North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh Match Preview – Players to Watch, Head to Head, and Prediction

Hoping to give their trip away a good start, the North Carolina Tar Heels is locking horns with an old rival. The team is eager to finish the pending business with the Pittsburgh Panthers. Over the past two years, the Panthers have been taking away the victory under the Tar Heels’ nose. But now, their nemesis are gearing up to move to 2-0 in the conference play.

The matchup will be held at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. Let’s look into the specifics on both sides.

Tar Heels looking to pounce on Panthers

The much-awaited face-off between North Carolina and Pittsburgh is here. Both the teams have been waiting for the D-day to settle the score. This season, the Panthers have been performing impressively well. Currently, the team holds a record of 9-3. The Panthers have been averaging 81.1 points per game, with a total of 973 points.

Moreover, with 509 rebounds in total, they have been averaging 42.4 rebounds per game. Tallying 190 team assists, they are averaging 15.8 assists per game. The Panthers have been shooting with a collective field goal percentage of .449, a 3-point shot percentage of .346, and a free throw percentage of .684. Now, looking at the turnovers, per game they are averaging 9.7 turnovers with 116 in total.

As for the Tar Heels, they too have been on a strong path. Ranking 8th on the AP Top 25 college basketball teams list, the Tar Heels have also earned 1st position in the ACC. In regards to scoring, the team has been averaging 84.5 points per game with a total of 930 points.

In addition, with a collective rebounding score of 415, they are averaging 37.7 rebounds per game. And, their assists have summed up to a total of 152 and 13.8 as averaged per game. When it comes to shooting, the Tar Heels have been shooting with a collective field goal percentage of .457, a 3-point shot percentage of .361, and a free throw percentage of .761.

About the turnovers, the Tar Heels have a one-point lead against the Panthers with 117, with an average of 10.6 per game.

Read More: Riding High on Armando Bacot, How Can North Carolina Improve Their Chances of Clinching the NCAA Title

Now, having looked at the stats developed by both teams, let’s learn about their key players too.

Standout players in North Carolina and Pittsburgh’s roster

Hailing for the Tar Heels is its forward Armando Bacot. This season he has been averaging 15.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. Also, he has been shooting with a field goal percentage of 55.4%. However, the Panthers must look out for North Carolina’s guard RJ Davis, as he has been averaging 21.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, with a field goal shooting percentage of 44.2%.

As for Pittsburgh, the Panthers will be led by their senior forward Blake Hinson. This season Hinson has been averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. Also, he has been shooting with a field goal percentage of 49.4%.

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Now, ever since the season commenced, the Panthers have been one of the better-performing teams. On the other hand, traditionally Tar Heels are known for their rebounding finesse. Let’s see how things turn out when they go head-to-head in this conference play.