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North Carolina (10-5, 5-3 ACC) vs Pittsburgh (8-3, 4-2 ACC)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Petersen Events Center
Tuesday, January 26, 7 p.m.
ACCN (Dave O’Brien, Cory Alexander)
Quotes
“I don’t see the growth because he kicked us the two times we played them last year. I thought he was pretty good last year, but he really plays at a very high level. – UNC Head Coach Roy Williams on Justin Champagnie de Pitt
“I think we’re going to wait until Wednesday and make a decision on what we’re going to do because I still think there is a possibility. We have an open date on Saturday, who knows if we could play another ACC team or what we do. And so we don’t make any plans publicly. – Williams on UNC opening date this weekend
Notes before the game
Two-digit delight: For the first time this season, five Tar Heels scored in double digits against NC State last Saturday. This led to an 86-76 win and bolstered Roy Williams’ ability to at least divide the season streak with the Wolfpack. Armando Bacot continued his efficiency at a low level with 17 points on 8 shots out of 12. Garrison Brooks faced fouls throughout the second half which opened the door for Day’Ron Sharpe, who collected 16 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Caleb Love (15), RJ Davis (10) and Anthony Harris (10) rounded out the double-digit scorers.
Spotlight on Pittsburgh: This team is difficult to understand. The Panthers opened the game for the ACC with a 15-point victory over Miami on the road followed by a 10-point loss to Louisville at home. Two weeks go by due to COVID-19 postponements and they claim a three-point victory over Syracuse on the road. Ten days go by due to more postponements and Jeff Capel’s strength in Syracuse by 20 at home and fighting Duke, 79-73. Then, while the UNC handled business against the Wolfpack, the Panthers laid an egg and lost to a then winless Wake Forest team. After leading 45-38 at halftime, Pitt scored 30 points in the second half and the Demon Deacons won by one. The Panthers rank 90th nationally for adjusted offensive efficiency (106.5) and 42nd for adjusted defensive efficiency (93.3), according to kenpom.com.
Champagnie in ACC POY Conversation: At this point in the season – the majority of teams are seven conference games away – second-year forward Justin Champagnie is the ACC’s best player, and it’s not particularly close. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing averages 19.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. These two stats lead the conference and he is the only player averaging a double-double. Plus, it does it effectively. Champagnie connects on 53.4% of his shots despite 35.3% shooting from beyond the arc. This field goal percentage is fifth in the ACC.
Defensive consistency: The win-lose record may be inconsistent in ACC play for Pitt, but it’s not because of his defense. He leads the conference in defensive efficiency in conference games alone, allowing 96.3 points per 100 possessions. He is third in effective field goal percentage holding the teams at 46.6%. Teams shoot 29 percent from three (2nd) and 49.2 percent from two (5th). The Panthers’ defense for the entire season is 42nd nationally (93.4 points per 100 possessions). Despite their exceptional three-point defense – allowing 28.5% over the season, 19th in the NCAA – teams still shoot the ball deep: 42.2% of opponent’s field goal attempts are three-way points.
Offensive struggles: UNC and Pitt haven’t been very effective on the offensive end of the ball since the start of the ACC schedule. The actual percentage of the NCU field targets is 47.5% (14th ACC). Pitt’s effective field goal percentage is 49.0 percent (10th ACC). The problems are close to the edge. UNC runs at 46% for two (15th ACC) and Pitt at 48.5% (12th ACC).
Offensive glass: UNC is No. 2 in the country in offensive rebound percentage (40.7%). This is obviously the best of the ACC. The second in the ACC is Pittsburgh. The Panthers collect 35.3% of missed shots, which is good for the nation’s 21st place. That percentage fell to 31.5% in ACC games, which is the fourth in the conference. The percentage of UNC in the conference game is 40.2%.
Last meeting: Pitt scored 43 in the first half, led by 20 points, then scored 23 in the second half to win, 66-52, on January 18, 2020. UNC shot 31.7% from the ground and returned the ball over 16 times at the Petersen Event Center.
History of the series: UNC leads the series all-time, 14-4, but abandoned both games to the Panthers last season.
UNC Starter Projectors:
1 Leaky Black (Jr., 6-8, 195) – 7.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
2 Caleb Love (Fr., 6-4, 195) – 10.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
5 Armando Bacot (So., 6-10, 240) – 11.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg
15 Garrison Brooks (Sr., 6-10, 240) – 10.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg
24 Kerwin Walton (Fr., 6-5, 205) – 6.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Projected Pitt starters:
0 Ithiel Horton (R-So., 6-3, 200) – 8.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
1 Xavier Johnson (Jr., 6-3, 200) – 14.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg
5 Au’Diese Toney (Jr., 6-6, 210) – 16.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg
11 Justin Champagnie (So., 6-6, 200) – 19.9 ppg, 12.4 rpg
12 Abdoul Karim Couibaly (So., 6-8, 215) – 5.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Key Pitt Reservations:
2 Femi Odukale (Fr., 6-5, 185) – 4.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
21 Terrell Brown (Sr., 6-10, 235) – 2.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg
24 William Jeffress (Fr., 6-7, 205) – 2.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg
UNC Information
Calendar / Results
List and Biographies
Statistics
Pittsburgh Facts
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List and Biographies
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