North Carolina Tar Heels
ACC (28-6, 14-4)
North Carolina has had an up and down season. The team as a whole has been inconsistent, but that did not stop the Tar Heels from competing in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference. On the way, Coach Sylvia Hatchell tallied her 900th career victory and UNC beat some quality teams like Georgetown, Maryland and Florida State.
Big Wins: 1/3 Maryland (60-57), 1/27 at Miami (64-62), 1/31 Florida State (72-62)
Bad Losses: 12/2 at Tennessee (57-102), 1/24 at Maryland (59-85), 2/3 Duke (63-84)
Coach: Sylvia Hatchell
Why They Can Surprise:
This may not be a North Carolina squad destined for the Final Four, but the Tar Heels can make a deep run thanks to their defense. Guards Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Xylina McDaniel and Krista Gross all average at least two steals per game. The team as a whole ranks second in the nation with 13.7 steals per contest. When the opposition does get into the paint, they have to worry about 6-6 center Waltiea Rolle. Rolle is a big time shot blocker and has emerged as a very effective scorer as well. That has opened up the offense for the shooters, but reserve guard Megan Buckland is the only player on the team who has consistently taken advantage of open looks from beyond the arc.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The shooting may not be all that impressive, but the bigger problem is turnovers. The team can play great defense, but great defense does not do any good when the other team is streaking down the floor for an easy bucket after a bad pass. The Tar Heels are among the worst teams in the nation when it comes to committing turnovers. The good news is that the team more than balances out the turnover margin on the defensive end, but the Tar Heels will need all the extra possessions they can get if they want to make a serious run at the Final Four. Ruffin-Pratt is an experienced senior who is going to commit turnovers because of North Carolina’s style of play, but she, and the rest of the team, must keep the unforced errors to a minimum.
Probable Starters:
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Senior, Guard, 15.4 ppg, 4.4 apg, 2.6 spg
Brittany Rountree, Sophomore, Guard, 7.2 ppg, 1.7 apg
Krista Gross, Senior, Guard, 6.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.1 spg
Xylina McDaniel, Freshman, Forward, 11.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.2 spg
Waltiea Rolle, Senior, Center, 11.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Megan Buckland, Freshman, Guard, 5.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Danielle Butts, Sophomore, Guard, 4.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Latifah Coleman, Sophomore, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 1.6 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.2 (46th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 58.7 (105, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 40.2 (109, 7)
Field-Goal Defense: 35.4 (33, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.2 (234, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 28.9 (201, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 62.8 (314, 12)
Rebound Margin: 3.1 (94, 6)
Assists Per Game: 13.8 (91, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 20.7 (323, 12)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Fresno State
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Kentucky
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Stanford
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Gonzaga
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Central Florida
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Purdue
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Bucknell
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgia
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Louisville
2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to LSU
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Prairie View
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Notre Dame
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over George Washington
2007 NCAA Regional Final win over Purdue
2007 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Tennessee
*all team stats through 3/7
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
