UNC Basketball vs. Pitt: Preview, info, prediction and more

The UNC Basketball program looks to get some revenge on the road Saturday and hopefully get things steered in the right direction

Saturday will provide the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team with another chance to get things in the right direction. The Tar Heels are coming off a tough loss to Clemson at home last Saturday, squandering an 8-point lead late and eventually losing in overtime.

That loss stung as it ended Clemson’s 59-game losing streak in Chapel Hill and was a game the Tar Heels had in the bag until a few late turnovers. What makes it even worse is that UNC had to sit on that game for a week with their next matchup coming this Saturday.

UNC will hit the road for the second time in conference play to take on Pitt, a team that rallied in the second half to beat the Tar Heels just over 10 days ago.

Now, it’s UNC as the ones looking to pick up a big road win and possibly some momentum for their season.

By now you know the story of the Tar Heels’ season as injuries have piled up and losses are coming more frequently than we are used too. And on Saturday, things don’t look like they are going to change at least in the injury department.

The Tar Heels will likely be without Cole Anthony again in this one and to make matters worse, the status of freshman guard Jeremiah Francis and senior wing Brandon Robinson are also in question for this team. It could be another short-handed rotation which doesn’t favor the Tar Heels.

As for Pitt, they enter the game at 11-6 overall but just 2-4 in conference play. Since the upset on the road over UNC, Pitt dropped a road game at Miami and then a heart-breaking home game in overtime to Louisville. This is an improved Pitt team that is playing with some confidence right now.

It should be another interesting battle on Saturday and hopefully the Tar Heels can get some revenge and back in the win column.

Player to Watch

Andrew Platek. The junior set career highs in points, assists and rebounds in the Tar Heels loss to Clemson, getting his first start of his career at UNC. Platek was very good and provided a spark for the Tar Heels in a new role.

He could see an increase in playing time this week, especially if UNC is without Brandon Robinson and Jeremiah Francis. The hope is that Platek has built his confidence up and can get on a roll to help this team.

In the last meeting vs. Pitt, Platek had just 2 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 1 of 4 from the field. He upped that to 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss to Clemson while playing in 39 minutes.

What to watch

Guarding the three-point line. UNC did a good job of that in the first half of the last meeting between the two teams and took a lead into the break. But in the second half, Pitt caught fire from the three-point line and it helped lead them past the Tar Heels.

That was also the case on Saturday in the loss to Clemson. UNC did a good job closing out on the three-point line for most of the game. But in the final three minutes, they allowed Clemson to hit three big three-pointers which helped them come back and eventually win the game. It’s been a struggle for UNC to guard the three-point line this season but it’s a must if they want to win on Saturday.

What you need to know

What? North Carolina 8-8 (1-4 in ACC) AT Pitt 11-6 (2-4 in ACC)
When? Saturday, January 18, 12:30 p.m. EST
Where? Peterson Events Center
TV? ESPN
Radio? Tar Heel Sports Network
All-time series? UNC leads 14-3
Last meeting? Pitt beat UNC 73-65 on Jan. 8 2020
Line? N/A
Prediction? Pitt 68, UNC 67