Carolina’s crushing loss to Pitt will be dissected from every angle.
Let’s start with the home crowd, one of the smallest of the season. The official attendance will reflect how many tickets were sold to the game, not how many people showed up. The upper deck is always the indicator, and above the loge seats was mostly empty.
That sparsity was surprising, especially with the publicity about UNC’s Media and Communications Center being deservedly dedicated to the late Woody Durham, legendary Voice of the Tar Heels. Deep into the second half, fans paying attention were hoping their team could get to the place where Woody instructed us to “Go where you go and do what you do.”
Although Carolina made what might be termed a gallant comeback, the truth is the Heels did not make enough plays from beginning to end to win. Such a loss so late in the season will be damaging to their NCAA tourney hopes, which were trending upward after winning 6 of the last 7.
Pitt was the better team in every aspect. The Panthers came in 10-16 and just trying to avoid finishing last in the ACC. Their NET ranking was 179, making this a Quad 4 game – and a very bad loss – for UNC (No. 37), which does not have a Quad 1 win and likely leaves its chances of getting an at-large NCAA invitation on winning at BOTH Virginia Tech and Duke.
Many alumni and fans will go back to Hubert Davis, whose reviews have been up and down all season. Roy Williams, who was standing and cheering from his corner seat until every bit of air was out of the balloon, would say after bad losses that the opponent “outplayed us and outcoached us.” That’s one luxury a Hall of Famer has with so much good credit.
After building a double-digit lead early in the first half, Pitt had taken the small crowd out of the game and was playing with house money, like scrimmaging loosely in an empty gym.
Davis said “the tougher team won” but critics will throw that back for not better preparing his guys for the Panthers’ very physical style. It HAS to be even more than that.
Pitt’s Jeff Capel may still be coaching for his job and has a brother and ex-Tar Heel (Jason) on his staff and connections at alma mater Duke to draw up a good game plan. It was Carolina’s job to know that, be ready for it and answer the Panthers’ aggressiveness and strategies. It never happened.
So where do the Tar Heels go from here? At Blacksburg Saturday and in Cameron on March 5, they will hear the opinion loud and clear: “NIT! NIT!”
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It’s Roy’s fault. He left UNC at a good time for him, and EVERYONE 10 years ago knew who the next coach would be. But there’s a lot of hope in the Tar Heel Nation that Hubert is throwing these games so he can get a raise like Mack.
Effort and desire comes from the inside, from the heart. It’s a life attitude.It’s part of who you are and it’s not dependent only on talent.When you are challenged, you respond. It’s not something that can be coached.Best example:Tyler Hansbrough.He brought it every game. Who are the Tyler Hansbroughs on this team?. That’s a question only the players can respond to.