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#UNC's Courtney Banghart, Lexi Donarski, Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng at #ACCTipoff in Charlotte
Oct 9, 2024
#UNC's Courtney Banghart, Lexi Donarski, Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng at #ACCTipoff in Charlotte
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0:00
Hills to the
0:02
stage Courtney B head coach Courtney
0:04
bangart going into her sixth season we
0:07
next have a Alexi dinari the grandma of
0:10
the uh ACC now and Alysa usby and then
0:14
Maria gang welcome ladies um Courtney I
0:18
just will start with you just kind of
0:19
give us an overview of the team right
0:21
now kind of what excites you about this
0:23
upcoming season beyond the fact that
0:24
we're healthy yeah oh jeez that's big
0:26
news um yeah I think um this is a really
0:28
connected group um it's a very popular
0:30
time to talk about those type of of
0:32
words but it's not a word I would have
0:34
always used um and this group is really
0:36
connected with one another we've got a
0:37
healthy blend of experience with a lot
0:39
of youthful Talent um and most
0:41
importantly our experience um really
0:43
tangibly sheds that to their to their
0:45
peer group in a really connected way um
0:48
and we're healthy yeah at least right
0:50
now not on everything you know um no
0:52
we've got um some guys off a red shirt
0:53
who we know will help us we got some
0:55
young guys who we know will help us and
0:56
uh we know we've got some great
0:57
experience here that will uh that will
0:59
lean on
1:00
it almost seems like your veterans have
1:03
been with you and they've got a lot of
1:04
experience you got a lot of youthful
1:06
pieces that I think you're going have to
1:07
liely on can you talk about how You' had
1:09
to blend the two groups yeah you know
1:12
we've got we also had two off the
1:13
transfer portal who come in with a lot
1:15
of experience we've been just a really
1:17
great ad they fit our needs but with ran
1:19
India and these guys there a lot of
1:21
basketball that's been played already um
1:23
in their careers for us and then you
1:25
bring um sier to me off the red shirt
1:27
year um and then you bring in a really
1:29
talented Tri freshman that they really
1:31
don't act like freshmen I mean it's been
1:32
a really great adversity Response Group
1:34
their skill sets are different from one
1:35
another um practices are Uber
1:37
competitive um you know I get to coach
1:40
this team more than manage this team uh
1:42
so far which has been really fun as
1:44
veterans and we'll start with you uh
1:46
Lexi do you understand that comment that
1:48
coach just made she gets she doesn't
1:50
have to manage you guys did you always
1:53
understand maybe as a younger
1:55
player yeah I don't know probably not
1:57
but this group really is special the
2:00
chemistry that we have on and off the
2:02
court already this early in the season
2:04
is truly special and we're just excited
2:07
to see that continuity grow throughout
2:08
the year Alysa I've always kind of
2:10
described your game as your supp aring
2:12
because you did so many things to impact
2:14
the game is there anything that now
2:16
you've added going into your final
2:17
season to your repertoire yeah going
2:20
into my final season just expanding my
2:21
range and being able to comfortably
2:23
shoot the three and also be able to make
2:25
shots at the three um and so that's just
2:28
been a big part of my game I've also
2:30
learned a lot of different moves and
2:32
picked up a lot of things from my
2:33
teammates because we were a really
2:34
talented group and we're constantly um
2:37
iron iron shp's iron and so we're
2:39
constantly every practice working hard
2:41
and making each other better in many
2:42
different ways L I want to ask you to
2:44
speak on your head coach um adversity
2:47
last year um and I think what's really
2:49
remarkable to me is the number of red
2:51
shirts that that UNC has and players
2:53
stay that's not typical in this day and
2:55
ageing more injury people League or not
2:57
playing people League what is about
2:58
courton leadership
3:00
that makes people gravitate to this
3:02
program and want to play for her yeah
3:04
with with CV I think what you see is
3:06
what you get I think she's a very honest
3:08
coach and she's going to tell you tell
3:10
you what it is and I think with the
3:12
players that didn't get to play last
3:13
year they they deal really well with us
3:16
as teammates but also as a coach she's a
3:18
leader she knows what she's talking
3:19
about she knows how to effectively coach
3:22
and even though we had a lot of injuries
3:23
this past year we still managed to get
3:26
you know to the second round of the
3:27
tournament so I think with these new
3:28
pieces and now that we healthy we're
3:30
going to make it a lot farther um having
3:32
everybody healthy having that you have
3:35
style of play going to be similar to
3:36
what we've seen or is there anything new
3:37
we should
3:39
expect oh me I'll take that yeah
3:42
um no no it's good yeah you know this
3:45
particular group has its long different
3:46
vibe in this group is uh it's much
3:48
easier to score the ball than we've had
3:50
a really tough time scoring in the past
3:51
few years um and the ball stuck at times
3:54
right and so we're now playing off a
3:56
Closeouts better or um these guys are
3:58
playing in a lot more space cuz the
4:00
ball's moving better um Alyssa's ability
4:02
to shoot has allowed us to now expand
4:04
our range um same thing with Sierra is a
4:06
great shoo from that spot as well um so
4:08
it's just more space to operate like he
4:10
moreable I think we have a good blend of
4:12
last year because we were so injured um
4:15
a lot was leaned on on these guys and
4:17
they didn't perform um over fatigue over
4:20
the course of that last six weeks as
4:21
much as they wanted so they all really
4:22
got in jail and got better so the
4:23
experience pieces are better but where
4:25
yeah but the offense will be very
4:27
different I think we'll still have a
4:28
similar defensive tough
4:30
that the offense will look very
4:31
different we don't I mean I I know you
4:33
guys are hoping that by the time you
4:34
experience you know the offense but it's
4:36
totally different this year so we got a
4:37
bunch of new
4:38
guys Maria TJ wer from 9.9 oh Sonic the
4:43
sports start podcast I'm sorry um my
4:46
question for you is um you have great
4:48
lend of offense great lend of Defense
4:50
you can rebound and block shots like no
4:52
other what part of your game do you feel
4:55
like you still need to work on M I think
4:58
over the summer something that worked on
5:00
as my shooting my mid-range shooting um
5:02
kind of like that pick and roll pick and
5:03
pop kind of action so being able to make
5:06
those shots and not just finish around
5:07
the basket but a little bit further out
5:09
and just working on that throughout the
5:11
summer has been really effective and I
5:12
definitely think is going to help me um
5:14
grow as a
5:17
player Courtney obviously the transfer
5:20
portal era is crazy how jarring was it
5:23
to have six players transfer and then
5:26
you bring in all these new covers and
5:29
then you have staff changes how how
5:31
jaring was that all season for you and
5:33
the players yeah I wouldn't I wouldn't
5:35
use the word jaring at all I mean
5:37
transfers I don't know what people what
5:39
the what the right language is on it but
5:41
you're never surprised right and and and
5:44
it's a two-way decision most of the time
5:47
right it's very rarely and I'll speak
5:49
I'll speak for just Carolina it's very
5:50
rarely someone would walk into your
5:52
office and say I'm transfer and you're
5:53
like oh on gosh that was the only your
5:54
decision right um and so you know what
5:58
the great thing about the portal is that
5:59
let let you kind of reinvent your team
6:02
um and add as needed and also subtract
6:04
you know at times and so the the two
6:06
guys we had four foure seniors last year
6:09
right and so you can't keep all four
6:11
seniors otherwise you can't get a
6:12
freshman class from a numers perspective
6:15
right so we wanted to honor their
6:16
four-year careers and and um ensure that
6:19
we had an opportunity to grow our
6:20
program at the same time so getting Trey
6:23
and uh Grace out of the portal we were
6:25
able just like with Maria and Lexi pick
6:27
a kid that is exactly what the existing
6:29
grou needs um and so you know I think
6:32
there's if you had asked us in in on
6:35
February 1st what the roster is going to
6:37
look like um I think we all would have
6:39
would have picked this roster you know
6:40
again it's not something that the media
6:43
likes to think it's this like jarring
6:45
experience or something all of a sudden
6:46
your team changes but you know that's
6:48
just not how it is inside the lines
6:51
Jeremy Gerson he is again Charlotte
6:53
question for listen you said on a
6:54
podcast before how you were the fifth
6:56
pickup of your incoming freshman class
6:58
and that you brought the class ring down
7:00
but looking forward now B year going in
7:03
what can you reflect on how has your
7:05
journey been can you just talk about how
7:07
you developed over this time yeah I
7:09
think looking back to that it's been a a
7:12
big trust the process kind of Journey
7:15
and but I attribute a lot of my
7:17
successes to my teammates because
7:19
they've taught me a lot of things that I
7:21
didn't have like the resources to learn
7:23
from when I was um in middle school and
7:26
high school and trying to figure out
7:27
what my basketball career would look
7:28
like and and also just being a part of
7:31
an incredible program that has coaches
7:33
that are invested in my Development I've
7:35
just been really fortunate to have and
7:36
I'm really blessed to be on this path
7:39
and grateful for the opportunity and
7:41
especially this fifth year
7:43
ahead Lexi um over the summer you went
7:46
to and helped coach at the Davis Camp do
7:49
you talk about that
7:51
experience talk about that experience
7:53
and helping young women develop their
7:54
game it seems to be a passionate part of
7:57
um human
8:00
yeah I really enjoy running camps and
8:02
training younger kids um we ran a camp
8:05
in all of our hometown we're all from
8:07
Lacrosse Wisconsin and we got a great
8:10
turnout we had a lot of fun and we look
8:12
forward to continuing to do that in the
8:15
future courney with the addition of the
8:18
sorry didn't you with the addition of
8:19
the three new teams to the ACC is there
8:22
anything that you and your staff did
8:24
differently this offseason in
8:26
preparation or is it just yeah new teams
8:28
new people oh you know I think you know
8:30
we've been in that mid pod for all five
8:33
years I got to play Virginia Tech and
8:35
their best run in history twice or three
8:37
times every year um we got to play the
8:40
state in one of their better runs twice
8:41
a year got to play Virginia and their
8:43
rebirth and we got to play du right
8:45
where everybody else need is not playing
8:46
those teams twice right so the I am the
8:49
proponent of yay welcome Dallas Stanford
8:52
and SMU I'm looking forward to playing
8:53
everybody one time in our rival twice I
8:55
think that will be a better true
8:56
champion um in our league unless based
8:58
on where you are located in terms of who
9:00
your double down Robin is um so I think
9:03
our you know we also expanded our
9:04
national footprint which I think is
9:06
important in a basketball conference um
9:08
we've added great academic institutions
9:10
um to the league so you know I I think
9:13
this is going to be we haven't done
9:14
anything to that strategically or
9:16
tactically different um because we're
9:17
just adding more Elite teams to
9:24
Elite yeah uh I would ask you what what
9:28
what the Bianca and Sierra Brak to the
9:31
front Court this season yeah they
9:34
definitely add a lot Sierra is
9:36
definitely uh one of our post players
9:38
but she can also shoot the ball really
9:40
well from the three so I think um having
9:42
a player that can do that at the four is
9:44
really effective for the five you know
9:46
Blan is like a good a five postup player
9:48
and she's going to be a really good a
9:50
really good freshman I think it's coming
9:51
in so she's been playing really well in
9:53
practice and I think she's been doing
9:55
really well with adversity and they're
9:57
going to be really good this year
9:59
would be be easier to maneuver inside
10:03
with those two additions I believe so
10:06
yes I think they've gotten a lot better
10:08
over the summer and since got here um
10:10
and sier has been here for a year so
10:11
she's been working on um defense offense
10:14
so I think they're going to be really
10:17
great yeah um this one's for Courtney
10:19
good to see you um you talked about
10:21
obviously the offense kind of want to
10:23
elaborate on that you mentioned uh you
10:24
know maybe at times it was you know St
10:27
stagnant the ball stuff things like that
10:29
how have you gone about I guess
10:30
fortifying an identity on the offensive
10:33
side with this new group and how would
10:34
you describe I guess the offensive
10:36
identity of this yeah well it's funny
10:38
I've been head coach for almost 20 years
10:40
and um we've had really good defensive
10:42
teams but chrisy remembers my teams can
10:43
play offense right um and so you know
10:46
what what what is being a little if I'm
10:49
being honest for the last six weeks of
10:50
the Season we had you know we had five
10:52
coachs all healthy and we have five
10:55
guards all not healthy right you're
10:56
going to play basketball without five
10:58
without a position as easier to play
10:59
with five with guards right um and so
11:02
our offense was really packed in so they
11:04
were we relying on outside shooting um
11:06
and we didn't have a ton of outside
11:08
shooting outside Alexi who was really
11:09
blanketed and so you double you could
11:11
double in the post um all the things and
11:13
so when you're when you're limited you
11:16
know it's really remarkable what their
11:17
energy grit and defensive toughness
11:19
brought them right um given all of that
11:21
but we just have a lot more space now
11:23
and and the ball moves much much more
11:25
fluidly right and so now you're playing
11:28
against Closeouts or against shifting
11:29
defense not against a shell right um and
11:33
so our actions we have we have more
11:35
fluid actions or we can play with more
11:37
freedom in space um and so um our
11:41
actions are very different which you
11:42
guys will see but really it's what
11:43
you're going to notice the most is the
11:45
spacing and the and the and the movement
11:47
of the ball um is what you're probably
11:49
the
11:52
most Shelby swansson with the righ news
11:55
and observer this one's for um just any
11:57
of the players you guys touched on it
11:59
earlier but just some of the challenges
12:01
of last season with all the injuries
12:04
what are the biggest takeaways lessons
12:07
that you guys took from
12:08
that I think one of the biggest
12:10
takeaways when you have a lot of
12:13
teammates that go down with injury is
12:15
how important those individuals still
12:17
are to the whole we've had a lot of
12:19
those injured individuals be able to
12:21
constantly pour into the girls that are
12:24
playing at practice and in games and be
12:27
able to point out things and just
12:28
utilize is their High basketball IQ in
12:31
order to keep pushing the needle or
12:32
pushing our team forward although they
12:33
can't be inside the
12:37
lines question for Lexi uh you're known
12:40
to be a great shooter but a lot of those
12:41
looks are coming off catch and shoot
12:43
opportunities also rapping coach into
12:45
this too you talked about having more
12:46
spacing how important is it to have
12:48
people like Alysa and Maria to be able
12:50
to find you when you're trying to navate
12:53
up yeah it's very important a lot of my
12:56
looks last year were off catch and shoot
12:58
threes and a lot of the times it was
13:00
from either a postfeed or an attack from
13:02
these two right here um I would say
13:04
something that we've been working on
13:06
since like what coach was saying that
13:08
our spacing is a lot better the floor is
13:10
open um is working on me attacking more
13:13
coming off the dribble and getting more
13:15
variety of
13:17
shots yeah and also you know Maria's got
13:19
more now 1 V one coverage um which we're
13:22
forgetting that what she did last year
13:24
being double teamed or kind of playing
13:26
in Sag all year um and saying with Al
13:29
being able to expand you know Alissa can
13:32
pop and shoot now which which she really
13:34
was limited in last year which again so
13:35
that crowd was easier for her to be
13:37
doubled as well um and so not only is is
13:40
it going to be easier for for Lexi to
13:42
run off of actions and get looks but her
13:44
responsib is also going to be the other
13:46
people looks with now there's more space
13:48
in which to do
13:49
it Maria Melissa lexiart thank you very
13:53
much UNC look out go Hills thank you
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