UNC women's basketball head coach Courtney Banghart wasted no time expressing her excitement ahead of No. 19 Carolina's game at No. 5 NC State on Thursday night.
"It's just a good week for college basketball," Banghart said at the start of Tuesday's media availability session. "It didn't take me long at Carolina to learn how important this sport is."
Banghart, now in his third year with the Tar Heels, is 2-2 against NC State over the past two seasons, with each win coming to a top 10 Wolfpack team at Carmichael Arena. Carolina's last win against NC State in Raleigh came in 2019, when UNC placed the then-undefeated Wolfpack side at No.
The state will host four ranked teams on Thursday night, as No. 17 Duke hosts No. 16 Georgia Tech in Durham. Six ACC teams are currently ranked in the AP Top 25, the most for any conference in the country. Half of these teams are on Tobacco Road.
"If it doesn't excite the state of North Carolina, it's really sad," Banghart said. “I would challenge any other field… to be able to see such good basketball, talented players from across the country who have chosen to play here in The Triangle. To be a part of this, I have to be selected for this event. Very proud."
Carolina's appearance in the Top 25 polls this season comes five years after her previous ranking, and Thursday night will be UNC's first ranked-ranking game since the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Banghart expressed some surprise at the rapid rate of improvement in his team over the three seasons, but added that he signed with the program because of his involvement in the national conversation.
"I took this job because I thought Carolina needed to be good at women's basketball for our game to grow," she said. “And I have dedicated my life to the sport. And having a good school like Carolina helps the sport.”
Still, Banghart did not say anything about the upcoming matchup. The Wolfpack is by far the toughest opponent Carolina has faced this season, and the first of five ranked matchups in seven games for the Tar Heels. UNC will also take court at the Reynolds Coliseum in front of a sold-out crowd, making the game even more challenging.
"It's a unique environment to play in regardless," Banghart said. "But matchup-wise, [NC State] has a lot of professionals who are ready to take that step very early in their careers. And our people are still getting better and better, and we'll grow to that. It was a 1v1 game... I don't know, because we don't play 1v1, but they have a lot of good players that we have a lot of respect for."
Carolina has won the first game of the season series against the Wolfpack in each of the last three years. NC State lost just 13 games during those three campaigns, but three of them came at the hands of the Tar Heels.
"We feel great about what they do, and when they want to play at their best," Banghart said. "As they do for us. There's a lot of familiarity. That's what makes the rivalry game so much fun, is there such an identity."
The game will end at 8 pm. Thursday nights, and will be broadcast on the ACC network. For those who want to follow along on the radio, coverage of 97.9 The Hill begins at 7:30 p.m. With Matt Krauss on the call.