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UNC's Nyla Harris, Coach Courtney Banghart and Indya Nivar after exhibition loss to S.C. #UNC
Oct 31, 2025
UNC's Nyla Harris, Coach Courtney Banghart and Indya Nivar after exhibition loss to S.C. #UNC
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0:00
on Zoom. Coach, whenever you're ready.
0:01
Yeah, first off, thanks for uh the group
0:04
that put this on. You know, we knew we
0:06
were going to have a lot of young guys
0:07
out there. Um and so to have an
0:09
opportunity to see a very high level
0:12
game um in November is exactly what we
0:15
want. You know, we don't want to have
0:16
exhibition games where there's no margin
0:18
of error. This is a I mean, where
0:19
there's lots of margins of error. Uh we
0:21
knew this was going to be a slim margin
0:22
of error. We weren't necessarily sharp
0:24
enough um yet, and that's okay. It's
0:26
November. Um, you know, the the fact of
0:28
the matter is is that um we give up 91
0:31
points and some of that is they've got
0:33
they've got first round draft picks. I
0:34
get it, right? But part of that is that
0:35
we need to be better at the things that
0:37
happen all the time. Um, at times um,
0:40
offensively, I've asked these guys to
0:42
learn a lot. It's a totally new offense.
0:43
It was a year ago. Um, defensively,
0:46
we've got different strengths and
0:47
different coverages. So, there's a lot
0:48
of learning happening with this young
0:50
team. And outside of these two, it's
0:51
basically freshman and sophomores that
0:53
you saw tonight with two of our guys
0:55
being held out. Um, and so, you know,
0:57
with that youthfulness, you expect some
0:58
of the the loose play that we had. Um,
1:01
and so, uh, it's good to see where we're
1:03
starting. It doesn't matter where you
1:04
start for either side. They're going to
1:06
get better. It's a good team and and we
1:08
damn well better get better, too. Um,
1:10
but hope you guys enjoy the game.
1:11
Questions in the room.
1:14
Courtney, it seemed like your transition
1:16
offense was really giving them a lot of
1:17
problems, especially in the first half.
1:18
Just how are you able to exploit that?
1:21
Yeah, it's a it's a good point. I think
1:22
part of these November games early um is
1:26
your conditioning isn't necessarily on
1:27
probably on either side where you want
1:29
it to be, right? There's a there's an
1:31
element of game concentration. There's
1:33
an element of game pace. There's an
1:34
element of game execution that that is a
1:37
different level that you could ever
1:38
practice no matter how many, you know,
1:40
how many days we've used our guys, our
1:42
practice guys. Um and and so I wish we
1:45
could have kept running at that pace,
1:47
right? We just um we ran out of gas at
1:49
times. Um and uh that was part of it.
1:52
But their transition gave us problems
1:54
too. You know, these are two good teams
1:56
um two great programs and so you know
1:59
heavyweight fight, you got to take the
2:01
advantage you can. Um and they took
2:03
advantage of their transition. We took
2:04
advantage of the ones we could too.
2:06
Courtney, you you say you play games
2:07
like this to learn about your team early
2:09
and learn what what you need to work on.
2:12
What did you learn tonight? I
2:14
I learned that our leadership is really
2:16
strong. I mean, you know, these two have
2:19
a whole lot of new if you take out who
2:21
we lost last year and then you take out
2:23
Raya. Um, and then you take out Blanca,
2:25
there's a lot of youth and there's a
2:27
whole new system. Um, and so a lot has
2:29
rested on these shoulders. I celebrated
2:31
India has been who's been here the
2:32
longest. Um, you know, the the team that
2:35
was out there tonight, a lot of new and
2:37
the way that they understand the
2:39
standard that we have at North Carolina.
2:41
Um, I thought there was a lot of bright
2:42
spots there. Um, Nyla Harris, everything
2:44
is new for her, right? and she's got a
2:46
lot of experience but new in this
2:47
program. Um, and so I give these two
2:49
first off a lot of credit with our
2:51
leadership. Um, we learned what we what
2:53
we've seen in practice is that our young
2:54
guys are here to compete. You know,
2:56
they're here to compete. Um, and they're
2:57
here to help us win basketball games and
3:00
they need to get sharper at certain
3:01
things. Um, but they've put the time in
3:04
to to be better. These guys have
3:06
challenged them and they've leaned into
3:07
the process. So, um, there's a lot to
3:10
like on this team. There's a whole lot
3:11
of room for growth, too. What can you
3:13
tell us about Annayiah and Baka and
3:16
their
3:16
and their return? Yeah, you know, this
3:19
was such a great um opportunity. Um but
3:22
our season's right around the corner,
3:23
too. And so, you don't want to put
3:25
anybody at risk that um that isn't fully
3:28
cleared to do that. So, um I mean, you
3:30
saw sure you saw them moving around um
3:33
and so, you know, we feel very confident
3:34
that they'll be joining us um soon. Um
3:37
but unfortunately, tonight wasn't that
3:39
night.
3:39
What What are they dealing with? Can you
3:41
share?
3:42
Um, you know, no.
3:47
Yeah.
3:47
Sorry.
3:48
You you've dealt with Latin before, so
3:51
that was familiar to you. Talk about
3:53
that matchup and and how how you you
3:56
guys dealt with her.
3:57
Yeah, she's a great player and, you
3:59
know, playing her for the past two,
4:01
three years. Very dynamic scorer. She
4:04
loves to get downhill and she's a great
4:06
cutter. Um, so yeah, like today I don't
4:09
think we did the best on her, but um I
4:12
credits to her. Uh, she was very
4:14
aggressive driving the lanes with kind
4:15
which kind of exposed our like helpside
4:17
defense and what we needed to get better
4:18
at and then our gaps making sure that
4:20
we're letting keeping her in front so
4:22
she can't cut back door. But yeah,
4:24
credit all the credit to her. She's a
4:25
great player.
4:26
Sure is.
4:28
For either of you three, Raven Johnson's
4:30
obviously familiar with Don Sely system,
4:31
but she's kind of a point guard that
4:33
just sees the floor so well. goes into
4:35
stopping her kind of flow and just her
4:37
production overall.
4:39
The thing that separates it that Raven's
4:41
really been uh really good at is
4:43
actually on the defensive side of the
4:44
ball. You know, she's a differencemaker
4:45
there. She puts a lot of pressure at the
4:47
point of the ball. Um you know, and and
4:49
she gets her hands around things. Um so
4:52
she's just a menace defensively, right?
4:53
And that gets tiring, right? Um yeah,
4:56
offensively you'd love to have a fourth
4:58
year a four-year starter. That would be
5:00
great, right? um you know, but every
5:02
team has its next year there'll be a lot
5:04
of young guards on North on South
5:06
Carolina's roster and we'll have a lot
5:07
of experience. It's just kind of the
5:08
nature of college athletics, right? Um
5:09
especially when you believe in your
5:11
development of your own roster. Um and
5:13
so, you know, I think where where Raven
5:15
maybe needs more shine is the fact that
5:17
defensively she's a she's a real
5:18
differencemaker. She's a distraction.
5:21
Now, now it's first time we've seen you
5:23
in Parill uniform. You look like a
5:25
minute under the boards, really
5:27
aggressive. Can you How did you like
5:28
your game today? Yeah. Um, I think I did
5:33
well. I think I could have definitely
5:34
did better. Um, I think, man, it's just
5:38
crazy that I'm in a different jersey.
5:39
For one, let's talk about that. And for
5:42
two, it was just really fun playing
5:43
today. I'm not going to lie. Like,
5:45
although we didn't get the outcome we
5:46
wanted, um, just playing with these
5:48
girls, it's just it's actually fun and
5:50
and really just knowing like, oh, my
5:52
team is going to go get a bucket. She's
5:54
she's going to have my back. Um, it just
5:56
it was really fun to just be in this Tar
5:58
Hill jersey. And um I'm looking forward
6:00
to what we have for this season. Um
6:03
yeah,
6:04
Courtney, can you speak to N?
6:06
Yeah, I mean, she's a pro. She was a
6:08
problem for three years, you know, sort
6:09
of like what Latson was um and now for a
6:12
fourth year. Um but we're glad that this
6:14
problem is now on our side. Um what I
6:16
think is really great about about Nye is
6:17
that she chose to come um and knew that
6:20
we were going to challenge her, right?
6:21
We knew that you're not coming here to
6:23
coast into your senior year. You're here
6:24
to to get better. Um, and I think India
6:27
has done a great job um, being right by
6:29
her side and pushing and pulling when
6:30
needed. Um, and I give N a lot of credit
6:32
because she could have she had she was
6:35
plenty good at Louisville, right? Um,
6:37
and we're asking her to do more. We're
6:39
asking her to do more with the ball in
6:40
her hands. We're asking her to do more
6:41
with the ball outside, not in her hands.
6:43
We're asking her to defend in different
6:45
ways. Um, and her her competitive spirit
6:48
in in combination with her kind of
6:51
genuine joy. Um, it's just a it's a
6:53
wonderful piece to our team. Um, and you
6:56
know, I can be hard on her, um, because
6:58
I have high hopes for her, right? And
6:59
that's why she came. Um, but you bet I
7:01
can enjoy her, too.
7:04
Can you speak to Sierra? So, as her
7:05
second career, well, I start this dark
7:08
count, but second time she started,
7:10
she gave up a couple of inches and she
7:14
and a couple others got that uh taller
7:17
player in foul trouble.
7:18
Yeah. Yeah. She's, you know, she went
7:21
from available where she's trying to
7:22
become reliable,
7:23
right? as our whole roster is, right? We
7:24
got a lot of available guys and we got
7:26
to have more reliable guys. Um, and she
7:28
took a step forward in being reliable.
7:30
Um, she almost got a double double. Um,
7:32
she took care of the basketball. Um, no
7:34
turnovers. She's a and she hasn't played
7:37
in so long. She hasn't had a pivotal
7:38
role in in our program. So, um, again,
7:41
it's so early for these kids and and
7:43
don't forget for Sierra, her first
7:44
meaningful game is against a really good
7:47
um, number two ranked team in the
7:48
country, right? And so, we have high
7:50
hopes for her. Um, she's going to have
7:52
to play better. um as well. I think our
7:54
interior game without Blanca more is on
7:55
them now and they have they have to be
7:57
better. Um but yeah, she's uh she's
8:00
she's much better than she was a year
8:01
ago and um she's earned every bit of it.
8:04
Can you speak to what was the what was
8:05
the trigger on why these turnovers? I
8:08
mean turned around often more than you
8:10
would have liked.
8:10
Yeah, you know, 15 turnovers in in
8:13
November. I don't know against the
8:15
number two team in the I mean I thought
8:18
he was a little loose with the ball, you
8:20
know, etc. But we were a little bit
8:22
loose um with the ball. We're not quite
8:24
as crisp on on what our what our angles
8:26
on our cuts are and and when we're
8:28
playing off two and when we're uh
8:30
playing quick um or playing fast, but
8:32
you know, this is one game. It's a great
8:34
opportunity for you all to see them, but
8:35
I've seen this team now for 75 days. Um
8:38
and we are better. We're crisper. Um but
8:41
I think some of those turnovers were
8:43
honestly it's a it's just early, you
8:45
know, it's just early. This is a little
8:47
bit messy of a of basketball on both
8:49
sides, but not as messy as it probably
8:50
could have been um given how early it
8:52
was. Um but that's what you expect from
8:54
two really good teams.
8:55
Do we have questions on Zoom real quick?
9:02
Questions in the room. Can
9:03
you speak to the positive of of the the
9:05
run at the end?
9:06
Yeah.
9:06
Uh and actually the first few minutes of
9:09
the game as well.
9:10
Yeah. I mean to outscore him in the
9:12
second half is great. to outscore him on
9:14
the final score is be is better, right?
9:16
Um, you know, but as I said in the
9:18
locker room, like there's going to be
9:20
people that are going to say there's no
9:21
quit. And I get it. That's sports talk,
9:23
right? Um, that's not something we're
9:25
going to celebrate in this program
9:26
because that's not what we do, right?
9:27
Um, it's so easy to quit on a Tuesday.
9:29
It's so easy to quit on a fourth
9:30
quarter. It's so easy to quit on a
9:31
Sunday, but I just haven't seen that
9:33
from this team and this program. Um, but
9:35
I think again when you've got I think
9:37
it's hard to put into it's hard to
9:38
really understand how many young
9:40
freshman and sophomores and even I mean
9:42
I guess the we only have we only had two
9:44
upper classmen play today, right? It's a
9:47
lot of young people and and they just
9:49
again these guys have infused them with
9:51
confidence and urgency and so that's
9:53
just going up and up and up, right? Um
9:55
so there's a lot to work with there. Um
9:57
and they're not they're not perfect but
10:00
there's a lot to work with there. So,
10:02
uh, in the second half, I thought they
10:03
they came in and what what we needed
10:04
when these guys were tired.
10:06
Any more questions for coach or players?
10:09
Great. Thanks, everyone.
10:10
Leah, I gave you a shout out to start.
10:11
Thanks for putting this event on.
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