Opportunity awaits in Bloomington. But for the UNC men’s and women’s basketball teams, it’s a different type of opportunity.

For the men, it’s a chance to reassert their claim as one of the elite teams in the country after a humbling weekend in Portland. The Tar Heels went 1-2 in the Phil Knight Invitational, losing to both Iowa State and Alabama. UNC then fell from No. 1 all the way to No. 18 in the AP Poll, an unprecedented drop for a top-ranked team. Wednesday night’s game at No. 10 Indiana will provide a chance for the program’s first ranked win and first Power 5 win of the young season.

But despite the turn for the worse out west, head coach Hubert Davis remained as positive as ever after the four-overtime loss to the Crimson Tide.

“At the end of the day, Alabama made one more play than we did,” Davis said. “I walked in the locker room and a number of the guys had their heads down, and I told them to pick their heads up. I said, ‘I’m just as disappointed, in terms of the final outcome, but I can’t be any more proud of them.’”

And while some Carolina fans may be hitting the panic button on Davis’ team, the second-year head coach – as he did last season – preached both caution and patience.

“I know we left this tournament 1-2, but why would I be discouraged about the way that we competed and played?” Davis said. “That would be negligent on my part, to walk away and think that this is a disappointment. Second of all, it’s only November. It’s a long season. I feel like we’re taking steps forward to be the best that this year’s team can be.”

On the women’s side, head coach Courtney Banghart’s Tar Heels had an outstanding weekend in Portland, defeating two ranked teams to win the event. The championship against No. 5 Iowa State included a 17-point comeback, the largest against a Power 5 team since Banghart came to Chapel Hill.

Junior guard Deja Kelly scored 29 points in the win against the Cyclones. She was named both tournament MVP and ACC Player of the Week for her efforts. With a road trip to the new No. 5, Indiana, looming on Thursday night, Kelly said this past weekend is a building block.

“It feels great to see us coming together in this way, on the road against ranked teams,” Kelly said. “I think that’s a great feeling for anybody. We’re gonna sit in that for tonight, and then by tomorrow it’s on to the next and on to another ranked opponent on the road. We’re only gonna keep getting better from here and learn from it. But obviously it feels pretty good to win this tournament.”

Banghart, who like Kelly is also constantly looking ahead, nevertheless said she had to take a few moments to appreciate Carolina’s accomplishments in Oregon.

“You don’t get many chances to be a Top 10 team and play a Top 10 team,” Banghart said. “That’s not lost on me, who’s spent a lifetime doing this. It’s never happened to me actually, and I’m quite old. We know how rare that is. And so, to have an opportunity to do it and then to perform like that, it’s really special. So as much as I’m wired to go to the next, I want these guys to really sit in it and know what they just did was pretty big.”

How quickly things can change. After Banghart had never coached in a Top 10 game before this year, now she’ll coach in two in a row. The Tar Heels do not have a Top 10 victory in a true road environment under Banghart, but as this young season has shown, there’s a first time for everything.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications


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