College Basketball

UNC Basketball: Panthers vs. Tar Heels game preview

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:17 a.m. ET

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The North Carolina Tar Heels have won 13 straight games at home dating back to last season. Can they make it 14 against Pittsburgh? What do the Panthers bring to the table?

Apparently the Tar Heels did not get the memo that there was a game in Miami on Saturday.

After an early 11-2 start, the Tar Heels stopped making baskets as they watched Miami go on a 33-7 run to put the game away by halftime.

The Tar Heels will look to get back on track as they return home to face Pittsburgh on Tuesday. What does Carolina need to know about the Panthers?

Jan 28, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Jamel Artis (1) dribbles to the basket against the Clemson Tigers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Panthers

Head Coach: Kevin Stallings. Career record: 461-284. This is Stallings’ first year in Pittsburgh and his third head coaching stop. He has been to the NCAA tournament nine times, making the Sweet 16 twice. Stallings’ son, Jacob, played baseball at UNC and is now a catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Last Season: Last season, Pittsburgh went 21-12. They went 9-9 in the ACC and finished eighth in the conference. They went 1-1 in the ACC tournament, losing to North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Their season ended in an underwhelming 47-43 loss to Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Their head coach, Jamie Dixon, then left the team to go to TCU.

Best Former Player: Sean Miller. After playing at Pittsburgh, Miller started coaching. After 12 seasons as an assistant coach, Miller became head coach at Xavier before moving on to Arizona. In his 12 seasons as a head coach he has won 328 games and been to the NCAA tournament nine times including six Sweet Sixteen appearances and four trips to the Elite 8.

This Season: This season Pittsburgh is 12-9. They started the year off by going 11-2 in non-conference play with a big win at Maryland. After a one-point loss to Notre Dame and a home victory over Virginia, Pittsburgh seemed to be in good shape. However, six straight losses later the Panthers find themselves at the bottom of the ACC and NIT bound at best.

Jan 28, 2017; Coral Gables, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Nate Britt (0) dribbles the ball against Miami Hurricanes guard Bruce Brown (11) during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Key Players

Pittsburgh: F James Artis and F Michael Young

I have listed these two in tandem for the entire season. So there is no reason to stop now. Artis and Young are combining to average 41 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists per game. They are one of the highest scoring duos in the country. A big game by either and Pitt can stay close. A big game by both and UNC could be in trouble.

North Carolina: G Nate Britt

Some people would probably have me tied and quartered for listing Britt as a key player. Jackson had a great game against Miami, but I mentioned him in the Miami preview. So in an attempt to keep things fresh, I went with the next most productive player, and that was Britt.

Nate Britt finished with 10 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 21 minutes of play. The 10 points were one most than he has scored in his past four games combined. Britt also went 2-3 from behind the arc.

Getting Britt’s confidence up will be good for the Tar Heels as the season progresses. In a game like the one against Miami, any positive takeaways should be seen as a bonus. If Carolina can get this kind of production from Britt when they are actually performing well, they will be that much tougher to beat.

Jan 28, 2017; Coral Gables, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Davon Reed (5) is fouled by North Carolina Tar Heels guard Brandon Robinson (14) during the second half at Watsco Center. Miami won 77-62. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Freshman Spotlight

Pittsburgh: G Justice Kithcart

In his last game against Clemson, Kithcart recorded only a personal foul and nothing else in eight minutes of play. Seriously, he did nothing else. He didn’t even take a shot.

Kithcart gets mentioned here for two reasons. First, he has been Pitt’s most productive freshman (that’s not saying much).

Secondly, he is a 6-foot-1 guard from Durham, North Carolina. Players from North Carolina have had good games against UNC. It is possible that this is Justice Kithcart’s breakout game.

North Carolina: G Brandon Robinson

Robinson got some extended minutes against Miami. Part of that was due to Theo Pinson’s injury. The rest was due to the nature of the game. In 12 minutes, the freshman forward finished with five points and a rebound. Robinson will probably be valuable to Carolina one day. However, this season UNC would be best served if he did more with less, assuming they are fully healthy.

Jan 28, 2017; Coral Gables, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) applies pressure to Miami Hurricanes guard Ja’Quan Newton (0) during the second half at Watsco Center. Miami won 77-62. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Three Questions

Can the Tar Heels win without Theo Pinson?

If the Miami game was any indication then the answer to this question is an emphatic “No”. With no word yet regarding his status, the Tar Heels may be in for another tight match-up.

Luckily, two things are working for them. One, they are at home where Carolina has been exponentially better than they have been on the road. Two, they are playing more than 39 hours after their last game ended.

Can Pittsburgh bring their A-game?

In most of Carolina’s losses, there are a few key components. One is good three-point shooting for their opponent. The other is strong rebounding. Pittsburgh does neither well.

Pittsburgh ranks in the middle of the ACC in both rebounding and three-point percentage, despite shooting the third most threes in the league. If Artis or Young get hot, the Panthers have a chance. Otherwise, it could be a long day for Pittsburgh.

Can Carolina’s starting back court improve on their Miami performance?

A lot of things went wrong against Miami and one of those was the production of the UNC back court. Joel Berry II and Kenny Williams combined to go 1-16 from the field with the one made basket coming from Williams with 22 seconds left in a game that had long been decided.

Additionally, the two went 0-for-9 from three-point range with no shot looking even close to going into the basket. Williams having a bad game is usually not kryptonite for the Tar Heels, but Berry having one is.

Carolina needs a strong performance from its back court to stretch defenses and open up boards and post scoring. If UNC keeps getting production like it did in the Miami game, it will be a long conference season.

Prediction

Pittsburgh has been one of the biggest disappointments in the ACC this season (Duke might be No. 1 on that list). Despite a win against Virginia, Pitt has not been able to secure another win and has been blown out twice at home. This game is on the road, but they haven’t been amazing their either.

Final Score: 93-77 UNC over Pittsburgh. North Carolina has been exceptionally better at home this season, with or without Pinson. They get it going early and run away from the Panthers to win their 14th straight game at home.

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