The highs and lows of college basketball can come and go very quickly. Unfortunately for the Hubert Davis-led Tar Heels over the past five seasons, the latter have come much too often.
Just days after a thrilling victory over a one-loss Duke team, Carolina gave an uninspired effort in Miami to end their five-game winning streak.
UNC hosts Pitt on Saturday, and despite the Panthers sitting last in the ACC standings, the loss at Miami makes Carolina fans uneasy. The Panthers have won six of the last 10
games against the Tar Heels, and Jeff Capel’s teams always play tough against North Carolina.
Here are a few things to watch when Pitt comes to Chapel Hill for a Saturday matinee.
Defense in the Paint
The most glaring issue for Carolina on Tuesday night was its inability to stop Miami’s interior offense.
The Hurricanes dominated the paint, finishing 19-for-26, good for 73 percent, on shots in close. In fact, Miami scored 18 points in the paint in the first eight minutes alone.
Henri Veesaar was plagued by foul trouble in the second half, ending the night with four fouls. Just as Carolina got it back within three points, Veesaar’s back-to-back fouls put him out of the game.
In the postgame, Veesaar noted that the lack of “aggressiveness and ball pressure” allowed Miami to get comfortable down low, contributing directly to the Hurricanes’ high shooting percentage at the rim.
With the status of Brandin Cummings, Pitt’s leading scorer, still unknown due to an ankle injury, there will be a focus on forward Cameron Corhen. Corhen is a physical player who draws fouls regularly and averages over seven rebounds per game. He is a big reason why Pitt ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (12.28) and fifth in offensive rebound percentage (.342).
An injury to Caleb Wilson did not help matters, but the Tar Heels must refocus on an area of the game that has been so successful for them this season.
Offensive Struggles in the Backcourt
Despite the issues in the frontcourt versus Miami, Jarin Stevenson, Veesaar, and Wilson were the only Tar Heels to score in double figures.
Most notably, Seth Trimble missed all five attempts from the field, scoring just four points — all from the foul line. Derek Dixon was a dismal one of nine from the floor, missing all six three-point attempts.
Jonathan Powell and Kyan Evans were the only bright spots. Powell logged his most minutes since the Notre Dame game, tallying five points and five rebounds. Evans scored eight points, the most off the bench, and had four assists.
The lack of intensity of the defensive end of the court has been a common theme, but the disjointed offense, especially in the second half, was frustrating to watch.
As has been said over and over, these Tar Heels have to find a way to play a full 40 minutes. More often than not, when the frontcourt falters, the game falls apart.
Force the Tempo
The job for Damarco Minor, Pitt’s fifth-year senior guard, is to slow the game down, limit possessions, and feed Corhen in the post. Pitt, the second-lowest scoring team in the ACC, cannot win a shootout with Carolina. Minor must turn this game into a half-court grind.
If UNC falls into another shooting slump like they did in the second half versus Miami, Pitt’s slow pace could limit the number of possessions UNC has to recover, making a drought more dangerous.
Expect some of the same game plan as seen on Tuesday from Pitt on Saturday. Miami used traps to shake up Wilson’s offense rhythm, and that type of aggressiveness would not be unexpected. But Carolina cannot sit back if that happens.
On both ends of the court, the Tar Heels must dig deep and find that intensity that will support a quicker game.
