WASHINGTON – They’re the darlings in Carolina blue with enough hardware to have a trophy room rather than a few trophy cases.
The No. 1 seed. The second-winningest team in ACC Tournament history with 18 titles. A projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are a formidable opponent standing in the way of Pitt and a trip to the NCAA Tournament for a second-consecutive season. Ranked No. 4 in the latest AP Poll, UNC earned the top seed in the conference tourney following a 17-3 record and 26-6 overall mark. The Tar Heels have won seven in a row.
North Carolina dominated Florida State 92-67 in the first of four quarterfinal games at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The Tar Heels road ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis to victory, plus depended on their physical presence and characteristically strong rebounding ability.
Davis scored a game-high 18 in the win. All-ACC Second Team member and UNC double-double record holder Armando Bacot recorded another on Thursday with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cormac Ryan added 14, while Seth Trimble posted 12 off the bench.
In his third season, Hubert Davis has already won a Final Four game against Duke, went to the National Championship Game, and won an ACC regular season crown. He added ACC Coach of the Year to his resume this week. Davis also guided Carolina to one of its worst seasons in years a season ago. That created a mass exodus of players entering the transfer portal, with Davis, Bacot, and Trimble left to pick up the pieces.
UNC ranks No. 7 in the NET and is 8-3 in Quad 1 games. The Heels finished 14-1 at home and 8-2 on the road, but 3-3 in neutral site games. Davis’ team scores 82 points per game and only allows an average of 70.
No. 4 seed Pitt (22-10, 12-8 ACC regular season) took down No. 5 Wake Forest 81-69 in the ACC quarterfinals after receiving a double bye in the final week of the season. It was partly due to the Demon Deacons’ collapse, but also due to Pitt’s spectacular play down the stretch.
Pitt led by as much as 19 (55-36) in the second half before the deficit was cut to three. Ish Leggett’s game-highs in points (30), offensive rebounds (four), and steals (five) sealed the deal on clinching a spot in the semis. The Panthers are 12-3 since Jan. 20.
UNC looks like a blue blood again. The Heels are certainly playing like it. Ryan scored 31 points at Duke, which was the best performance by a North Carolina player since his own coach scored 34 inside Cameron Indoor Stadium 32 years ago. Transfers Ryan (Notre Dame), All-ACC Third Teamer Harrison Ingram (Stanford), and Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville), along with freshman Elliot Cadeau improved play from Jalen Washington, has made UNC a powerhouse again. Davis was a near-unanimous selection for Player of the Year, for good reason.
The Heels are also not unbeatable.
Pitt has owned North Carolina since the 2019-20 season. The Panthers have won five of their last seven against UNC, including two wins in a row in Chapel Hill. The Heels did beat Pitt this season, 70-57, at the Petersen Events Center at the turn of the new year.
North Carolina was riding high into the ACC Tournament after sweeping Duke and showed no signs of a letdown from the opening tip against Florida State. The Tar Heels rebound and defend well, like to push the tempo, kick to shooters for three, and depend on their veterans, everything goes through Davis and Bacot.
The most intriguing matchup has to be who guards Bacot. A combination of Fede Federiko and Guillermo Diaz Graham makes the most logical sense but double-team help from Zack Austin and Blake Hinson is a likely result.
The winner goes to the ACC Championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The stakes are much higher for Pitt. A win should solidify a spot in the NCAA Tournament. A loss makes the waters murkier. North Carolina stands in the way of postseason basketball on the biggest stage next week.
Should be a good game. The loss in January was a long time ago and we are playing much better. They probably are a little better as well but probably haven’t “improved” tremendously from the start of the season. I expect we give them a run and, may the best team win. H2P !
“Partly due to the Demon Deacons collapse”, are you kidding, the Pitt “D” smothered WF”s
Offense!
Hope Pitt shoots well tonight. Tar Heels are gonna crush Panthers on the boards.
Heels by 9
I want to be wrong:
UNC-88, Pitt-74
I’m afraid that UNC is looking to make a statement to get the #1 seed.
Statement made.