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Heels vs Panthers
| North Carolina | Pittsburgh | |
| Record | 18-6 | 16-9 |
| ACC Record | 8-3 | 5-6 |
| KenPom Rank | 12th | 93rd |
| Points per game | 78.8 | 68.0 |
| Adj. Off. Efficiency(Rank) | 115.6(11th) | 110.4(38th) |
| Ad. Def. Efficiency(Rank) | 94.0(44th) | 103.1(200th) |
| Tempo(Rank) | 70.3(17th) | 61.6(317th) |
| Offensive eFG% | 50.6% | 48.3% |
| Defensive eFG% | 43.6% | 49.8% |
| Field Goal % | 46.9% | 44.3% |
| 3P FG% | 33.1% | 33.2% |
| FT% | 69.5% | 69.7% |
| Offensive Reb Rate | 42.5% | 35.8% |
| Defensive Reb Rate | 68.7% | 68.0% |
| TO Rate | 18.7% | 15.6% |
| FT Rate | 38.6% | 35.3% |
UNC returns to action following a week off with the second of three straight games on the road. The Tar Heels travel to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1995. Last season UNC knocked off Pitt 75-71 in Chapel Hill thanks to 24 points and 12 rebounds from James Michael McAdoo. The two teams met again in Greensboro in the ACC Quarterfinals where the Panthers jumped out to a double digit lead and a Tar Heel rally fell short sending UNC to an early exit.
On paper these teams are similar offensively while on the other end of the court Pitt has struggled to defend. Pitt's offensive efficiency is a respectable 110.4 with a solid ORB% and a low turnover rate. Pitt is not a great shooting team hitting just 44% of all shots and 33% from beyond the arc. The latter number is similar to UNC with the Heels being a slightly better shooting team across the board. In ACC play, Pitt's three point shooting is 30.1% which is last in the league. Conversely, UNC's three point shooting has been good in league games with the Heels at 37.5% as a team, 3rd in the ACC. UNC's ORB% continues to be the best in the ACC and second nationally.
On the defensive end, both teams have a DRB% around 68-69 but in ACC play UNC and Pitt are headed in opposite directions. The Tar Heels have had a much more respectable 71.6 ORB% in ACC games versus Pitt's 66.4 ORB%. While UNC has experience some regression in terms of defensive efficiency in ACC play, Pitt's defense has really struggled. ACC opponents have an eFG% 53.3, shooting 40.8% from three and 49.9% from two against the Panthers. Those numbers certainly bode well for an offense which is generally efficient but is prone to inconsistency.