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North Carolina, Pitt eye resume-boosting win

A C Gazette
By A C Gazette
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NCAA Basketball: Pittsburgh at SyracuseJan 25, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Ishmael Leggett (5) shoots against Syracuse Orange guard J.J. Starling (2) during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Both coming off wins and needing more to boost their respective NCAA Tournament resumes, visiting North Carolina and Pitt will tangle on Tuesday night.

The Tar Heels (13-8, 6-3 ACC) and Panthers (13-6, 4-4) both ended losing streaks on Saturday. On its home floor, North Carolina squeaked out a six-point overtime victory over Boston College, while Pitt bested Syracuse by four points in upstate New York.

According to the current NET rankings, a victory for UNC on Tuesday would go down as a Quad 1 win, while a triumph for Pitt would be a tally in the Quad 2 column. The teams will also play on Feb. 8 in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Without Armando Bacot patrolling the paint this season, the Tar Heels have opted for a small-ball, fast-paced style that has them scoring 82.5 points per game, which ranks second in the ACC. The Tar Heels, however, haven’t been all that effective on 3-point attempts. Their 32.3 percent success rate is 13th in the ACC.

“The makeup of their team is different. At times, like last game, they started four guards. So, if any of those guards get it, they’re all able to push and attack,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said of the Tar Heels. “I do think they’re playing faster than they have the past few years.”

Those guards all score in double figures. RJ Davis puts up 17.7 points per game, followed by Ian Jackson (15), Seth Trimble (12.4) and Elliot Cadeau (10.7, plus a team-high 6.1 assists). Davis, an All-American a season ago, had 22 points against Boston College.

Pitt has its own talented guards leading the way: sophomore Jaland Lowe and senior Ishmael Leggett. Lowe posts 17.6 points and 5.7 assists per game, while Leggett averages 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds.

Against Syracuse, the backcourt duo combined for 38 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

“They’ve got a number of guys that can get hot from 3. They’ve got guards that are good with the ball, whether it’s one-on-one or pick-and-roll situations. They can create shots not only for themselves, but for their teammates,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said of Pitt. “Coach Capel does a great job.”

North Carolina is beginning a stretch of four road games in their next five. The Tar Heels swept the Panthers last season and are 10-7 against Pitt since it joined the ACC in 2013.

–Field Level Media

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