UNC's Courtney Banghart Sings Praises For McDonald's All-American

Courtney Banghart, entering her seventh year as UNC's head coach, has high praise for the McDonald's All-American.

Mar 27, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; UNC Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart talks with the media before her team works out during practice day at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Nyla Brooks will have the opportunity to possibly be one of the leading scorers as a freshman under Courtney Banghart. Alyssa Utsby (10.9 points), Maria Gakdeng (10.8), and Lext Donarski (10.7) are all out of Chapel Hill now, so the scoring will be distributed elsewhere and maybe by more than three players.

Brooks has the tools, both in terms of mentality and physically, to push her over the top against the competition. Plus, she can shoot the ball well and can be effective on defense. As a whole, UNC shot 33.8% from behind the three-point line and only made 66.9% of its free throw attempts.

North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart gives direction to her team against N.C. State late in the fourth quarter. The N.C. State Wolfpack and the North Carolina Tar Heels met in a regular-season game in Raleigh, N.C., on Feb. 1, 2024. | Steven Worthy / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Everyday Nyla Brooks walks into the gym, hugs me, and says, 'Coach, I have two goals: to get better and to learn.' And she's doing both. She's gifted. She's able to get to her spot, she's tough. I'm trying to be patient so I don't give away all the things that I love about her ... she is such a bright spot.

Obviously, you probably saw her in the Jordan Brand game and the McDonald's game, she's every bit as good as a McDonald's All-American should be. She's handling this process even better than most do because she's patient. She understands her job right now is to learn. She has not taken that process too seriously.

A couple of days ago she struggled, and that's the first time I've seen her struggle, and I told her after that I was really happy to see it. Because I was like, 'I'm starting to get a little worried you're not having a lot of struggle. She laughed and she was like, 'Oh, boy, that was left, right, and all around. She just wants to get better. She has great length, great athleticism, elite defensively, and can really get to her spots. She's shooting the heck out of it too. She adds a lot to our team."

Mar 22, 2024; Columbia, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart directs her team against the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Brooks has the makings to become a memorable player by the time her career in Chapel Hill is said and done, but the challenges of being a new collegiate athlete can be unexpected at times and may alter the way she performs. However, it seems that she has a good head on her shoulders to combat whatever is on its way.

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