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#UNC press conference with Coach Courtney Banghart, Nyla Brooks and Lanie Grant after win.
Mar 21, 2026
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0:20
Division
0:33
one women's basketball first round game.
0:36
As a courtesy to everyone, please
0:37
silence your cell phones. Please provide
0:39
your name and media affiliation each
0:41
time you ask a question during today's
0:43
press conference. If you are joining us
0:44
on Zoom, please use the raise hand
0:46
function for questions. We will address
0:48
questions in the room first and then get
0:50
to Zoom if if time allows. Recording
0:52
press conferences on cell phones or
0:54
cameras is prohibited. We have with us
0:56
on stage head coach Courtney Bank as
0:58
well as student athletes Laney Grant and
1:00
Nyla Harris. As a reminder, we will
1:02
begin with an opening statement from
1:03
coach followed by questions for the
1:05
student athletes. We will then dismiss
1:07
the student athletes and conclude with
1:08
questions for coach. Coach,
1:10
congratulations on the win and whenever
1:11
you're ready.
1:13
>> Yeah, first of all, thanks for being
1:14
here. You know, what a great
1:15
environment. Um, you know, we felt like
1:16
these guys really earned the opportunity
1:18
to bring basketball back to Chapel Hill.
1:20
Um, and Chapel Hill showed up with a
1:22
loud crowd and a lot of energy. Um, you
1:24
know, there were some cobwebs as you all
1:26
saw. Um, and that kind of it's amazing
1:28
how rhythmic these athletes are, right?
1:30
They hadn't had a game against another
1:31
team for two weeks. Um, and you could
1:33
tell that we were a little short on our
1:34
shots. We were a little slow on our even
1:36
just kind of throwing and catching. Um,
1:38
but it's hard to win a basketball game.
1:40
I'm I'm on record saying that. And to
1:42
win one in March is even harder. So, um,
1:44
grateful that these guys have, uh, have
1:46
the the spirit that they have and, um,
1:49
certainly thrilled to be sitting here as
1:50
the winning coach.
1:51
>> We'll take questions for the student
1:53
athletes. Please raise your hand and
1:54
we'll get a microphone to you.
1:59
>> Alexander Jones, the daily Tarheel for
2:01
Laney. What was working for you there in
2:03
that first half? It was you and Nyla
2:05
Brooks were really keeping sort of the
2:08
offense in it. So, what was working for
2:09
you guys and what was kind of your
2:10
mindset going into that?
2:12
>> Yeah. Um, we knew that they were going
2:13
to collapse pretty hard on the guards
2:15
drive. So, I think E and India did a
2:17
great job of just kind of finding the
2:18
shooters playing off too. Um, me and
2:20
Brooks were just told to get to the
2:21
windows and shoot it when we're open.
2:23
So,
2:31
>> Tom Shanahan, News and Observer. Uh,
2:32
Laney, four of 19 on three-pointers in
2:35
the first half and then you and Elena
2:37
came out and hit some quick ones in the
2:39
third quarter. How much of a difference
2:40
did that make?
2:42
It always makes a difference when you're
2:43
making shots, when you're hitting shots,
2:44
but you know, all the coaches, all my
2:47
teammates to just continue to implore me
2:48
to shoot the ball when I'm open, don't
2:50
turn down open shots. So, they built um
2:52
a lot of confidence in me, and I kind of
2:54
pull from that. Um if I miss two in a
2:56
row, there's nobody on on the team
2:57
telling me to turn down the next one,
2:59
everyone says keep shooting. But, you
3:01
know, everyone on on our team is capable
3:02
of shooting the three. Uh which is
3:04
really special. So when everyone's
3:06
hitting then it really spaces out the
3:07
defense and it kind of allowed you know
3:09
you saw E got downhill a lot in the
3:11
second in the second half in the fourth
3:12
quarter got to the rim a little bit
3:14
more. Um so you know helps when you're
3:16
hitting shots.
3:18
>> Hey AriLarill Tribune. Can you talk
3:21
about the defensive effort? This team
3:23
came in shooting 35% from three-point
3:25
range and they were two of 15. Uh Laney,
3:29
can you speak to that and and Nyla as
3:30
well?
3:31
>> For sure. Um, we knew that we're going
3:33
to play a really strong Western Illinois
3:35
team. Um, there's not a team left in
3:37
this tournament that isn't capable of
3:39
making a run. So, we were very prepared
3:41
for their key scores. We were really,
3:43
um, tuned in to number 22. Um, you know,
3:46
she's averaging close to 25 points a
3:47
game. So, that was the main emphasis for
3:49
us. But, I think, uh, once we stopped
3:51
kind of bailing them out on some jump
3:52
shots and some fadeaways, we were able
3:54
to play a little more straight up. But,
3:56
I think India really brought it for us.
3:57
She picked up the energy in the second
3:58
half. Um, she was all over the place.
4:00
She always is. So that's just a
4:02
testament to her leadership, but we all
4:03
kind of feed off of her.
4:09
>> Tatum, as far as a USA, USA Today, Nyla,
4:11
first home uh tournament win. Can you
4:14
kind of talk to that? And Laney, coach
4:16
said that you said you really wanted a
4:17
home game so Nyla can have one in the
4:19
NCAA tournament. Can both y'all kind of
4:21
just attest to the home environment
4:23
tonight? And Nyla, what it was like to
4:24
finally get a home tournament win?
4:26
>> Yeah. No, it was super electric. It was
4:28
exciting um to run out and just hear all
4:31
the car Carolina fans. Um and it was
4:34
just I don't know. I just it was just
4:35
like a really soaking in moment of like,
4:37
wow, we're actually here. We're actually
4:38
playing. We've been like waiting for
4:40
this moment for like two weeks. And um
4:43
just hearing Laney say that just means
4:45
so much to me. But I just it was just
4:47
fun to play in Carmichael again. It it
4:48
always is. And to get the win again and
4:50
be able to play again on Sunday is just
4:52
fun.
4:54
>> Yeah. I guess I'll just say like March
4:56
is special. like this tournament is so
4:57
special, but to be able to do it home
4:59
with your fans behind you, I think that
5:01
that just adds adds everything. Um, like
5:03
she said, like hearing hearing the
5:05
support and hearing the love and, you
5:07
know, you want to do it, you want to do
5:08
it for the community, but like I said,
5:09
like we want India and Harris to have,
5:11
you know, two more games and, you know,
5:13
we won this one so they get one more
5:14
game at Carmichael. Um, you know, not
5:16
just senior night. So that was one of
5:18
our goals like going into this season
5:19
was, hey, we want to make deep runs in
5:21
the playoffs and we want to be able to
5:22
host. Um, so to be able to do that and
5:24
look around and know that we're we're
5:25
doing it for two really special seniors
5:27
that have brought a lot to this program,
5:28
it means a lot. So,
5:31
uh, Nyla, Tom Shen, a news and observer,
5:34
uh, like I asked Laney, offense was
5:37
struggling in the first half. Your
5:39
mindset that last minute, you scored on
5:41
an inside basket and then you got the
5:43
offensive rebound you put back in the
5:44
last minute. How what was your mindset
5:47
that last minute that kind of sparked
5:48
the team? I think um Western Illinois
5:51
was really packing it inside, making it
5:53
hard for the offensive rebounds to make
5:55
a basket. Um I think it was just like
5:57
important for me to get that because I
5:59
kind of was a little bit in my head um
6:01
in the beginning just struggling a
6:03
little bit and then I think you know
6:04
getting that buzzer going into this
6:06
second quarter was just good for our
6:08
team as well to just keep the momentum
6:10
flowing. But yeah,
6:18
>> Alexander Jones Tarhill, Nyla Laney
6:21
mentioned India um really leading the
6:23
team um but also I mean you as a senior
6:26
how have y'all been able to kind of step
6:27
into sort of a leadership role
6:29
especially you know playing here home at
6:30
Carmichael and um as he mentioned you
6:32
know have that big second half.
6:35
>> No. Yeah. Yeah, I mean coming here my
6:36
first year and having a huge leadership
6:38
role on a team that I'm new at. Um but
6:40
having India help me with that was just
6:42
huge. Um me and Indie have had a we have
6:46
Dang, why am I struggling to speak? Um
6:48
me and Indie have grown a special bond
6:50
and being able to lead this team to
6:53
hosting an NCAA tournament is huge. I
6:55
think that again our leadership plays a
6:57
huge role in this team and how we do and
6:58
I think that in that second half me and
7:00
Indie leaned into each other saying as
7:02
leaders we don't want to go home you
7:03
know we want to bring the the passion
7:05
the the joy whatever it takes um to get
7:07
this win and and I think that's what we
7:08
did very well
7:11
>> any other questions for student athlete
7:13
one over here in the middle
7:18
of USA Today y'all are a really young
7:21
team Laney you and you and Nyla had
7:25
great games. Can you kind of talk to the
7:28
experience and the mentality of the
7:30
younger classmen to really help propel
7:31
this team forward and make sure you guys
7:33
have all five players on the court?
7:35
>> Yeah, we are a very young team. Um, but
7:37
I think that it kind of speaks to our
7:40
leadership. Like I learned a lot last
7:41
year coming like into a team that was a
7:44
lot of fifth year senior heavy. So, I
7:45
learned a lot about how to lead
7:46
differently through them. But I also
7:48
think that, you know, especially Harris
7:51
and India do such a great job of just
7:53
imploring and pouring confidence into
7:55
the younger kids. Um, myself included,
7:57
like whenever they see me struggling,
7:59
they're the first ones to pick me up and
8:00
it's just down the line. Um, so like I
8:03
said, they just they pour into other
8:05
people and like that's one of the
8:06
reasons why this team is so good. Like
8:07
they're not just good personally, but
8:09
you know, they pull people along. Um,
8:11
and the best teams are player led and
8:13
they've done a really good job about
8:15
stepping into their roles and they also
8:17
do a great job of leaving the floor open
8:18
for everybody on the team to have a
8:20
voice and everybody to lead in their own
8:22
authentic way which is really special.
8:24
So,
8:25
>> anything else for the student athletes?
8:28
>> All right, thanks so much student
8:29
athletes and congratulations on the win.
8:39
>> All right. We'll we'll now take
8:41
questions for coach. We'll start with
8:42
Ari Hill in the front.
8:44
>> Could you speak to the defensive effort
8:46
uh that you had against Western and what
8:49
your strategy was and stopping their
8:54
uh conference player of the year?
8:55
>> Yeah, if you take away the free throws,
8:57
you know, we held her to 12 points. You
8:59
know, we take great pride in taking away
9:00
the other team strengths. Um I think
9:02
we've done that so many times this year.
9:04
Um, and so, you know, I think we'll have
9:06
to watch back how many of those those
9:08
free throws were things we could have
9:10
controlled or or things that were um
9:12
there's just a physicality that we we
9:14
play with in the ACC that's different
9:15
maybe. But, um, yeah, I thought we were
9:18
really disciplined in the in the third
9:20
quarter. We were a little bit jumpy in
9:22
the first quarter. Um, but we wanted to
9:24
guard the arc with ball pressure, but we
9:26
also wanted to make their best player
9:27
um, have to work a lot harder. And when,
9:29
you know, she had to take 15 shots and
9:31
turn the ball over six times, I thought
9:32
we did a really good job on her. So, um,
9:34
you know, defense is defense,
9:36
rebounding, and ball control wins you a
9:38
lot of games, right? And and, um, and
9:40
three-point shooting in our case. So,
9:43
um, we've got to the defense is
9:44
something we can control and I thought
9:46
we we've continued to to really lock
9:48
into that.
9:54
>> Uh, Josh Markitch, the Daily Tarheel.
9:56
Um, coach, can you just kind of talk
9:57
about the perimeter defense and the
9:58
perimeter offense? you know, you kept
10:00
Western Illinois to 0% in the three
10:02
going into the fourth quarter. And then
10:04
can you also talk about going 25% from
10:06
the three on the offensive side?
10:08
>> Yeah, sorry about that everybody. We
10:09
sort of killed it at the arc today,
10:11
didn't we? Um, uh, yeah, I can talk
10:14
about both. I think the I give a lot of
10:16
credit to the ACC. I mean, we've played
10:17
what, nine teams are in the tournament.
10:19
I mean, we've played against really good
10:20
guards night after night after night.
10:22
And so, um, you know, iron sharpens
10:25
iron. So, we feel like we've gotten
10:26
better throughout the year because of
10:27
our non-conference schedule and then the
10:29
ACC schedule. Um, and so you're not
10:31
asking us to to recreate a scheme,
10:33
right? You're asking just to continue
10:34
our progression of um guarding our own
10:37
and and no islands and and the ways that
10:39
we want to defend. So, I think we were
10:41
pretty disciplined. Again, I've got to
10:42
look at those free throws. That's too
10:43
many free throws to give up uh in March.
10:45
Um but I've got to again look at how
10:48
much of that was controllable and how
10:49
much was was the game way the game was
10:51
called. I don't know. Um, and then yeah,
10:53
I I mean I would hope we don't shoot 25%
10:55
from three again. That that would be
10:57
that would be below our average. Um, you
10:59
know, I think when we look back at those
11:00
shots, I think we'll like a lot of them,
11:02
you know, and so um, you know, I thought
11:04
we we kept it shows a lot of trust that
11:07
they just kept in it, right? They kept
11:08
taking the shots that we were uh, good
11:10
shots that we were getting. They were
11:11
really compact in the paint. I would
11:12
also be worried about our inside game,
11:14
so they were sort of hedging their bets
11:15
on our perimeter game and we we were a
11:17
little bit in our cobwebs there. So, I
11:19
just wanted them to keep shooting, you
11:20
know, work it out. Um, and so yeah,
11:22
sorry that we gave you guys 25% but we
11:24
gave you 10 makes and I know this group
11:26
loves double digit makes.
11:29
>> Alexander Jones, the Daily Tarill,
11:31
Courtney, you mentioned a little bit of
11:32
those cobwebs there that first half
11:34
offense, but Laney and Nyla Brooks
11:36
really kind of kept them in. Could you
11:38
kind of speak to their kind of
11:40
participation and their role kind of in
11:41
that first half to kind of vault y'all
11:43
to that big second half lead? Yeah, I
11:45
mean I can I thought, you know, Nyla
11:48
Brooks has been she's just gotten so
11:49
much better throughout the year. I mean,
11:51
I keep hearing that I'll be out on
11:52
Franklin Street or I'll be out to dinner
11:54
and someone will say, "Oh, I just love
11:55
Nyla Brooks. She's gotten so much
11:56
better." You know, people love how she's
11:57
defending. She's able to create
11:59
basketball uh basketball plays for other
12:01
people now. Um and she's such a joy. You
12:03
know, I I love the kid. I know you guys
12:05
do, too. And so, I feel like I'm
12:06
competing with you all for to be number
12:08
one in her heart, but she certainly
12:09
loves Carmichael. Um but yeah, she's
12:11
been uh she's important to us. Uh, I
12:13
love that she kept shooting because she
12:15
took good shots. Um, and then Laney is
12:17
just a rock. That kid is an She's the
12:18
youngest kid on our team. You know, we
12:20
got the seventh youngest team in power
12:21
four and she's the youngest still on our
12:23
team. She's an absolute rock. I thought
12:25
how she came out in the third quarter, I
12:26
didn't like our rebounding effort. Uh,
12:28
when you watch that back, there'll be
12:29
the first three possessions she had a
12:31
legitimate body on body. Um, so she's
12:33
just a kid I have great trust for. Uh,
12:35
she's a two-way player. Um, and all she
12:37
cares about is winning. And when one of
12:39
your best players only cares about
12:40
winning, things kind of fall into line.
12:42
Um, so yeah, those two were were huge
12:44
tonight. I I love that everyone played,
12:46
so everyone got their hands uh their
12:48
hands on the ball and their feet on the
12:49
court in March. Um, it feels like it
12:51
gives us even more options going into
12:53
Sunday.
12:55
>> Tom Shanahan, News and Observer. Um,
12:58
Sierra and Blank are both bigger girls,
13:00
but they managed to really stay between
13:03
N Castro and the basket all
13:04
consistently. I don't know how important
13:06
that was. if you thought going into the
13:08
game you might have to switch a quicker
13:10
player under. How important was that to
13:11
the game?
13:12
>> Yeah, we did a little bit of both. So,
13:13
when we were big, we wanted to stay and
13:15
force tough ones. Um, and again, I think
13:18
some of those fouls happened in that and
13:19
then we were able to go small and switch
13:21
around and just keep bodies in front of
13:22
the ball. Um, I love that our our guys
13:24
give me a lot of options. Um, but yeah,
13:26
I mean, Blanca and Sierra are imposing
13:28
physically. I mean, they're 6'5, 66. Um,
13:31
and they're they're strong. um and
13:33
they've they've just got a lot of a lot
13:34
of things in the paint that are hard to
13:36
work around. So, um we wanted to kind of
13:38
give that look and then we also did a
13:40
lot of um you know, switching and and
13:42
played a little bit smaller. Um and so
13:43
our goal is to just wear on you in lots
13:45
of different ways. Um and I think over
13:47
the course of uh of a game again, if you
13:49
take out their free throws, you know, we
13:51
which I know is not really fair, but if
13:53
you do, you know, we give up 36 points
13:55
in March, it's pretty good.
13:58
>> Hey, Courtney. Mitch Northam USA Today.
14:00
Um, I I don't want to ask you about X's
14:03
and O's with Maryland cuz I know you
14:04
have a scout to do and stuff, but it's a
14:06
big- time matchup. A lot of history
14:08
between these two programs. Um, what do
14:10
you think the environment will be like
14:12
on Sunday? And just not as a coach, but
14:14
as a basketball fan. Um, how excited are
14:17
you are just to be a part of that
14:19
matchup?
14:19
>> Yeah. So cool. I remember um so I play
14:22
we played them my 30 and0 year. So that
14:24
that year was um the year I was actually
14:26
the Naymith and had all those cool
14:28
accolades happen and um you know they're
14:30
the team that they were the only loss
14:31
that season you know um what Brenda's
14:33
done consistency in this business is
14:35
really hard right and being at one place
14:37
because to be good you got to fight for
14:39
your program so you actually wear people
14:40
out right um and the fact that she's
14:43
been able to be so loved at Maryland and
14:45
win so many games consistently is
14:47
remarkable you know and she's she's
14:49
she's one of those in the business that
14:50
truly does root for other people right
14:52
so she's also one of the better people
14:53
in our business. So, uh, that's really
14:55
fun. Um, but yeah, I know that, you
14:57
know, I remember being at the Final Four
14:59
when I was a young coach. Um, I was out
15:01
way too late, so I barely stayed awake
15:03
for the game. But the, um, you know,
15:05
watching her win a national
15:06
championship, you know, and being a fan
15:07
of the ACC, um, how how fun this game is
15:10
for this community, and I know I'm I'm
15:12
in charge of it now, but there's a lot
15:13
of people who played before me and
15:14
coached before me that that remember
15:16
this rivalry, you know, in the same way.
15:18
So, um, it it should be a great
15:20
environment. I think, you know, I think
15:21
a Sunday, I know we don't know the or I
15:23
don't know the game time yet. Um, but I
15:25
think there'll be even more that we're
15:26
here today. I hope the students are are
15:27
back from from spring break. Um, but
15:30
yeah, what a I mean, that's what March
15:31
is about is these matchups like this
15:33
that can't always happen and then when
15:35
they do, you just want to buckle up and
15:37
watch.
15:39
>> Hi, coach. Hi, coach.
15:41
>> Hey, I can hear you.
15:42
>> As far as today, um, I just your two
15:45
seniors on the team both got a home when
15:47
Nyla her first in the NCAA tournament.
15:49
um and India with all of her family
15:50
being here, a local kid. Can you kind of
15:52
speak to what that means for you in the
15:53
program to be able to get that to for
15:55
them?
15:55
>> Yeah. I mean, it's such a unique thing
15:56
in the women's game that you can do
15:58
that, right? It rewards it basically
16:00
rewards the fan bases and the schools
16:02
that have invested in your sport, right?
16:04
To let you play at home, right? Because
16:05
if you're good enough, um you you have
16:07
that opportunity. And to be good enough,
16:09
you probably have to be well supported
16:10
both from an administrative level and
16:12
from a fan-based level. Um and so we
16:14
feel like it's a gift that we give back
16:15
to the community now two years in a row.
16:17
Um I think it these kids are so so in it
16:20
that they don't they don't necessarily
16:22
have the wide lens that that us elders
16:24
do. Um and so I don't know if it's
16:26
totally it's totally hit India that what
16:30
she's been able to do. What she'll
16:31
remember is that in her senior year she
16:33
hosted in Carmichael. Like I don't think
16:35
that's that's where she's at. But we'll
16:37
make sure that that she recognizes that
16:40
you're you're sort of judged in in how
16:42
you do when you're in charge, right? and
16:43
she's in charge of this team and um you
16:45
know what she's been able to do to get
16:46
it back home when remember a lot of her
16:49
running mates when we include Raniah
16:50
being out and then all the kids that
16:52
graduated last year you know she was the
16:54
one that's been left right and and the
16:55
way she's been able to galvanize the
16:57
young guys and give them confidence and
16:59
be consistent with what we need um is
17:02
remarkable. She just doesn't have the
17:03
perspective yet I don't think to totally
17:04
get it but um yeah I I remember when I
17:07
left Princeton it was hard. I I it's
17:09
where I met my family. It's where I had
17:10
had my kids. Um we were rolling. and
17:12
it's a place they love me. You know, it
17:13
was really hard to leave. And um you
17:16
know, you hope when you take over a new
17:17
job, it's going to be what you want. And
17:19
the one thing I felt at Princeton is I'd
17:21
never get a chance to host, right? And
17:23
so I wanted it to be really cool if I
17:25
really wanted to do that. And so to be
17:26
able to do it two years in a row means
17:27
more to me than I can articulate. Um
17:30
because I had won tournament games at
17:31
Princeton, right? It wasn't about that.
17:32
It was about what can I do different?
17:34
Can I can I host an NCA tournament game?
17:36
Can I get to a sweet 16, an elite 8, and
17:38
a final four? and um you know and and to
17:41
do it the last two years, it's really
17:43
hard to do. So, I'm I'm really proud of
17:44
the kids I've been coaching and and the
17:46
kids that have trusted me in this
17:47
process.
17:49
>> Hey, Courtney. Uh Brian Murphy with as
17:51
as your players were speaking, I saw you
17:53
taking a lot of notes. I wonder what
17:54
those notes are, what you do with them
17:56
once you're done with this.
17:57
>> You know, I've I've watched a lot of
17:58
Maryland, so I was just writing some
18:00
Maryland notes down that uh you know,
18:02
I've got the team here. I've got to show
18:04
them film here after they eat. Um I've
18:06
got that scout ready. And I was just
18:08
remembering some of the things that are
18:09
going to be consistent with what
18:10
happened today that I'm going to carry
18:11
over. So, I'm I'm bor I'm I'm a little
18:13
bit boring because as I told the team
18:15
just now, I said, "I don't have a lot to
18:16
say. I have a I'll have a lot to prepare
18:18
you for." Um,
18:19
>> but yeah, usually when I'm writing, it's
18:20
about basketball.
18:23
>> Tarza USA Today. Yesterday, coach, you
18:25
said this is the hardest you've been on
18:26
a team ever. And especially with such a
18:29
young team, can you kind of speak to the
18:30
resiliency and discipline of those
18:32
players, especially with Nyla Brooks and
18:34
Laney Grant to come out strong for you
18:36
guys in the first half?
18:37
>> Yeah. And that they let they let me be
18:38
really hard on them. Um, and they didn't
18:40
shrink. You know, I think I looked at
18:41
India um and Nyla Harris and I told, I'm
18:44
going to give you my very best. Um, but
18:46
I'm going to make sure I'm going to find
18:47
a way to get the best out of your young
18:48
guys because you don't have the time.
18:50
This group is going to be really good
18:51
over time, but you need to be good now.
18:53
And so every time I was hard on them,
18:54
they just pointed inward, both of them.
18:56
like there was no like well maybe they
18:57
did it behind my back but it wasn't like
18:59
oh I don't like coach it was like we
19:01
have to be better guys she's showing us
19:03
she's telling us you know and then the
19:04
younger guys um you know they're just
19:06
eager like Laney's a rock and Nyla
19:09
Brooks wants to be a star you know you
19:10
can go right on down the line so um they
19:13
there's a lot of trust in our operation
19:14
you know me them me um and our coaching
19:17
staff and so when you love when you love
19:19
somebody they know it and if they know
19:21
it then they'll take whatever message
19:23
you have in whatever way you share it
19:25
right And um you have to earn that. But
19:27
but we've earned it because they've
19:28
they've earned it. Like they've earned
19:30
the time that we put into them and
19:32
they've earned the results. So I'm you
19:34
know I just whatever this that that this
19:36
team needed me to be hard on them. You
19:37
know it it's exhausting. It's not really
19:39
in my personality but this team needed
19:40
me needed to be hard on them. Um and it
19:43
worked.
19:45
>> Just curious, do you change the game day
19:47
routine uh from the normal home game
19:50
during the regular season?
19:51
>> Yeah. So, we actually stayed in a hotel
19:53
um quite honestly because it's just
19:55
easier for their nutrition, right? And
19:57
then also, um you know, the film, I'd
20:00
have to have them all come back to
20:00
Carmichael tonight to watch more film
20:02
and they're all there. It's just like
20:04
you're kind of hurting cats. They're
20:05
just like easier to pull together. Um
20:08
it's not because they're distracting on
20:10
campus. That's just not these guys are
20:11
wired in. I mean, I'm not worried about
20:13
any of that. It's more just It's
20:14
honestly just easier to make sure they
20:16
stay on what we're trying to do and then
20:18
you show them film and then they're not
20:19
worried about parking before they get to
20:20
practice. like we're just all on the
20:21
bus. So, that's that is a little bit
20:24
different. Um we did that last year and
20:26
it worked. So, we did it again this
20:27
year. But otherwise, from a prep
20:28
standpoint, um whatever practice time
20:31
I'm given tomorrow, I I usually get to
20:33
pick it. So, I don't get to pick it.
20:34
That's annoying. Um but whatever
20:35
practice time I'm given, um that'll be
20:38
the same. It'll be the same structure in
20:40
terms of your your head has to
20:41
understand before your body does, right?
20:43
And then once your head understands, if
20:45
you don't do it, it wasn't important
20:46
enough to you, right? It's really basic.
20:48
And so, um, my job is to make sure they
20:50
have very clear understanding of how we
20:52
need to play to win. And if they do, if
20:54
they do it, it mattered enough to them.
20:56
If they don't and they, then it just
20:58
didn't matter enough. And I can't I
20:59
can't worry about that, right? And so,
21:01
yeah, the preparation will be tonight.
21:03
It'll be tomorrow. Um, and then the game
21:05
the game plan will be will be solid.
21:08
>> Anything else for coach?
21:10
>> All right, coach. Thank one more.
21:13
>> We always want the students, man. We
21:14
need good reporters. Come on, keep
21:15
going.
21:16
Thanks Courtney.
21:19
You talked about it a little bit, but I
21:20
know Laney mentioned having a lot of
21:23
fifth and sixth years last year. She
21:25
kind of learned from them. How have you
21:26
kind of seen her sort of learn, but also
21:28
have how have you seen sort of India and
21:30
Nyla Harris kind of teach the younger
21:32
guys in terms of leadership? How have
21:34
you seen those guys grow in terms of
21:35
leadership?
21:36
>> I think the biggest thing is that I I
21:38
really believe that authenticity is our
21:39
own superpower, right? And so I'm not
21:42
going to coach any other way than that's
21:43
authentic to me, right? And so if you
21:45
look at how Maria or Alyssa or Lexio
21:48
Darnowski led our team, it's very
21:49
different than how Nyla Harris and India
21:51
lead our team, but it's authentic to who
21:52
they were. You can get behind that,
21:54
right? You can trust the consistency of
21:55
that. And so India's journey has been
21:57
really authentic right in front of our
21:58
very eyes. And so how she's um how she's
22:01
gone through confidence and imperfection
22:04
and and desire and and and all the
22:06
things um it's easy to get behind. So,
22:08
you know, it's remarkable what Lany's
22:10
done, you guys. She gave up her senior
22:11
year of high school, right? Right. I was
22:12
at I don't know if you guys know I was
22:13
at her high school game for a national
22:15
champ for her high school state
22:16
championship and I was coaching I mean I
22:18
was we had just lost in the ACC
22:19
tournament. We had missed like 1,012
22:21
free throws and she went like 14 for 15
22:24
from the free throw line. So I text so I
22:26
text she had 39 points. I texted her her
22:28
mom and I was like God she'd help us. I
22:30
was going to text her dad but he was
22:31
coaching and I texted her mom and I said
22:33
God she'd help me right now. And they
22:35
said well 48 hours later they were like
22:39
what do you think? I was like, "Well,
22:43
if you're in, I'm in." Right? So, giving
22:45
up your senior year of high school is a
22:47
big deal, right? And then, so she's 19
22:49
years old, right? Like, it's really
22:51
remarkable what she's done and how she's
22:53
contributing. Um, and she's absorbs
22:55
everything around her. So, she absorbs
22:56
the part of Lexi and and Alyssa and
22:59
Maria and India, Nyla Harris that she
23:00
wants to be, but I keep reminding her,
23:02
your authenticity is your superpower,
23:04
too. So, I think she's been able to to
23:06
absorb um but not lose who she is.
23:11
>> Coach, that's all the time we have
23:12
today. Thanks so much for joining us.
23:14
>> We'll be joined by Western Illinois
23:16
momentarily.