There’s something different in the air this week in Chapel Hill, and I’m not talking about the record-shattering temperatures that make the community we love feel like June … in February. Two games remain for the Carolina women’s basketball team in the regular season. Two games against some of the ACC and the nation’s best competition, and the opportunity to bolster an already impressive NCAA Tournament résumé – potentially to the level of hosting in March Madness.
Oh yeah, it’s Senior Night on Thursday. Sunday? The opponent is your fiercest rival. Even the Thursday opponent could be considered a current rival thanks to a series of battles through recent years. So, a big week.
“I think if we win the last two, we get to host,” Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart said on her radio show, Holding Court, this week. “It’s a huge opportunity for our guys.”
Like on many topics, she’s right.
On Thursday, Carolina will say goodbye to three impactful seniors in Eva Hodgson, Malu Tshitenge, and Ariel Young in a postgame ceremony. All three have played massive roles both on and off the court in the rebirth of the Tar Heel program in recent years. That’s an emotional day in and of itself. But where the magnitude of the day increases is what will happen between the lines, when No. 9 Virginia Tech brings its six-game win streak into Carmichael Arena to write another chapter in what has become one of the best matchups in the ACC in recent years. A win would be the Tar Heels’ sixth against a ranked team this season, the third against a top 10 foe, and sixth NET quadrant 1 win of the year.
Then, those same proverbial feathers in the cap are on the line again on Sunday with a trip to Duke for the second matchup of the season with the No. 11 Blue Devils. Coach Banghart is quick to point out how much the rivalry means to her team and her program, which only adds to the motivation into the game.
It won’t be easy, but two wins likely would sew up a chance to host, especially if the smoke signals from social media are correct and Carolina is back to full strength come tournament time. The Tar Heels currently sit at 19-8, and a season ago, four 8-loss teams hosted NCAA Tournament games. Most mock brackets project four-loss Oklahoma as a host, a team with a NET ranking of 33 at press time. So while the Tar Heels’ 26 NET rank…
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