When North Carolina faces Pitt, the Tar Heels will be trying to survive to get the last number one seed while Pitt will be seeking to secure a bid to the NCAA tournament.
North Carolina cruised to the semifinals with a 92-67 win over Florida State.
RJ Davis scored 18 in the win. Davis was one of four Tar Heels in double figures.
Pitt’s 81-69 win was made a little more difficult after Wake staged a furious comeback.
The Panthers were up 19 in the second half. Wake cut it to four with 2:12 left before Pitt put them away.
Keys:
Tar Heels Turnovers: No one impacts winning for North Carolina that Elliot Cadeau. Early on, Florida State was trying to deny the inbounds to Cadeau (and Davis) and force other players to kick off the Tar Heels’ offense. Cadeau had six assists and only two turnovers against Florida State’s length and athleticism.
Pitt forced 15 turnovers including five from Hunter Sallis.
Rebounds: At times, North Carolina looked like the old Tar Heels on the glass. North Carolina finished the day with 17 offensive rebounds. Pitt held Wake to only seven offensive rebounds. Pitt can’t get out and run if they can’t secure rebounds on the defensive end.
Stay Out of Foul Trouble: Pitt played seven players against Wake. North Carolina has more playable depth than the Panthers and would love to get to Pitt’s bench. For the Tar Heels to do that, the guards will need to be able to turn the corner and get into the paint.
