PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh will get a chance at giving its unimpressive resume a much-needed boost on Saturday when the Panthers host No. 12 North Carolina.
Pitt is coming off a 13-point loss at No. 9 Louisville on Wednesday, a game the Panthers led midway through the second half. Coach Jamie Dixon says his players have to become better defensively if Pitt wants to avoid missing the NCAA tournament for just the second time in his 12 seasons.
The Tar Heels haven’t played in a week and have been forced to lean on each other following a painful stretch in which retired coach Dean Smith passed away and a UNC graduate student, his wife and her sister were murdered in a parking lot near campus.
North Carolina will wear a patch on their jerseys with Smith’s initials to honor the Hall of Famer.
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AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard in Chapel Hill, N.C., contributed to this report.
