DoubleBlue
Member
Louisville sure, but Notre Dame is playing great since their two early losses. If GT wins both they deserve to be Top 10 and 20-0.
2024-25 DWBB Season
- Thread starter Phredd3
- Start date
brevity
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Duke WBB plays at UNC on Thursday 1/9 at 7pm ET on ACCN (streaming link, listen, live stats)
The #14 Blue Devils take the dreaded short drive to Chapel Hill to visit the #19 UNC Tar Heels for a Thursday evening game on the ACC Network. The venue is the 10,000-seatBartowski Carmichael Arena.
According to GoDuke's opponent history page, this is the earliest matchup between the Duke and UNC women since the 1986-1987 season, when those squads had a game scheduled for January 7. To give you an idea of how long ago that was, Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child was #1 in the box office, and "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles topped the Billboard Hot 100. Kara Lawson was still a month away from her 6th birthday.
UNC head coach Courtney Banghart (who turned 9 years old in 1987) is in her 6th season at the helm of the Heels, and her team is 13-3 overall. Their non-conference slate is not as tough as Duke's, but decent: they have a 19-point home win over a ranked Kentucky team, Quad 2 victories over Ball State, Indiana, and Florida on neutral courts, and an 11-point loss to Connecticut at the Unhappy Jim Boeheim Classic in Greensboro. They are 1-2 in the ACC, with a road win over Miami and home losses to ranked Georgia Tech and now Notre Dame (76-66: recap, box score, highlights, full replay).
Coach Banghart had to deal with a few personnel changes in the offseason. Gone are last season's leading scorer Deja Kelly (transferred to Oregon) and rotation players Paulina Paris (to Arizona), Anya Poole (to Clemson), Teonni Key (to Kentucky), and Alexandra Zelaya (to UNC Wilmington). Here's a quick look at the current Tar Heels roster, which added 2 incoming transfers, 3 freshmen, and 2 redshirt freshmen:
PROBABLE STARTERS
6-3 senior post Maria Gakdeng #5 (11.8 pts, 6.6 reb, 0.6 ast, 1.1 blk)
6-1 grad wing Alyssa Ustby #1 (11.4 pts, 9.3 reb, 3.6 ast, 1.4 stl)
6-0 grad guard Lexi Donarski #20 (9.5 pts, 1.9 reb, 1.7 ast, 1.1 stl)
5-10 junior guard Indya Nivar #24 (8.6 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.0 stl)
5-7 sophomore guard Reniya Kelly #10 (8.5 pts, 1.8 reb, 2.2 ast, 1.0 stl)
TOP RESERVES
5-8 junior guard Trayanna Crisp #14 (7.1 pts, 1.9 reb, 1.6 ast)
5-9 freshman guard Lanie Grant #0 (6.1 pts, 1.7 reb, 1.1 ast)
6-4 redshirt freshman forward Ciera Toomey #21 (5.3 pts, 3.0 reb, 0.6 ast)
5-5 grad guard Grace Townsend #2 (3.7 pts, 1.8 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.0 stl)
6-1 redshirt freshman guard Laila Hull #4 (4.6 pts, 2.5 reb, 0.4 ast)
6-5 freshman center Blanca Thomas #34 (3.5 pts, 5.3 reb, 0.7 ast, 1.0 blk)
BENCH PLAYERS
5-11 freshman guard Jordan Zubich #3 (1.8 pts, 0.4 reb, 0.4 ast)
5-7 sophomore guard Sydney Barker #15 (1.4 pts, 0.4 reb, 0.2 ast)
5-8 redshirt junior guard Kayla McPherson #11
Maria Gakdeng makes 72.7 percent of her field goals (all two-pointers), far outpacing the rest of the ACC -- Georgia Tech's Kara Dunn is second inside the arc, with 63.7 percent. Alyssa Ustby was among the ten players named to the preseason All-ACC Team. Lexi Donarski is probably the team's best outside threat, connecting on 37.4 percent of her threes -- fellow guards Reniya Kelly, Lanie Grant, and Laila Hull each shoot a bit better, but at much lower volumes.
Bart Torvik, who seems to like Carolina more than the polls and the NET, predicts a close game that will end with them winning 68-64. Here's how the rivals compare, based on stats from Sports Reference and other linked sources. Note that the Heels don't commit many turnovers or personal fouls; speaking of fouls, the box score could have some very ugly free throw numbers for both teams.
The #14 Blue Devils take the dreaded short drive to Chapel Hill to visit the #19 UNC Tar Heels for a Thursday evening game on the ACC Network. The venue is the 10,000-seat
According to GoDuke's opponent history page, this is the earliest matchup between the Duke and UNC women since the 1986-1987 season, when those squads had a game scheduled for January 7. To give you an idea of how long ago that was, Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child was #1 in the box office, and "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles topped the Billboard Hot 100. Kara Lawson was still a month away from her 6th birthday.
UNC head coach Courtney Banghart (who turned 9 years old in 1987) is in her 6th season at the helm of the Heels, and her team is 13-3 overall. Their non-conference slate is not as tough as Duke's, but decent: they have a 19-point home win over a ranked Kentucky team, Quad 2 victories over Ball State, Indiana, and Florida on neutral courts, and an 11-point loss to Connecticut at the Unhappy Jim Boeheim Classic in Greensboro. They are 1-2 in the ACC, with a road win over Miami and home losses to ranked Georgia Tech and now Notre Dame (76-66: recap, box score, highlights, full replay).
Coach Banghart had to deal with a few personnel changes in the offseason. Gone are last season's leading scorer Deja Kelly (transferred to Oregon) and rotation players Paulina Paris (to Arizona), Anya Poole (to Clemson), Teonni Key (to Kentucky), and Alexandra Zelaya (to UNC Wilmington). Here's a quick look at the current Tar Heels roster, which added 2 incoming transfers, 3 freshmen, and 2 redshirt freshmen:
PROBABLE STARTERS
6-3 senior post Maria Gakdeng #5 (11.8 pts, 6.6 reb, 0.6 ast, 1.1 blk)
6-1 grad wing Alyssa Ustby #1 (11.4 pts, 9.3 reb, 3.6 ast, 1.4 stl)
6-0 grad guard Lexi Donarski #20 (9.5 pts, 1.9 reb, 1.7 ast, 1.1 stl)
5-10 junior guard Indya Nivar #24 (8.6 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.0 stl)
5-7 sophomore guard Reniya Kelly #10 (8.5 pts, 1.8 reb, 2.2 ast, 1.0 stl)
TOP RESERVES
5-8 junior guard Trayanna Crisp #14 (7.1 pts, 1.9 reb, 1.6 ast)
5-9 freshman guard Lanie Grant #0 (6.1 pts, 1.7 reb, 1.1 ast)
6-4 redshirt freshman forward Ciera Toomey #21 (5.3 pts, 3.0 reb, 0.6 ast)
5-5 grad guard Grace Townsend #2 (3.7 pts, 1.8 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.0 stl)
6-1 redshirt freshman guard Laila Hull #4 (4.6 pts, 2.5 reb, 0.4 ast)
6-5 freshman center Blanca Thomas #34 (3.5 pts, 5.3 reb, 0.7 ast, 1.0 blk)
BENCH PLAYERS
5-11 freshman guard Jordan Zubich #3 (1.8 pts, 0.4 reb, 0.4 ast)
5-7 sophomore guard Sydney Barker #15 (1.4 pts, 0.4 reb, 0.2 ast)
5-8 redshirt junior guard Kayla McPherson #11
Maria Gakdeng makes 72.7 percent of her field goals (all two-pointers), far outpacing the rest of the ACC -- Georgia Tech's Kara Dunn is second inside the arc, with 63.7 percent. Alyssa Ustby was among the ten players named to the preseason All-ACC Team. Lexi Donarski is probably the team's best outside threat, connecting on 37.4 percent of her threes -- fellow guards Reniya Kelly, Lanie Grant, and Laila Hull each shoot a bit better, but at much lower volumes.
Bart Torvik, who seems to like Carolina more than the polls and the NET, predicts a close game that will end with them winning 68-64. Here's how the rivals compare, based on stats from Sports Reference and other linked sources. Note that the Heels don't commit many turnovers or personal fouls; speaking of fouls, the box score could have some very ugly free throw numbers for both teams.
| Category | UNC (13-3, 1-2 ACC) | Duke (12-3, 3-0 ACC) |
| Points Scored | 74.4 (62nd nationally) | 80.3 (28th) |
| Points Allowed | 54.1 (15th) | 62.0 (153rd) |
| Scoring Margin (NCAA.com) | 20.3 (32nd) | 18.3 (37th) |
| Bench Points (NCAA.com) | 27.2 (40th) | 34.4 (8th) |
| Total Rebounds | 39.5 (91st) | 40.3 (63rd) |
| --- Offensive Rebounds | 12.3 (147th) | 14.8 (32nd) |
| --- Defensive Rebounds | 27.2 (79th) | 25.5 (157th) |
| Assists | 15.9 (65th) | 18.1 (21st) |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio (NCAA.com) | 1.41 (12th) | 1.12 (47th) |
| Steals | 9.1 (125th) | 11.2 (36th) |
| Blocks | 4.6 (39th) | 4.5 (41st) |
| Turnovers | 11.3 (7th fewest) | 16.1 (147th fewest) |
| Personal Fouls | 14.7 (51st fewest) | 17.5 (219th fewest) |
| Field Goal Percentage | 43.4% (101st) | 48.0% (16th) |
| 2-Point FG Percentage | 49.8% (87th) | 51.8% (45th) |
| 3-Point FG Percentage | 33.8% (92nd) | 37.5% (18th) |
| Free Throw Percentage | 65.1% (305th) | 64.9% (311th) |
| NET Ranking (NCAA.com) | #15 | #10 |
| --- Strength of Schedule | 20th | 7th |
| --- Quad 1 record | 1-3 | 3-2 |
| --- Quad 2 record | 4-0 | 2-1 |
| --- Quad 3 record | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| --- Quad 4 record | 7-0 | 4-0 |
| T-Rank (Bart Torvik) | #8 (T-Page) | #11 (T-Page) |
Phredd3
Member
One thing the table mostly overlooks, but is actually uNC's most important attribute, is their defense. Torvik rates them as the fourth-best defense in the entire country (Duke is 15th, even after Sunday's game). Fans may recall the slugfests from two years ago, with scores in the 40s, but last year was only a little better, when the losing team had right around 60 points, and the winner had less than 70, with the uNC lineup mostly the same now as it was then. We are going to have to match their defensive grit and fire.
We are also especially going to need to take care of the ball. They force a lot of turnovers, and they don't give up many in return. They are seventh lowest in the country at offensive turnover rate, and 3rd in the country at preventing opposition steals. They steal the ball roughly twice as often as they allow it to be stolen from them. If we don't value the basketball in this game, we are going to lose.
brevity
Member
I missed a key bit of information: Oklahoma also lost to #5 Texas last week. Now it makes more sense. Never mind, and carry on.
It's ok, Ohio State has played an incredibly weak schedule. It's actually weaker than LSU's, if you can believe that. They beat Illinois at home a month ago when they were ranked #21 (and looking at their schedule, I have no idea why they were ranked...they're in the B1G I guess), but now Illinois is receiving 0 votes. And they have not played anyone else who is receiving any votes.
DoubleBlue
Member
I'm glad to see Deja Kelly gone, but Ustby is back for her fifth season and she always has her best game against Duke.
Phredd3
Member
Ustby is a great player, but I'm wondering if she'll have a tough game this time around against Donovan and Woody. Jadyn Donovan is an improved close-in defender this year, and Jordan Wood has proven to be surprisingly tough on that end, particularly with her length. Ustby is crafty, and a smart passer, so she's still a threat, of course, but we've got weapons, too.
The ACC Digital Network replayed last year’s cheater game in Cameron. Delaney Thomas was the primary defender on Utsby. Sometime in the second quarter, Utsby shoved Delaney. Delaney looked at the refs, and they basically said “deal with it.” Soon after, Delaney definitely dealt with it. I remember seeing that live. Quiet, but isn’t going to put up with that crap.
I swear when I saw Ustby play for the first time like three years ago she was a senior
Very Bacot-esque in her tenure. (But I like her game more)
I do miss Jim Sumner around here.
Phredd3
Member
I doubt this will be the case tomorrow night. Last year, we had the luxury of playing Delaney against Ustby because we had Ken/Cam to take on Gakdeng. This year, it is more likely Delaney/Toby who take Gakdeng while Jadyn/Woody try to deal with Ustby. Either way, I have every expectation that Ustby will be very physical in her play on both ends. I hope Wood, in particular, is ready to do some pushing back. One thing about Woody is that she'll be a tough matchup for one of Ustby or Gakdeng going the other way. It's going to be an interesting battle to watch.
It's been 2 months since #8 Maryland survived Duke at home and they're still undefeated. They've recently beaten #19 Michigan State and #23 Iowa. We'll really see how good they are tonight hosting #4 USC.
Same with undefeated #9 Ohio State (only 1 ranked opponent, at home), who visit #25 Michigan.
Same tomorrow night with #6 LSU (also only 1 ranked opponent, at home) visiting #16 Tennessee. Their only real challenge has been Kim Mulkey's wardrobe. Of course the big game of the night is in Chapel Hill.
Things are heating up.
Same with undefeated #9 Ohio State (only 1 ranked opponent, at home), who visit #25 Michigan.
Same tomorrow night with #6 LSU (also only 1 ranked opponent, at home) visiting #16 Tennessee. Their only real challenge has been Kim Mulkey's wardrobe. Of course the big game of the night is in Chapel Hill.
Things are heating up.
brevity
Member
I know this can be a stats-driven crowd, but I'm just going to say it: Kim Mulkey's fashion style does not pass the eye test.
I've heard of a hoop skirt, but a hoop sweatshirt? With an actual net attached? I can imagine the preceding LSU practice...
Player: "Why'd you take down the hoops, coach? Are we bouncing the ball off the backboards to work on rebounds today?"
Coach Mulkey: "No, I had sartorial needs."
Warren Zevon doesn't want to meet her tailor.
Norman Pfyster
Member
Actually wearing a hoop skirt. I'm sorry, but that's really funny. I have to give her props, since she clearly is in on the joke.