Survive and Advance is the name of the game in March and the Pitt Panthers did just that yesterday in their 81-69 win over Wake Forest in the ACC quarterfinals. Pitt had built up a 19-point advantage in the second half, but the Demon Deacons whittled that advantage down to just three points.
Rather than fold, Pitt found an extra gear to win by double digits to improve to 22-10 on the season and advance to tonight’s ACC semifinals opposite top-seed North Carolina. The Tar Heels looked liked one of the best teams in the country yesterday with a convincing 92-67 beatdown over Florida State in the quarterfinals.
Those two Thursday results set a rematch for tonight. North Carolina handed Pitt a 70-57 loss back on January 2nd. The Panthers struggled early on in the season, but have responded in a big way to make a serious push to be in the NCAA Tournament. Pitt is hoping that turnaround extends for another night in the nation’s capital.
Can Pitt pull off another big March win and upset North Carolina? The Panther-Lair.com staff gives their picks.
Matt Steinbrink (25-7) : It is the semifinals and the Panthers have a huge opportunity to knock off one of the best teams in the country. Anyone that watched the Tar Heels blow out Florida State yesterday was surely impressed. With that being said, maybe the blowout helps Pitt a little bit. Not that the experienced group will overlook Pitt, but the Tar Heels basically played a perfect game yesterday. If Pitt has a chance to win this game, they have to protect the glass better. Carolina’s front court destroyed Pitt on the glass in the lone matchup this season. If Pitt can keep this game at their pace and control Bacot, they will have a chance. It won’t be easy though, as Carolina has one of the best guards in the country and three of the most experienced players in the conference.
Prediction: North Carolina 78-70
Jim Hammett (24-8): Pitt has played North Carolina well in recent years. Despite that loss in January, the Panthers are 5-2 against the Tar Heels since the start of the 2019-20 season. I think this game will be much more competitive than that prior meeting where Pitt shot just 31% from the field. Pitt obviously is battling the bubble right now and taking down North Carolina will be no easy task, but it’s within the realm of possibilities. I worry if Pitt’s young guards will be able to contain a player like RJ Davis for 40 minutes, but Bub Carrington and Jaland Lowe have answered the bell more often than not this season. I think UNC wins tonight, but it should be a good game and Pitt will have chances to flip that outcome. The Panthers have the desperation factor which could be a great equalizer, but the way UNC played yesterday and all season basically makes it hard for me to pick against them.
Prediction: North Carolina 79-73
Houston Wilson (24-8): I am not sure if a win tonight puts Pitt in the NCAA Tournament but it is obviously one step closer. The problem is that a dynamite North Carolina team stands in front of them between the semifinals and championship game. The Tar Heels are currently playing for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and remain in heavy consideration for one. Tonight’s game is not going to be easy for Pitt but this is a group that is completely locked in and that was noticeable yesterday against Wake Forest. UNC is a juggernaut and has one of the best rosters in the country. Ishmael Leggett had the best game of his Pitt career yesterday in front of a lot family and friends and I am predicting that trend to continue to today’s game. It’s not going to be easy but Pitt is playing really good basketball at the right time and I think they will make enough plays tonight to squeak by UNC.
Prediction: Pitt 85-82
Stephen Gertz (23-9): After a roller coaster of a second half which resulted in a victory for the Pittsburgh Panthers, I think the ride stops here. While I think Pitt is capable of beating anyone, their path to upset the North Carolina Tar Heels is a steep incline. Even though the Panthers are peaking at the right time, so is North Carolina. They have won seven straight games, including a road win over the Duke Blue Devils, same as Pitt. Other than not forcing a lot of turnovers, which bodes well for the Panthers, they do not have any real weaknesses. The Tar Heels are deep, boast the ACC Player of the Year in RJ Davis, and have a lot of experience. I said that Pitt did not need to be firing on all cylinders to beat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and that held true. They won on the back of a season-high 30 points from Ishmael Leggett, not to mention his contributions elsewhere, and an efficient afternoon from Blake Hinson. Tonight, they will need the freshman guards to put the ball in the basket and likely one of their centers to play above their averages. I just do not see that happening. The margin for error is much larger for UNC and I think they prove they should be a number one seed next week in the NCAA Tournament by beating another tournament worthy team in the Panthers.
Prediction: North Carolina 76-68
Chris Peak (21-11): Do I think Pitt will win tonight? I’m really not sure. But I’m predicting that Pitt will win tonight but I know that Pitt can win tonight - and not just in the sense of, “any team can win in any given game.” I believe the Panthers have a legitimate shot, and I think the path to victory is a clear one: they have to hit three’s and they have to defend UNC’s guards well. The former happens with regularity, and I’ve got a little extra confidence about the latter because of how Bub Carrington and Ishmael Leggett guarded Hunter Sallis yesterday. Those two made Sallis work very hard, and they need to do it again tonight against RJ Davis. Will they? That remains to be seen. But this Pitt team has the defensive tenacity and the offensive skill to play with North Carolina. I think they’ll score just enough and make just enough defensive stops to get it done tonight.
Prediction: Pitt 82-81
