Latest news with #UNC-Pitt
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Duke basketball superstar rips UNC for lack of effort and communication
If you remember watching North Carolina Tar Heels basketball during the disappointing Matt Doherty era, you likely remember Duke superstar Jay Williams. Now an ESPN analyst who appears on numerous college basketball broadcasts and shows, Williams enjoyed quite the college career. Williams helped bring the Blue Devils their 2001 NCAA Championship, plus he earned National Player of the Year honors that same season. UNC (13-9, 6-4 ACC) is preparing to face first-place Duke (18-2, 10-0) on Saturday, February 1, with Williams' Blue Devils holding the massive advantage. North Carolina is a shell of the dominant program it once was, while Duke looks like a front-runner to cut down the nets in March. In the Tar Heels' latest debacle, a 73-65 loss at Pitt on Tuesday, January 28, Williams called out their apparent effort and lack of communication. 'I can tell you what you want to go through North Carolina's players' minds right now – they are all fragmented on the court,' Williams said during UNC-Pitt. 'Look at Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is huddling in the middle of the court. It already looks as if – with 24.9 seconds left to go, North Carolina being down only four points – that the game feels over. None of them have huddled. None of them have talked to each other. You're never out of it until you're out of it. But you need to have communication about what you're doing next and about what you're going to run offensively, where you need to be defensively and there's no quit in your voice.' UNC's greatest veteran presence is reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, but the team is largely otherwise a young bunch. There isn't another senior starter on North Carolina, which relies heavily on its guard play and struggles without Jalen Washington at center. The Tar Heels will miss their second NCAA Tournament in three seasons under head coach Hubert Davis, barring a 2024 NC State-esque run. Do there need to be changes at UNC? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
28-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Betting predictions, odds, and picks for North Carolina at Pitt in a quad-one battle
North Carolina will head into their toughest conference stretch of the season. After a terrible non-conference stretch that was harder than this, they came out with a 1-7 record against quad-one opponents. They head into this game with a 13-8 overall record and a 6-3 record against ACC teams. They won their sixth conference game in their last outing over the weekend, beating Boston College in overtime. They are tied with Stanford and SMU in the ACC. On the other side, the Panthers are 13-6 overall this season and are 4-4 against teams in the conference. They snapped a four-game conference losing streak against Syracuse on the road over the weekend, giving this team a boost of momentum heading back home for this game. Here are the odds heading into game-day for the UNC-Pitt matchup. North Carolina at Pitt game odds: All NCAA Odds via FanDuel: Point spread: North Carolina, +3.5 Money line: North Carolina +146, Pittsburgh -176 Over-under: 154.5 total points North Carolina at Pitt injury updates: North Carolina, no injuries to report Pittsburgh, no injuries to report North Carolina at Pitt prediction, pick: This will be the second-easiest, quad-one game that the Tar Heels will play in their next four games. The only easier game in that stretch is when they take on Pitt at the Dean Dome instead of being on the road. That being said, this is a must-win for the Tar Heels. The lack of quad-one wins is glaring and with their eighth quad-one loss against Wake Forest last week, getting on the right side of that record will be imperative. The other thing North Carolina needs with a win on Tuesday is momentum going into a massive road rivalry against No. 2 Duke on Saturday. I think North Carolina covers the spread in this game with a win and the over hits, but lately, UNC has been scoring a ton but also giving up a ton of points. Prediction: North Carolina 85 – 82 Pittsburgh North Carolina at Pitt channel, start time, streaming: The North Carolina at Pittsburgh game starts at 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 28th, and can be seen on ESPN. Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
