for
4:21
Laney and then also for R so obviously
4:23
you know Laney you know coming in just
4:24
being your first year just who are you
4:26
know some of the people I guess on this
4:28
team specifically that you've kind of
4:30
leaned on you know for advice things
4:31
like that and obviously R you know you
4:32
playing kind of a you know similar
4:34
position as her what type of advice do
4:36
you give Lany being a you know first
4:37
year player who obviously is all the way
4:39
at the tournament now and has some
4:40
experience but just kind of can you just
4:42
talk about you know some of the I guess
4:43
gems and things that you try to give to
4:45
her Lany go ahead yeah you know my buddy
4:49
is Alyssa so for the entire experience
4:52
of the tournament I've leaned on her a
4:53
lot but I would say playing the guard
4:55
position like Kayla has really stepped
4:57
up for me almost as like a second coach
4:59
while I'm on the court if I have any
5:00
questions or she always has something to
5:02
say in like timeouts or huddles so she
5:04
does a great job of keeping me calm and
5:06
then for me personally as my starting
5:09
point guard I would even say R and I
5:10
know she's only one year older than me
5:12
but she brings such a calming presence
5:13
so I know that if anything you know yeah
5:17
but no that if I ever need anything I
5:18
just look over at her and she's really
5:19
good at grounding the team and getting
5:21
everybody in the right spots so Lany I'm
5:23
really proud of you I just want I am you
5:26
know I know missing your senior year in
5:27
high school is like devastating so
5:30
um I think forany just trusting the work
5:34
that she's put in she's here for a
5:36
reason and she's here at this particular
5:38
time for a reason so I think just trus
5:40
in the work that she's put in she's
5:41
still working hard to this day and I
5:43
think she's going to go far regardless
5:45
of what you know she
5:57
knows 10 Rounds you 92 there we go this
6:00
is a question for any of you everyone
6:02
focuses on West Virginia's defense but
6:03
JJ Cornell and Jordan Harris are combine
6:05
for 50 points what do you guys see them
6:07
doing offensively that could present
6:09
some challenges as well India you want
6:11
to start with this one yeah both of
6:13
those guards are very dynamic they get
6:16
to the paint they hunt paint paint
6:18
touches and they're very crafty as well
6:20
with the balls so making sure um we're
6:23
crowding them putting them in a crowd I
6:24
think is the best um thing for us to do
6:27
in this game putting them in a crowd
6:29
making sure they're not our that our
6:31
players not are not on
6:33
Islands Laney anything to add you know
6:36
taking away their primary Tendencies I
6:38
think is Big you know Indy talked about
6:39
making them play in crowds but also like
6:41
the shots they do get like make him
6:43
contested and make him hard and maybe
6:45
not their first option making them go to
6:47
their second or third options uh we
6:49
talked about you know trying to get the
6:51
balls out of their hands stuff like that
6:53
but you know and he pretty much cover
6:54
the most of it uh Cody nesper West
6:57
Virginia sports now um for any of you
7:00
guys um what do you expect the crowd to
7:02
be like tomorrow obviously it was good
7:03
yesterday um and how much does being
7:05
here you know help you in in games like
7:08
this yeah I think because the game is at
7:10
700 p.m. now it's actually going to be a
7:12
really really good crowd tomorrow um and
7:16
also it means a lot you know obviously
7:18
we want to for the we want to do this
7:20
for the seniors I think Alyssa Lexi
7:22
Kayla Maria Grace we want to do this for
7:25
them so the fact that they can play here
7:26
their last game um at our home gym is
7:29
like
7:30
amazing so I'm just really happy for
7:39
them K maker with the daily Tar Hill
7:41
Laney you just me m excuse me you just
7:44
mentioned moments ago about like Alyssa
7:46
being your buddy is that like is there a
7:47
buddy system for this team what does
7:49
that look like and how has Alyssa
7:50
specifically kind of guided you through
7:52
this March process for you yeah so
7:55
everybody in the team in the beginning
7:57
of the season was paired up with
7:58
somebody and I was fortunate enough to
8:00
get Alyssa uh and then we brought in
8:03
Tissa so we're like a trio buddy now
8:05
that uh she joined the program but
8:07
Alyssa has been very grounding for me as
8:10
somebody who's going on her Fifth Season
8:12
here and like this is my first and I am
8:14
a young player like she knows the ins
8:16
and outs of everything she's been you
8:19
know a great calming and also like
8:21
motivating force like like kind of what
8:23
Ria just said like you want to do it for
8:25
her you want to do it for Lexi and all
8:26
the seniors that have poured everything
8:28
they have into this program PR so as a
8:30
younger player like I have no option but
8:32
to give my best every single possession
8:34
on the floor because that's what they
8:35
deserve and that's what you know like I
8:36
wouldn't give them
8:38
so down in front uh Justin Jackson with
8:42
the Dominion Post I'm wondering if you
8:43
guys can kind of explain to me the
8:44
season that Maria has had there's
8:47
obviously been games where she's
8:50
dominated and then games where you know
8:52
maybe foul trouble or other issues and
8:54
injuries obviously um and now she's come
8:58
back and it looks like she might be able
8:59
to play a very pivotal role for you guys
9:01
tomorrow so I'm just kind of wondering
9:03
if you guys can sum up what she's meant
9:05
to you guys throughout the year and the
9:07
role she could play
9:09
tomorrow India you want this one oh
9:13
yeah it's hard cuz Maria is like my big
9:16
sister and I just seen her grow so much
9:17
from last year um she plays an important
9:21
role on our team she rebounds she makes
9:23
crucial plays and you know those days
9:25
where she gets in foul trouble that's
9:27
just put she's putting it on she trust
9:29
in US that we're going to make up when
9:30
she's not on the court but I don't know
9:33
I just I feel like she deserves so much
9:35
more credit and yeah I just I don't know
9:39
I feel like she's done a good a great
9:41
job this year and setting herself up for
9:43
the
9:44
future and the role she plays tomorrow
9:48
against West
9:49
Virginia yeah a big role I don't think
9:52
anybody can really guard her in the
9:53
country so just making sure we're
9:55
feeding her the ball in the best
9:56
position and she's just going to do what
9:58
she does
10:04
anything else for our student
10:07
athletes all righty thank you ladies
10:32
we'll
10:34
go we'll go ahead and move along with
10:36
head coach Courtney
10:38
bangard
10:42
questions dougb GE Associated Press um
10:46
again on the topic of Defense how do you
10:48
kind of go about preparing that for
10:50
something that's you know that you don't
10:51
always see all the time court press yeah
10:54
there's a rhythm that you have to play
10:56
with each game and it was very different
10:57
than the Rhythm we had to play again
10:59
yesterday um so there's an element of
11:01
you can prepare through film and and
11:04
through understanding angles and then
11:05
they've got to kind of play through it a
11:07
little bit right um you know we we
11:09
played against pressing you know
11:10
obviously Duke did more man-to-man press
11:12
whereas like a Syracuse and a did more
11:15
of a Zone press um you know so we we've
11:19
and then we play against our guys I mean
11:20
we we had all last week to prepare for
11:23
pressure you know um so sort of like a
11:26
zone defense or a manto man defense
11:27
everyone's defense is a little different
11:29
their schemes are a little different so
11:31
you you can't really practice it to
11:32
Perfection you can prepare for it um and
11:35
so that's what I think that's what we've
11:37
done through film and we we did last
11:39
week and knowing we might play a team
11:41
like this um and then we've got practice
11:43
time today to spend on it um but the
11:45
great thing about March is is that you
11:46
don't need to reinvent yourself I know
11:48
everyone talks about March being your
11:51
new season as I told them yesterday like
11:53
I don't want a new season I want this
11:55
season right and so this is a
11:57
continuation of the season of work
11:58
they've already put in in um and so you
12:01
know partly how we win this game is how
12:03
we play on both sides of the ball
12:05
together regardless of what the other
12:06
team is doing and and play to our
12:08
strengths so we're just going to
12:10
continue that kind of the way who we are
12:12
and and put ourselves in the best
12:13
position to be successful on that note
12:15
you must feel fortunate to have the
12:17
senior the um experienced guard play you
12:19
have has to help doesn't it absolutely
12:22
yeah you know especially having Renay
12:23
back and um you know Grace has played
12:25
for five this is her fifth year
12:27
obviously Lexi's fifth year Alyssa's a
12:28
ball handling perimeter player as well
12:31
um you know so we've got a lot of
12:32
experience Indie is a junior um at the
12:35
at the guard spot yeah helps us a
12:38
lot Kate Shaker with the daily Tor heel
12:41
um Courtney obviously ball protection is
12:43
a a key for this game how what are some
12:44
practical things you can do to like
12:46
limit turnovers when they're so Scrappy
12:48
on defense you know I think part of it
12:50
is is that again it's not I'm not the
12:52
one playing against it so whereas there
12:54
is times where I might beat it with Pace
12:57
other times I might beat it with the
12:58
dribble other times might beat it by a
13:00
kind of a pass back to Quick reversal to
13:01
up the floor I've got to show them the
13:04
various uh how to utilize the court you
13:07
know quite honestly through angles and
13:09
through our bodies um well and then they
13:12
have to read that possession accordingly
13:14
because as you take one dribble up the
13:16
court the angle is is not as good in one
13:19
way the angle's better in another way if
13:20
you take a dribble towards the middle of
13:22
the Court you're shrinking one angle one
13:23
way but you're increasing an angle
13:24
another way right so um it's it's not as
13:28
much it's that they do this we do this
13:31
it's understanding um how to utilize the
13:33
angles on the court um to uh to use
13:37
their pressure against them and get
13:38
great shots for us down here to the left
13:41
Daniel Woods WV Metro News coach uh WVU
13:45
in Mark's first two seasons it's
13:47
unprecedented this is the first time uh
13:49
they've won 50 games across two seasons
13:51
so from a coach's perspective watching
13:53
from afar uh what can you I guess add in
13:56
terms of perspective uh to what he's
13:58
been able to accomplish so quickly yeah
14:00
we played them when they were at SFA um
14:03
one of my years I think it was when I
14:05
was here but we played um Stephen F
14:07
Austin um and when he was their head
14:08
coach there and they were really good I
14:10
think it was the year we went to the
14:11
Sweet 16 I think we played him first um
14:13
and so they didn't press as much then
14:15
they played more of a five out you know
14:17
so it shows he can coach in a lot of
14:19
different ways um you know the thing
14:22
what I'm what I really have to mention
14:24
is how hard it is to win one game much
14:26
less 50 right and so as I always say
14:29
everybody gives scholarships everybody
14:30
recruits everybody puts their time in so
14:33
you don't just get to win because you
14:35
want to you have to go find a way and he
14:36
has found a way 50 times in two years to
14:40
beat the team on the other side of the
14:41
ball it's not easy and you have to win a
14:42
lot of different ways right how we won
14:45
was it yesterday Oregon state is is
14:47
going to be different on how we have to
14:49
win against WVU right and he's had to do
14:52
that 50 times um and so you know
14:55
especially at a new place you know you
14:56
you you've got to kind of figure out
14:58
that place pretty quickly you know what
15:00
what what's attractive to the student
15:02
athletes at that place what are the
15:04
pressures at that place um and so he's
15:06
navigated that really well which is
15:07
what's so great about March you just you
15:09
don't there's such small advantages
15:11
because everybody's so good coaches
15:13
players um that's what makes it so
15:15
special Quin Roby unit2 radio how do you
15:18
on a short turnaround prepare for the
15:20
two guards in Jordan Harrison JJ querly
15:22
the way that they can play defense and
15:23
also score at a high rate you just thank
15:26
your ACC counterparts right try guarding
15:29
Latson and amyra Gordon try that out for
15:31
size right uh and then try to guard
15:34
Olivia miles and Hannah hadalo try that
15:36
right and then go try to guard uh Isaiah
15:39
James and Saia rivers and Zoe Brooks
15:42
right I mean these are for I just named
15:44
10 first round draft picks right so we
15:46
we that isn't that different honestly
15:49
you have really good guard play in March
15:51
you have really good guard play on
15:52
ranked teams um and so they're hard to
15:54
guard so you're going to have to be
15:56
really good defensively both on the 1 V1
15:58
2v2
15:59
all the way down to 5v5 um so you know
16:02
fortunately I give a lot of credit to
16:04
our ACC counterparts right I've I've had
16:06
to play I've had to prepare for elite
16:08
guard play I feel like all year um so
16:10
it's another opportunity to do
16:13
so uh coach Justin Jackson with the
16:16
Dominion Post uh Ju Just obviously games
16:19
aren't always played on paper but just
16:21
looking at some of the roster I mean
16:23
seems like you guys have a pretty good
16:24
size Advantage maybe going into this
16:26
game so I'm just kind of what kind of
16:27
role could that that play and and
16:29
certainly with Maria inside in in the
16:32
lane what what could her role be for
16:34
tomorrow yeah we call Maria the problem
16:36
because she's a real problem 1 V one so
16:39
playing out of double teams means you're
16:40
you're leaving Other Guys open right um
16:43
also if you're going to be really
16:44
aggressive in passing Lanes you're not
16:45
in gaps so those passings those passing
16:48
Lanes into the post should be easier you
16:50
know they weren't as easy against Oregon
16:52
State because they played more of a
16:53
sagging defense right so there was a
16:55
crowd in there they want to crowd the
16:57
perimeter and make it really difficult
16:59
call that means there's going to be more
17:00
space in the interior um and so that's
17:03
kind of a little bit of the gamesmanship
17:04
right is is where are our advantages
17:06
based on how they want to play just like
17:09
they're going to find their advantages
17:10
on how we like to play um but you know
17:12
Maria is a problem and and she needs to
17:14
continue to do so in order for us to
17:16
continue to be
17:18
successful hey Courtney AR B tar Tribune
17:22
the the first the the game at at Chapel
17:25
Hill with Duke was obviously a big rock
17:27
fight how is going through a game and
17:30
having that experience maybe help
17:32
against a team that's probably as good
17:35
defensively and and how is their defense
17:39
different than what you saw against Duke
17:41
or perhaps other teams yeah I mean
17:44
Louisville I was thinking on the road
17:45
that was a rock fight we played them a
17:47
couple weeks ago it feels like um and
17:49
they've got you know J Curry and and um
17:51
who's uh and Taj Roberts excuse me who
17:55
um and then they turn around and pick
17:56
you up right off the ball so I think
17:58
it's probably a little bit more similar
17:59
to Louisville maybe um with some
18:01
concepts of Syracuse um on a on a miss
18:05
when they get into their full court man
18:06
that's a little bit more like Duke so
18:08
they're all a little different um you
18:10
know Duke is more athletic in the post
18:13
spot so they can switch out on
18:14
everything that's not what West Virginia
18:16
is going to do right um Louisville is is
18:19
more like West Virginia because
18:23
Louisville is a little bit um they're
18:26
really guard oriented they're smaller
18:28
right right um so you know I think it's
18:30
more that our kids have had to navigate
18:32
a variety of pressures Vari they've had
18:34
to guard a variety of skill players
18:35
they've had to deal with a lot of
18:36
different attacks um just like I'm not
18:39
as familiar with the big 12 but I'm sure
18:41
that's what West Virginia gets to lean
18:42
on too they get to lean on their body of
18:44
work and their body of experiences um
18:47
and so you know I don't I didn't watch
18:50
them and think they're that similar to
18:51
Duke quite honestly because it's Duke's
18:53
uh perime it's their it's Duke's post
18:55
athleticism that allows them to switch
18:57
out and keep bodies in front the ball
18:59
this is more uh guard trappy uh guard
19:03
back tap guard so more like a Louisville
19:06
actually I want to ask you you were
19:08
probably too busy to see it but when
19:10
Lexi hit the fifth three-pointer blona
19:12
hit the floor with her black to the back
19:14
to the court yeah and uh uh Sydney and
19:19
uh Sydney and one other player
19:22
resuscitated her uh what what does that
19:26
say about your team that you have these
19:28
creative sorts of celebrations and
19:30
everybody's celebrating each other big
19:32
time yeah that's how they are in
19:33
practice too I mean they I don't know if
19:35
they do exactly that but there's um
19:38
there's a lot of moments of passion
19:40
right and I I hope that's something that
19:42
they see the importance of I think I
19:43
always say that it takes you got to out
19:45
team and out tough to win in life right
19:49
you got to be a good teammate and you
19:50
got to be tough um and you know those
19:53
type of moments are showing you that
19:54
we're out teaming right we we're we're
19:57
celebrating team success even if you're
19:59
not directly a part of it um and so you
20:02
know I think we promote that in practice
20:04
we we we shouldn't be doing things that
20:07
are exciting and do or doing things that
20:08
are disappointing on an island right
20:10
that's like not the way life is to be
20:12
lived um so yeah we we we talk about out
20:14
teaming with passion and out uh playing
20:16
with toughness a lot is that sort of
20:19
Celebration organic oh yeah I know I
20:21
haven't seen it I heard about it when
20:23
you guys ask the players um you know
20:25
they're certainly not doing that when
20:26
they're not spending practice time doing
20:27
it I don't know what they're doing in
20:28
the privacy of their own time but um
20:31
yeah they anything that involves passion
20:33
I'm I'm a fan
20:39
of K maker with the daily torill uh
20:43
asked Laney a minute ago about the buddy
20:45
system and how important that is been
20:47
for her especially with how young she is
20:49
uh is that something that you
20:50
implemented when you first got here can
20:51
you kind of explain that and uh how you
20:53
go about pairing people with their
20:55
buddies yeah pretty thoughtfully you
20:57
know you have sometimes I think it's a
20:59
good life skill to have to care about
21:00
somebody else right and I think
21:02
sometimes especially in team sport we
21:04
make a lot of assumptions we make a lot
21:06
of assumptions that everyone understands
21:08
the value of Team yet you come into the
21:10
world alone and you leave the world
21:13
alone right so except for my twins
21:15
ironically uh but so I think how you
21:18
learn how to be a teammate is actually a
21:20
skill right and it starts with how do
21:23
you take care of one person right and
21:25
then once you learn how to ask about
21:28
that so in other words if if you don't
21:30
do well in a test your buddy should know
21:32
that I should be able to ask your buddy
21:34
what's going on in your life and they
21:35
should know right so we teach them how
21:37
to take care of and and care about and
21:39
be responsible for one person right and
21:41
then maybe you have uh double date
21:43
double dates with a couple other buddy
21:45
groups to then do it in group but um
21:48
there's there's just value in that um
21:50
and so how we put them together is
21:52
pretty thoughtfully you know um I knew
21:54
how lany's wired is pretty similar to
21:56
Alyssa which is both good and sometimes
21:58
has challenges right they hold
22:00
themselves to an Relentless standard
22:02
that can suck the joy out of you if
22:03
you're not careful right and so those
22:05
two have some have some things to
22:08
navigate so it's good that they're
22:09
together right other other people might
22:11
have different similarities or
22:12
differences where they can counteract
22:14
each other so it's not random like most
22:16
of what I do it's pretty thoughtful um
22:19
and I know that's one thing they look
22:20
forward to every year who's my buddy
22:22
right um but yeah I brought that with me
22:24
and it's been it's been a big part of
22:25
our team
22:31
AR Tar Hill Tribune uh obviously a lot
22:34
of elements will go into making a big
22:36
run but uh how important is making the
22:40
perimeter shot you basically only made a
22:43
lot of them in the third quarter when
22:45
you pulled
22:46
away are you do you think you have to be
22:50
uh really good from the perimeter to
22:52
make a role I think against a team like
22:55
um Oregon State where they have three
22:57
people with two feet in the pay at every
22:59
position I mean every single possession
23:01
your advantage you're four on two on the
23:03
perimeter right so against them that's
23:06
the shot they're asking you to make
23:08
right um I think against um West
23:10
Virginia it might not matter how well
23:12
you shoot right you can get you're going
23:14
to it's a high risk High reward so if
23:16
you handle their risk you get a high
23:18
reward right and so whether that's post
23:20
feeds whether that's layups beating
23:22
pressure whether that's free throws like
23:24
um you know anytime the ball goes in the
23:26
basket it's a it's it's a POS positive
23:28
outcome so if that means you shoot well
23:32
there's going to be higher percentages
23:33
of positive outcomes but um I think
23:35
different
23:36
teams provide different openings more
23:39
freely and against um against Oregon
23:42
State you know they had two people where
23:43
literally they never left the paint on
23:45
defense no matter if you went to the
23:46
bathroom they'd stay in the paint right
23:48
and so you know we had to stretch them
23:50
out um I think West Virginia will be a
23:52
little bit
23:53
different but we'd also like to shoot
23:55
well anytime you shoot well you win
23:57
right so if we shoot well with how we
23:59
defend we should win a lot of
24:03
games all righty thank you coach
24:06
appreciate it all right guys
24:11
thanks oh you're killing
24:14
me oh the moments passed