UNC-Pitt ACC basketball rematch game preview, info and more

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The North Carolina Tar Heels, 1-4 in their last five games and currently on a 2-game losing streak, are in desperate need of a victory to keep their basketball season alive.

UNC (13-10, 6-5 ACC) hasn’t played since getting blown out at Duke on February 1 – and won’t play again until Saturday. That week between games, though, could be exactly the hard reset North Carolina needs to reach its full potential.

The Tar Heels play their first rematch of the season on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 4 p.m., welcoming Pitt to the Dean Dome. UNC led the Panthers (14-8, 5-6) by four late in Pittsburgh, then failed to score in the final three minutes, leading to a Pitt comeback win.

When North Carolina tried to cut into the Panthers’ deficit, players were met at the rim by Pitt big man Zack Austin, who led everyone with a game-high five blocks. The Tar Heels’ defense wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either, allowing four Panthers to score in double digits.

UNC looked even worse at rival Duke on Feb. 1, never leading and getting dominated by a younger, more explosive Blue Devils squad. You could argue that was North Carolina’s worst game of the season.

Nevertheless, the Tar Heels enter Saturday with fresh legs and what we hope is plenty of practice time. Will head coach Hubert Davis switch up lineups again? Can UNC finally learn how to shoot the 3-ball consistently? Will defense play up to its standard again, or look like swiss cheese?

Key to victory for UNC

North Carolina likes to generate a majority of its offense from driving the lane: an effective formula, but not when teams know it’s coming.

When the Tar Heels played Pitt on the road in January, they had nine shots blocked. The Panthers have five players 6’10” or taller, led by 7-footer Guillermo Diaz Graham.

Regardless of whether Elliot Cadeau, RJ Davis, Seth Trimble or Ian Jackson drive the lane for UNC Saturday, they need to be aware of rim protection. If a layup isn’t there, kick it back out to the perimeter. Try and draw a foul. Don’t…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/unc-pitt-acc-basketball-rematch-153025146.html

Author : Tar Heels Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-07 15:30:00

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