Chansky's Notebook: Raring To Go

It’s crunch time for Carolina media people, too.

Most schools would like to have the problem of two basketball teams going to the NCAA tournaments in different parts of the country, playing one day or two after another, or maybe even on the same day. UNC is happy to have that again.

This week, the men’s eighth-seeded Tar Heels are already in Fort Worth getting ready for today’s first-round match-up with undersized but super-quick Marquette. Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded UNC women are heading for Arizona and a game with No. 12 seed Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, when the men might play a second-round game against top-seeded Baylor.

Somehow, men’s media director Steve Kirschner and his woman counterpart Dana Gelin figured out how to get Armando Bacot, RJ Davis and Brady Manek on one webinar from Fort Worth, followed by Hubert Davis, just after Courtney Banghart did a ZOOM before she and her team were heading for RDU.

Some media were already at the men’s location, but many more were tuned into the webinar that is like a ZOOM without everyone’s head in a square. Banghart was talking to every talking head in a box, but she made perfect sense.

As for how she handles being the second basketball banana at Carolina this time of the year, she said she loves it. “We have a heavy load of expectation here,” Banghart allowed. “Our name is synonymous with legacy. Recruits will call you back when they know you’re calling from Carolina.”

She came from Princeton, where sports are important but clearly kept in their Ivy League place. “I wouldn’t have taken this job if it didn’t matter,” she said. “It matters to the fans, the community and other coaches because it helps them in recruiting.”

Just after Banghart hung up and headed for Tucson, the next screen brought up the men followed by their coach.

They personified how Hubert’s team has gotten on the same page despite losing two members of the rotation at mid-season. “We’d run through a wall for Coach Davis,” RJ Davis said.

“I don’t want them to do that!” said the relaxed head coach on the way to practice.

Photo via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Chansky’s Notebook: Raring To Go

On Air Now: 97.9 FM