Pitt Faces North Carolina in Must-Win Road Game

The Pitt Panthers are in a rough spot after losing two straight contests.

Feb 1, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The PittPanthers face a likely do-or-die opportunity after suffering back-to-back losses to Wake Forest on the road and Virginia at home.

The 16-point loss to the Cavaliers was so bad that head coach Jeff Capel issued an apology after the game.

No matter, Pitt has an opportunity to atone for the poor performances by traveling to North Carolina and leaving with a win, who they face on Feb. 8.

The Panthers took down the Tar Heels just back on Jan. 28 73-65 at home behind a masterpiece by redshirt senior forward Zach Austin, who recorded a season-high five blocks and 15 points.

Beating North Carolina gave the illusion that Pitt was headed in the right direction, as they made it two straight after a four game losing streak.

But then, the Panthers dropped contests to the Demon Deacons and the Cavaliers and are back right where they were when they lost four straight — just outside the NCAA Tournament.

Preview: Pitt vs North Carolina

Pitt and Austin's heroics are surely fresh in North Carolina's minds since their loss last week. They have only faced their hated rival in No. 2 Dukeon the road, back on Feb. 1 where they lost 87-70.

Fourth-year head coach Hubert Davis leads the Tar Heels. After losing to the Panthers and the Blue Devils, Davis and his Tar Heels are in a similar spot to the Panthers — outside the field of 68 to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina reached the 2023 National Championship as a No. 8 seed in Davis's first season but fell to Kansas 72-69.

UNC came in ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll the following season, but failed even to receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. They came into this campaign ranked No. 9, but fell out of the poll completely by Week 6.

Davis won at least 20 games in his first three seasons and looks to keep the streak alive. But it's one game at time, and the Tar Heels next game is hosting the Panthers.

Getting back on track to the tournament likely relies on the play of another Davis. Graduate student guard RJ Davis, one of the most decorated players in college basketball, leads the Tar Heels.

Davis has started every game but one over the last four seasons and is among the top five in points per game in program history. He was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award last season and is averaging 17.3 points in his 34.8 minutes per game this campaign.

He is an excellent 3-point shooter but he has shot poorly this season, just 30.8% on 6.8 attempts per game, after making 39.5% of his attempts from deep last season. In the last matchup against the Panthers, Davis scored just under his season average with 16 points including three three-pointers.

Assisting Davis on the offensive end is first-year guard Ian Jackson, who averages 14.4 points in his 27.3 minutes per game.

Jackson's role and importance to the Tar Heels offense has increased as the season has progressed. He came in as a consensus top-10 player in the country in the Class of 2024 and has immediately thrived with the Tar Heels.

Standing at six-foot-four, Jackson can score at all three levels and is an excellent 3-point shooter. Jackson's 37.6% efficiency from deep on 4.6 attempts per game leads all players with more than two attempts.

The Panthers held Jackson to nine points on 10 shots last week, but on his home court, Jackson could easily explode for a bigger scoring night.

North Carolina's backcourt has another young star in sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau, a consensus five-star prospect in the Class of 2023

Cadeau has excelled as a passer at the collegiate level. Teams often dare Cadeau to shoot and his confidence in attempting those open looks has rarely wavered.

Capel admitted following the win the Panthers' strategy was to let Cadeau take some open looks if it meant guarding other players better, and Cadeau immediately punished the strategy by making a three-pointer early in the contest.

With Davis making some tough shots as well, the Panthers adjusted their defensive scheme in the second half to switch on every ball screen.

Cadeau averages 10.6 points in his 29.3 minutes per game and leads the Tar Heels with six assists per game.

Junior guard Seth Trimble leads the Tar Heels with 5.4 rebounds per game and is the team's third-leading scorer with 12.2 points per game.

Standing at six-foot-three, Trimble is mostly an inside scorer who likes to take jump shots around the rim. He's scored double digits in North Carolina's last three games including 18 points in an overtime win over Boston College. However, Trimble's efficency hasn't been great over the Tar Heels' two game road trip. Maybe a return to home will show an improvement in Trimble's shot making.

The Panthers held the Tar Heels to 29.2% from deep in their last contest and forced 14 turnovers while only turning the ball over six times themselves. Considering Capel admitted to discovering a solid defensive strategy in the second half of that win, a repeat performance could be on the table for Saturday.

Although early and very late game struggles have plagued the Panthers in almost all of their losses, they aren't without hope. Junior forward Jorge Diaz Graham says the Panthers just, "need to get better shots."

In many ways, he's right. Better shot selection and trusting in others could take the Panthers far. But a bird's-eye view on the Panthers season and where they could go hasn't got them anywhere. For now, Pitt needs to take it one game at a time and try and beat the Tar Heels for the second time in under two weeks.

How to Watch: Pitt vs North Carolina

Pitt travels to North Carolina at 4 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the Dean E. Smith Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

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