Clay’s Take: North Carolina
Courtney Banghart takes over for a Tar Heel program with a storied tradition on both sides of the ball. The women’s side has a national title in the trophy case and multiple ACC titles as well. Banghart will be tasked with creating the same type of success in Chapel Hill that she achieved at Princeton. Banghart guided the Tigers to seven Ivy League championships since 2010 and was named Naismith National Coach of the Year in 2015. She’ll take over a roster that finished at 18-15 in 2018-19.
Key Returners
Janelle Bailey, Jr.: 16.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg
Taylor Koenen, Sr.: 9.6 PPG, 6.9 rpg
Key Departures
Paris Kea (graduation)
Destinee Walker (graduate transfer)
Stephanie Watts (graduate transfer)
Final Outlook:
Given the timing of Banghart’s hire and the difference in her recruiting base at Princeton against what she can potentially recruit to UNC, it might take a couple of years for the Tar Heels to add the pieces to return to the ACC’s elite. That said, Banghart has shown over the past decade that she is as capable of any coach walking the sidelines of putting the pieces she has in the right places to succeed. In 2018-19, Carolina Blue faithful can anticipate the ability of the team’s first 6 or 7 players in the rotation to stay healthy being a key factor in how quickly change comes in Chapel Hill.
Brandon Clay serves as the WNBA Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The JumpOffPlus.com International Report, which is picked up by more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide. He serves as the Executive Camp Director for the Elite Basketball Academy Camps. He serves on the Naismith Trophy Men’s / Women’s College Player of the Year Academy and is chairman of the HS Boys / Girls Board of Selectors and is on the McDonald’s All-American Selection Committee. He also is the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com.
