North Carolina Hopes To Avoid A Fourth Straight Loss As They Host Pittsburgh
North Carolina hasn't had a great stretch as of late in the Atlantic Coast Conference as they've lost three straight games and will look to avoid a fourth straight loss as they host Pittsburgh Saturday night who is last in the league standings.
Carolina has lost three in a row for the first time since 2014 (losses at Wake Forest, to Miami and at Syracuse).
• UNC has not lost four in a row since Jan.-Feb. 2010, the only four-game losing streak in the Roy Williams era.
• Carolina is 10th in the NCAA's RPI. UNC's Carolina's opponents have an average RPI of 80, which is the second-highest in the country, and its strength of schedule is ranked the second-most difficult in the nation.
• Carolina is 13th in KenPom's overall rankings – including 17th in offensive efficiency and 29th in defensive efficiency. The Tar Heels have fallen from 14th to 29th in defensive efficiency over the last three games.
• Carolina's first 23 opponents average the fourth-best defensive efficiency and the fourth-best offensive efficiency in the nation.
Tennessee is the only other team in the country whose opponents rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
• Carolina has four wins over teams ranked this week in the AP top 25 (over No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 20 Clemson and No. 24 Michigan). Two of UNC's seven losses have come against current top-five teams (No. Virginia and No. 5 Michigan State).
UNC-PITT SERIES
• Carolina is 12-3 vs. Pitt, including 5-2 since the Panthers joined the ACC.
• UNC is 6-0 against Pitt in Chapel Hill; five of those games have been played in the Smith Center.
• The Tar Heels have won four in a row.
• Roy Williams is 6-2 against Pitt (1-0 at Kansas and 5-2 as UNC's head coach).
• Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings was an assistant coach for five seasons under Roy Williams at Kansas (1989-94), helping the Jayhawks reach the 1991 and 1993 Final Fours.
• This is the fourth meeting as head coaches between Williams and Stallings. Williams is 2-1 (the loss came into 2010-11 when Stallings was head coach at Vanderbilt).
• This is the 18th game Roy Williams has coached against one of his former assistant coaches. Williams is 14-3 in the previous 17 games. Earlier this season, Carolina won at Stanford, which is coached by Jerod Hasse who played for Williams at Kansas and was on his staff both at Kansas and UNC.
• Justin Jackson , Joel Berry II and Isaiah Hicks combined for 57 points in the 80-78 win over Pitt in the Smith Center last season.
• Cameron Johnson tied his then-career high with 24 points and made six three-pointers for the Panthers in the Smith Center.
• Carolina out-rebounded the Panthers, 48-28, grabbed 24 offensive rebounds and scored 28 second-chance points in an 85-67 win at Pitt last season. Jackson led UNC with 23, Berry scored 19 and Theo Pinson handed out a game-high seven assists. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/2/2/mens-basketball-tar-heels-host-pitt-saturday-night.aspx
North Carolina comes into their game with Pittsburgh with a record of 16-7 while they're 5-5 in the Atlantic Conference. "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/conferences/standings/_/id/2/acc-conference haven lost their last game on the road at Clemson.
Marcquise Reed had 20 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer after No. 20 Clemson blew a 16-point lead, and the Tigers ended a 10-game losing streak to North Carolina with an 82-78 victory over the 19th-ranked Tar Heels."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
The Tigers (18-4, 7-3) were up 44-28 at the half and looked like they would cruise to their first win over the Tar Heels (16-7, 5-5) since January 2010. Instead, Cameron Johnson and Joel Berry II rallied UNC back, with Berry's jumper tying it at 74 with 2:03 to play."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
That's when Reed struck with his 3 from the left side to put Clemson ahead for good. Reed rebounded Johnson's miss moments later, and Elijah Thomas made an inside shot to go up 79-74."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
North Carolina has its first three-game losing streak since the 2013-14 season. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
Clemson fans rushed the court after the school's second win over North Carolina since March 2004."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
Gabe DeVoe had 17 points, including five of Clemson's season high 15 3-pointers."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
Johnson had a career-high 32 points while Berry had 27, 19 of those coming in the second half."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
The Tar Heels played almost all of the game without starting forward Theo Pinson, who strained his left shoulder when he crashed hard to the court going for a rebound."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
BIG PICTURE
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have a serious problem at the point brewing if Pinson needs time to recover from a left shoulder strain. North Carolina is already without an injured Seventh Woods and suspended Jalek Felton. Pinson was the lone experienced, reliable option to run things when Berry needs a breather. Woods has been sidelined since December with a foot injury. Pinson hurt himself early against Clemson when he took a hard foul trying to get a rebound. Andrew Platek, a freshman who's averaged eight minutes a game this season, played 11 minutes in the first half."according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
Clemson: The Tigers also needs ways to overcome their sudden lack of depth at forward. Starter Donte Grantham was lost for the season with a torn ACL against Notre Dame on Jan. 20. This past Sunday, Mark Donnal suffered a concussion and missed the contest with North Carolina. If Donnal's symptoms continue, Clemson must get production from freshmen Amir Simms and Malik William. "according to http://goheels.com/news/2018/1/30/mens-basketball-basketball-at-clemson.aspx?path=mbball
Pittsburgh meanwhile comes into their game with North Carolina with a record of 8-15 0-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and are coming off a loss at Miami on Wednesday.
Lonnie Walker IV scored 16 points Wednesday, and Miami regrouped after blowing a 13-point second-half lead to hand the Pittsburgh Panthers their school record-tying 10th consecutive loss, 69-57. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
Walker scored on three consecutive possessions during a 7-0 run by the Hurricanes immediately after Pittsburgh had scored 14 consecutive points to go up 44-43. Pitt never led again."according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
The Panthers (8-15, 0-10 Atlantic Coast Conference), off to their worst conference start ever, matched the longest losing streak in program history. Pitt also lost 10 in a row in 1968-69 and 1992-93. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
Pittsburgh has lost 14 consecutive ACC regular-season games since last season."according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
Miami (16-5, 5-4) won in its first game since losing guard Bruce Brown, who is expected to be sidelined for about six weeks with a left foot injury that will require surgery Thursday. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
In Brown's absence, freshman Chris Lykes played a season-high 33 minutes. He totaled 13 points and five assists. Anthony Lawrence added 10 points and 10 rebounds. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
Jared Wilson-Frame led Pitt with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, but was limited to 29 minutes because of foul trouble. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
The Hurricanes, who were 16-point favorites, led 43-30 but then went nearly six minutes without a point as the Panthers rallied. Their lead lasted only 63 seconds, and Miami rebuilt its advantage to 11 points with five minutes left. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
The Hurricanes scored on six consecutive possessions to go ahead 21-9, and that lead grew to 29-14. The margin was 34-25 at halftime. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
BIG PICTURE
The Hurricanes have won five in row against Pittsburgh, including both meetings this season. Miami improved to 8-1 at home this season. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
DISPARITY
Pitt attempted only three free throws, while Miami went 17 for 23. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2018/1/31/mens-basketball-pitt-drops-road-contest-at-miami.aspx
Tip-off is set for 8:00pm from the Dean E. Smith Center. The game will be televised on the ACC Network. "according to http://pittsburghpanthers.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball