Another member of North Carolina’s highly rated freshman class won’t be suiting up when Pitt plays the Tar Heels twice later this month.
North Carolina announced on Friday that freshman guard Anthony Harris will miss the rest of the 2019-20 season after suffering an ACL tear.
Harris, a 6-foot-3 guard, was a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 10 combo guard in the country in the Class of 2019 out of Paul VI Catholic in Virginia. He was injured in North Carolina’s win over Yale on Monday.
“This is one of the most heartbreaking injuries one of my teams has ever dealt with,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said in a press release. “Anthony is such a great kid and his teammates and coaches have all seen the countless hours he put in to come back from the knee injury he suffered in high school. The impact on our locker room after the Yale game was devastating.
“Everyone associated with our program hurts for Anthony and his family. But we will rally around him and support him every step of the way. I know he will work unbelievably hard to get back on the floor.”
Cole Anthony, the No. 1 combo guard and No. 4 overall freshman. is also expected to miss Pitt’s to UNC to Jan. 8. He had surgery in mid-December and was expected to miss four to six weeks, though he did dress for practice earlier this week. Anthony could return when UNC makes its trip to Pittsburgh on Jan. 18.
Carolina coach Roy Williams has leaned on his frontcourt, where five-star freshman Armando Bacot and junior Garrison Brooks have done the heavy lifting.
But the 2019-20 season has already been a struggle for UNC, even before the announcement of Harris’ injury. The Tar Heels lost five straight games in December and turn the page on the new year with an 8-5 record, out of the AP Top 25 and rated as the No. 45 team in the country, according to KenPom.com
UNC is 1-1 in ACC play with a win over Notre Dame to open the season and a loss to Virginia on Dec. 8. They’ll host Georgia Tech on Saturday before the Panthers visit next Wednesday. Pitt will play Wake Forest at Petersen Events Center on Saturday at noon.
