One of Pitt's two conference wins was at North Carolina, and now the Panthers get a chance to sweep the Tar Heels in the regular season at home today in a noon tip. The two teams played just over a week ago in Chapel Hill, with Pitt emerging victorious 73-65. It was not pretty, and the Panthers were down by 9 points at half. Spurred by an incredible performance by Trey McGowens, they came out of intermission and scored 45 points to secure a critical win. Now that they are home and UNC is still without Cole Anthony from what it looks like, setting this game up as another must win for this team if they want to stay relevant. Roy Williams' team has lost three in a row and are sitting at 8-8 overall with a 1-4 mark in league play. They are coming off of a loss to Clemson in overtime at home, where they had won 59 in a row against the Tigers. Needless to say, things are still a mess in the program with all of the injuries. Even though Williams seems quite frustrated and disappointed with the adversity this year, there is still some talent on the roster. Still, it is desperate times for the blue blood program. It is unknown whether or not Anthony will return this season but either way, it looks like Pitt will catch a break and play them twice without the NBA point guard. UNC's front court is still dominant and productive, but the lack of depth and production in the back court and on the wing remains a big problem. Let's look at what happened in each spot during the last meeting, and how things look for today.

Point guard

Andrew Platek vs. Xavier Johnson
In the last matchup, Jeremiah Francis was the man controlling the point during the absence of Anthony. Now he is dealing with soreness in his left knee and it caused him to miss the Clemson game. His status is uncertain today, but it shouldn't be that significant to Pitt's chances. Francis was an added ball handler in the rotation but was a limited contributor; now several Tar Heels will try to handle the role, but Platek has seen an uptick in minutes. He is not a point guard, but more of a spot shooter. The 6'4" junior is the smallest player in UNC's starting lineup right now, so that is who you will see Johnson guarding the most. Platek played 19 minutes against Pitt last time and then 39 against Clemson. He had just 2 points and 5 rebounds in the Pitt loss, and then 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists against Clemson. Platek is averaging just 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds a game on the season. Known as a long-range shooter, it has been a disappointing year with just 7 makes from deep at a 23% clip. Johnson had a rough floor game at North Carolina, but his 17 points were needed. He once again has a huge advantage in this matchup, but needs to take advantage and be more efficient this time around.

Advantage: Pitt

Shooting guard

Brandon Robinson vs. Trey McGowens
Robinson has stepped up in a big way for Roy Williams. Things could be even worse if he had not been ready to fill the void in the back court. The 6'5" sophomore guard is averaging 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and in five games since December 21, he has scored in double figures each game. During this five-game stretch, Robinson is averaging 16.8 points per game. He also leads the team in three point field goals made with 30 and leads with a 35% conversion rate from deep. Robinson has quickly become the most consistent and productive perimeter player for the Tar Heels, but the difference in this game last time out was McGowens. He was a man possessed after the first half and willed his team to a road win. It was the best game of his season, as he went off for 24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. His one particular steal and dunk really changed the momentum and took the air out of the home crowd. It hasn't been just this game either, as McGowens has emerged as the biggest and most consistent scorer for Jeff Capel. This matchup is a good one, and will also play a significant part in the result.

Advantage: Pitt

Small forward

Leaky Black vs. Au'Diese Toney
At 6'8" Leaky Black can be a jack of all trades. The main issue is that his length and versatility have not translated to production. On the year, he is averaging just 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, and he has made just 33% of his field goal attempts with 7 made threes. Black has so much versatility that you will probably see him handle some point guard duty as well, and one option for Williams to try to maximize his advantage is to use Black's length at the point guard position. Now that Toney is back in the lineup for Pitt, he will add a strong defensive presence for Capel. Coming off an impressive defensive performance against Jordan Nwora, you will probably see Toney on Black and Robinson at times. His positioning and strength allow him to defend the 2-4 positions, including players of different sizes. His prowess won't be needed as much on the wing in this one, and guards like Robinson give him a little bit more trouble. Offensively, this matchup is offset.

Advantage: Even

Power forward

Armando Bacot vs. Justin Champagnie
Bacot is quite the challenge for being a freshman. The 6'10" man child played very well against Pitt last time, producing 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. For his age, he is advanced physically. On the year, his averages of 10.1 points and 7.8 rebounds are very solid, and we even saw him put the ball on the floor and drive past defenders in the last matchup. It seems as though his game is developing recently as well, as he just went for 21 and 5 against Clemson. Bacot is a power player, and is as much of a college center as power forward right now. His skill set and style is much different than Champagnie's, and that contrast was fun to watch in the last game as Pitt's standout freshman had 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. It's possible that both players can thrive again and produce for their teams, but North Carolina's ability to offensive rebound and dominate the paint is what got them the lead in the last matchup. The offensive rebounding edge was the main reason Carolina got the lead and controlled the game for about 30 minutes. The Carolina front court was responsible for 5 of the 14 offensive rebounds, with their size and effort contributing to some of the others.

Advantage: Even

Center

Garrison Brooks vs. Eric Hamilton
Brooks is the most productive and dominant Tar Heel at the moment with all of the injuries. The 6'9" junior has recorded four straight double doubles and is averaging 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He is also converting a team high 53% of his attempts from the field. Brooks killed the Panthers in the first matchup when he went for 21 and 10. In most games now, UNC is significantly outmatched in the back court and on the wing, so the Tar Heels have to rely on their front court players to dominate the game, and with Brooks and Bacot, it at least gives them a chance to do it every night. The only issue is how sustainable that style is. On Pitt's side, Hamilton has been inconsistent for weeks now. With Terrell Brown playing better and showing signs of promise against Louisville, there could be another lineup change in the near future. Hamilton did play fairly well against Louisville, too; his 6 point/5 rebound performance included a pretty turnaround fadeaway jump shot to beat a shot clock buzzer. For this game specifically, they need his rebounding in a big way. Even if it isn't a big number off the glass, he must play with physicality and prevent Brooks from dominating in the paint area.

Advantage: North Carolina

Bench

North Carolina may have anticipated a deep rotation heading into the year, but it has been one injury after another. The depth is no longer there, and some Tar Heels have been forced to play more than Williams would like. Justin Pierce has been the best reserve; the 6'7" senior is averaging 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, and he scored 14 against Yale and 11 against Georgia Tech but then didn't score over the last two games. Christian Keeling is a 6'3" senior who is contributing 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. The transfer from Charleston Southern was an explosive scorer for three seasons at his former home, but has not been able to produce anything close in the ACC. In the last matchup, Pitt's bench didn't produce a single point and grabbed just one rebound. It was not a great effort, even when you consider that Toney missed the game with an elbow injury. With Ryan Murphy coming off the bench now, Capel needs more production from this group. If Murphy and Brown are aggressive and contributing, it can become an advantage this time.

Advantage: Pitt

Coaching

Roy Williams vs. Jeff Capel
This is not a typical year for Williams. At North Carolina, his worst season came in 2009-10 with a 20-17 overall record, and while he has yet to suffer through a losing season with the Tar Heels, that streak could be in jeopardy this year. Sitting at .500 right now, there are a lot of difficult league games ahead for this group. The struggles thus far are clearly taking their toll on Williams, as each loss is followed up with a press conference full of noteworthy comments. If there is ever a year for Capel to sweep his rival, this is it. He remained poised and kept his team in it after a brutal first half on the road at Chapel Hill, and it paid off. Now, he needs to keep this group together and locked in after a devastating loss to Louisville at home.

Advantage: North Carolina

Overall

In league play, the Tar Heels are scoring 69.4 points per game, while surrendering 73.8 points. They convert 48% of their attempts from inside the arc, but just 30% from beyond. That percentage, along with the lack of a point guard and wing play, has been the main issues for this team. Most of the production comes through the post. That is difficult to maintain, as it is difficult for Carolina to keep pace with teams that are making threes. As impactful as Brooks and Bacot can be inside, teams can usually offset that production with a balanced attack. This time around, Pitt should be in good shape if they control their defensive glass in a relative matter. If they are able to limit second chances and force Robinson to take contested shots, they should be in good shape provided the Louisville loss doesn't linger.

Prediction: Pitt 68, North Carolina 62