Ever since Courtney Banghart took over as head coach, the UNC women’s basketball team is, once again, developing a strong reputation as an ACC dark horse.
North Carolina just played in its second-consecutive Sweet 16, beating Western Illinois and Maryland en route. The Tar Heels gave eventual national runner-up UConn a good fight, trailing by just eight at halftime, but a rough third quarter proved too much to overcome.
Advertisement
UNC schedules tough competition before even getting into ACC play, such as its December 2 clash with LSU this coming season. On Monday, the Tar Heels and Tigers just learned their tip-off time and TV channel for that non-conference showdown: 7:15 p.m. on ESPN2.
LSU is one of the best programs in women’s college basketball, with Kim Mulkey leading her players to the 2023 National Championship. Since then, the Tigers have two Elite Eight appearances, plus a Sweet 16 run this past March.
North Carolina beats great competition, like Maryland in its own NCAA Tournament run during March, but Sweet 16 is the ceiling. UNC has the talent and coaching to go deeper, but still trying to get over that hump.
Advertisement
The 2026-27 Tar Heels will have top overall recruit Kate Harpring joining their roster, plus an experienced post transfer in Achol Akot. North Carolina returns the likes of Nyla Brooks and Cierra Toomey, plus several others looking to make an impact again.
If UNC wants to truly take that next step towards becoming an ACC contender, beating LSU on Dec. 2 is a great place to start.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC WBB announces broadcast info for December’s ACC-SEC Challenge game
