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How the defense of UNC's women broke down Kentucky #UNC
Dec 8, 2024
Andrew Kurzeja analyzes Coach Courtney Banghart's defensive strategy that was so effective in Thursday's win over the Wildcats.
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on Thursday night Courtney banghard in
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North Carolina pulled off an upset win
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over the number 14 Kentucky Wildcats in
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Carmichael Arena UNCC held Kentucky to
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25 points under their season scoring
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average and made life difficult for Star
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point guard Georgia Amore today we're
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going to look at how Carolina's defense
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controlled the game with their ball
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screen defense Amore is a point guard
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who excels in ball screens according to
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Synergy a whopping 43% of the actions
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that she's involved in include some sort
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of pick and roll action putting her in
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the 90 percentile of all of college
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basketball because of that high volume a
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massive part of North Carolina's
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defensive scheme was centered around how
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to defend those ball
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screens the base coverage of the Tar
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Heels used was bringing the big up to
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the level of the screen with high hands
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keeping the action two on two that
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allowed uncc's backside three Defenders
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to stay attached to the shooters and not
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be involved with a roller without having
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to bring a third Defender over to cover
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the ball screen this left unc's backside
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Defenders with much more favorable
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rebounding
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position here's another example from the
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first half of how UNCC used this
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coverage you can see Maria gang showing
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up to the level with high hands uncc's
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backside can stay home on the ball
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screen and UNC will live with these
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mid-range jumpers from Clara
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Stak it's also extremely important that
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gang doesn't stay in the coverage longer
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than she needs to here you can see the
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same coverage with the High hands but as
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soon as Amore goes and picks up her
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dribble gang is moving back towards the
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screener and then it's one-on-one and
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you and see will live with that match up
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in the middle of the
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floor same coverage here but this time
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when Amore strings out her dribble just
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long enough to get rid of G dang she
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looks like she might have the angle
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especially with Ria Kelly still working
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to get back in front of the basketball
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but with Kentucky playing two bigs at
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the same time who don't stretch the
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floor Tiani K is logging this driving
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lane that leads to a tough long two from
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Amore UNC rebounds it and it's another
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wasted possession from
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Kentucky you can see on this one just
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why UNC wanted to keep these actions two
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on two here gang loses aim war in
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containment allows her to get into the
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lane Indian Nar now has to step up and
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help and it's two free throws with a
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chance to cut the lead to six before
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halftime here's another example of how a
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player as dangerous as Georgia aore can
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hurt your defense if you have to be put
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in rotation against her on this time
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they get into a little dribble handoff
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action and Maria goang actually loses
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containment here on the Baseline when
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aore turns the corner that forces Alyssa
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uspy to step up to take off the drive
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and trayana crisp is left backside
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splitting the difference between the
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wing and the
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[Music]
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corner with gang on the bench Bigs like
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Tumi would play more drop coverage
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underneath the screen still keeping the
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action Two on Two and forcing Clara
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Silva to beat Tumi oneon-one off the
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dribble and it forces a travel on this
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possession UNC would even use drop
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coverage against Shooters like Amelia
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hasset like Sierra Tumi does here you
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can see you're in the drop Amore has to
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give up the ball early Kentucky doesn't
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move the defense and the rebound is
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virtually uncontested
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towards the end of the first half UNCC
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even employed a little bit of ice
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coverage with tronic Cris forcing the
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ball away from the screen towards the
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Baseline Sierra Tumi is still in that
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deep drop to try and contain the
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basketball and while this does give up
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the open pick and pop three with Sierra
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Tumi having to close out a great
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distance the ball still sticks on one
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side and because UNCC isn't in rotation
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the rebounding numbers are magnificent
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the plan was clearly to force someone
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other than Amore to beat them in these
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actions here you can see Georgia
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stringing out that dribble to try and
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move gak dang back towards the roller
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which does work to get her an angle
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initially but now it's Sierra tumi's
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turn to step up and stop Amore's Drive
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even if it means leaving hasset open for
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three the ball never hits the paint
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there's five white jerseys around the
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hoop and it's a rebound and a stop for
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Carolina
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times the best option for Carolina's
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defense was to help off the weakest
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shooter on the floor like they do on
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this possession here when Amore gets a
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screen and then a rescreen she strings
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out that dribble again trying to create
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a driving angle by moving gak dang back
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towards the roller which she does but
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now Triana crisp can help off the strong
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side corner which would normally be a
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cardinal sin but Lexi blue is in the
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corner who's one for 10 from three
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entering the ball game Amore gets shut
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off on the drive Chris closes out and
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it's another stop for the
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[Music]
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defense UNC did a great job of making
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sure that even when Amore made the right
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reads here springing out that dribble
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again to move Sierra Tumi off the
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basketball and open up a driving lane
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that they cover up for one another here
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Alyssa usp's a little bit laid in the
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Gap to help but Ria Kelly Saves the Day
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moving her feet with Amore and tying up
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the ball and it's a jump
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ball and then finally to close out this
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video here's where the Mind Games come
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in because in order to beat great
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players like Amore you have to throw in
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a change up or two here's a side ball
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screen Amore is looking to throw this
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over the top pass to Silva but what she
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sees at the last second is trayana crisp
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who's coming over at backside help to
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take away this pass that does leave
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Herman open in the corner but that's a
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long pass over a double team essentially
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and The Possession eventually stalls
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out take a mental note of how UNCC
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guarded that last possession because now
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it's time for 3D chess here's the same
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side ball screen for Amore she's
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expecting Lexi Denari to pull over in
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help and then she can dribble over and
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then throw that corner skit pass but by
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the time that Amore dribbles over to the
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other side she sees Lexi dinari and she
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hasn't moved to take the roller all she
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sees is Lexi closing out to the corner
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and she never sees the wideopen Clara
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stke underneath the
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rim kuy's offense then loses its
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Advantage plays a little driving kick
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game and Rah Kelly chases Amore all the
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way to the other side of the floor to
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contest this shot
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Carolina has now won five straight games
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on the strength of their defensive
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versatility and connectivity on that end
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of the floor combine that with a new
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look offense that prioritizes space and
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three-point shooting and you have a
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juggernaut in Chapel Hill that nobody
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will want to play in March
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