PREMIUM
Rogers' EARLY Afternoon ANNIHILATION >> **NOON ET**
(NCAAB) North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh,
Point Spread: -8.00 | -106.00 North Carolina (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -8.00 | -106.00 North Carolina (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 24-5 North Carolina Tar Heels take their No.8 AP ranking into Pittsburgh early Saturday afternoon for a game with the 15-13 Pitt Panthers. The Tar Heels sit atop the ACC at 12-3, while the Panthers are near the bottom at 4-11.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels remained unbeaten at Chapel Hill this season with Wednesday's 74-63 win over No. 7 Louisville, which also upped their ACC lead to trwo games. A regular season and ACC tourney title would likely earn North Carolina a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday. North Carolina is loaded, despite the loss of guard Williams (6.2) to a season-ending knee injury. Berry (14.6 & 4.0 APG) will get some extra backcourt help now from Britt (4.8) but the frontcourt talent is an embarrassment of riches. The Tar Heels have excellent size in the 6-10 Meeks (12.7 & 9.1) , the 6-9 Hicks (12.1 & 5.6) and the 6-10 Bradley (7.4 & 5.4). Then there are the talented swingmen like the 6-8 Jackson, the team's leading scorer at 18.7 PPG (4.7 RPG) and the 6-6 Pinson (7.7 & 4.3), who lately starts in the backcourt. More good news comes Roy Williams' way in that North Carolina has also steeped things up on the defensive end lately, allowing just 59.0 PPG on 38.9 percent shooting the last three games.
Pittsburgh: Maybe Jamie Dixon knew what he was doing when he left Pitt at the end of last year to return to his alma mater (TCU). Senior forwards Michael Young (20.4 & 7.0) and Jamel Artis (19.3-4.9-3.4) are first and third, respectively, in ACC scoring but the Panthers lost eight straight from Jan. 7 through Feb 4, ruining a 12-3 start. Pitt was headed for a fourth win in five games Wednesday but coughed up a 19-point lead in a 63-59 loss to Wake Forest. Kevin Stallings first season in Pittsburgh is turning into a 'nightmare.'
The pick: Pitt almost beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill back on Jan 31 (lost just 80-78) but that should only serve as more motivation for a team like the Tar Heels, which has a No. 1 NCAA seed in its sights. A "two-man" team can't trade points with the Tar Heels. Make North Carolina an 8* play.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels remained unbeaten at Chapel Hill this season with Wednesday's 74-63 win over No. 7 Louisville, which also upped their ACC lead to trwo games. A regular season and ACC tourney title would likely earn North Carolina a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday. North Carolina is loaded, despite the loss of guard Williams (6.2) to a season-ending knee injury. Berry (14.6 & 4.0 APG) will get some extra backcourt help now from Britt (4.8) but the frontcourt talent is an embarrassment of riches. The Tar Heels have excellent size in the 6-10 Meeks (12.7 & 9.1) , the 6-9 Hicks (12.1 & 5.6) and the 6-10 Bradley (7.4 & 5.4). Then there are the talented swingmen like the 6-8 Jackson, the team's leading scorer at 18.7 PPG (4.7 RPG) and the 6-6 Pinson (7.7 & 4.3), who lately starts in the backcourt. More good news comes Roy Williams' way in that North Carolina has also steeped things up on the defensive end lately, allowing just 59.0 PPG on 38.9 percent shooting the last three games.
Pittsburgh: Maybe Jamie Dixon knew what he was doing when he left Pitt at the end of last year to return to his alma mater (TCU). Senior forwards Michael Young (20.4 & 7.0) and Jamel Artis (19.3-4.9-3.4) are first and third, respectively, in ACC scoring but the Panthers lost eight straight from Jan. 7 through Feb 4, ruining a 12-3 start. Pitt was headed for a fourth win in five games Wednesday but coughed up a 19-point lead in a 63-59 loss to Wake Forest. Kevin Stallings first season in Pittsburgh is turning into a 'nightmare.'
The pick: Pitt almost beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill back on Jan 31 (lost just 80-78) but that should only serve as more motivation for a team like the Tar Heels, which has a No. 1 NCAA seed in its sights. A "two-man" team can't trade points with the Tar Heels. Make North Carolina an 8* play.
