The second day of the ACC Tip-Off event in Charlotte featured representatives from each women’s basketball program in the conference. Head coach Courtney Banghart, sophomore Deja Kelly and junior Malu Tshitenge represented the Tar Heels at the event Wednesday.
Here are some of their answers on various topics:
On how the 2020-21 season shaped the team:
Banghart: Last year had a lot of unique challenges, but really, for us, it was a year of resiliency. We won one of seven games in January, and I think it shows a lot of resiliency and it shows a lot about your locker room when you have the February that we had, to get ourselves into the tournament. And that was very much off of a rebuild roster. So it was kind of a brand-new experience, and we just stayed true to our mission.
Kelly: As soon as I got here, coach was like, “I’m gonna need you to step up big-time. You don’t have time to be a freshman.” And I embraced it. Obviously, I started off kind of slow, but I think in the second half of freshman year, I was definitely a lot better, and definitely gave everyone an idea of who I am and what I’m gonna be in this league.
On the makeup of the 2021-22 team:
Banghart: It’s a really cliché thing to be excited about your team this early in the year, but I gotta say, this is a group I’m really excited about. It’s a group that entirely is my selection, so they sort of play to my personality, and go through adversity with my personality, so I get them. We’ve got length, we’ve got versatility, we’ve got speed, and we’ve got kids that are really connected and bought in.
Kelly: A lot of us can play multiple positions, can do a lot of different things, and a lot of us are two-way players. And I think that’s what makes us special. [Coach Banghart] wants us to play fast, and I think especially with the group we have this year, we’ll definitely be able to do that.
Tshitenge: They pretty much said it all. Versatility, fast pace. Coach said this roster fits exactly to her style of play. And with that, we have guards that can post up. And we have bigs that can shoot threes, bigs that can handle the ball. That’s coach’s style of play right there. And I think we’re gonna be great this year, and I’m excited for you guys to watch us.
On Malu Tshitenge’s development:
Tshitenge: My confidence has definitely raised through the roof. Especially with my shots, coach wants me to take every shot. Like, “Why didn’t you shoot that?” I said, “I don’t know!”
Banghart: She can shoot now!
Tshitenge: Yeah, she’s really pushing me on that. Like, “Shoot the ball. You can shoot. Shoot the ball.”
On the team’s growth during the offseason:
Tshitenge: We really focused on each and everyone’s individual craft. Coach did a great job with the staff to really focus on what everyone needs to work on. Especially with me, I got to work on different things I didn’t get to last year, because of COVID. So really doing that, and then coming together in the summer and being able to put that craft together and play as a team, I thought was an amazing way to really have a postseason and a preseason. I’m saying stay tuned, man. You guys are sleeping on us. Stay tuned, really. Stay tuned.
Kelly: A lot of us put a lot of individual time in ourselves. So just being able to see within these past couple weeks, months, when we put it together in practice, it’s really amazing to see how everyone’s individual work all gels together into one. And then, as far as our energy with each other, our vibe with each other, I think that’s through the roof. And I think that plays a big role in a team’s success. So I’m really excited to see what we do.
Banghart: Really, everybody’s development individually is what makes a team work. There’s no free rides. And so, I think you guys will see a totally different team with some similar faces, but not similar games. And that means we’re doing something right.
