It appears as though Jeff Capel and Pitt basketball might be catching a huge break.
The North Carolina Tar Heels basketball program announced today that star freshman point guard Cole Anthony would be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to repair a partially torn meniscus in his right knee.
If that timeline is accurate, Pitt would likely take on North Carolina without their star player since their two games are on January 8 at North Carolina and then January 18 at the Petersen Events Center.
“Obviously not having a player of Cole’s caliber will be a tremendous challenge to our young team, but we have to play,” said head coach Roy Williams in a press release. “No one player is going to replace the production Cole Anthony gives us, so it’s up to everyone who puts on a North Carolina jersey to raise his game and help our team player better.”
Anthony is without a doubt not only North Carolina’s best player but one of the top players in college basketball. This season, he’s averaging a team-leading 19.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds and is shooting 35.5% from 3-point range.
Williams’ team is struggling right now as they currently have a record of 6-4 and have lost three straight games. They were embarrassed in Chapel Hill by Ohio State losing 74-49. They followed that up by losing to Virginia (56-47) and most recently to Wofford at home, 68-64. That losing streak could very well grow to four as tomorrow night as they go on the road to face No. 2 Gonzaga.
In Anthony’s absence, head coach Roy Williams has attempted to replace him with freshman Jeremiah Francis and walk-on K.J. Smith.
