Chansky’s Notebook: Meet the moment

ART CHANSKYS SPORTS Notebook is presented by the relaxed pint. Your place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose from 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.

The acronyms Pitt and UNC tell the story of this rivalry renewal.

Panthers and Tar Heels are about as statistical, even if you can get. So the first of two season -defining games for both teams boil down to, in my opinion, what each of their letters means.

Pitt stands for Pure-Intimidation-Toughness-Tenacious. Jeff Capel’s Panthers has defeated Hubert Davis’ team in three of their five meetings, twice at the Smith Center and once at the Peterson Center, where tonight’s at. 21.00 will be played.

UNC stands for unusual-not-competitive, who has drawn a challenge from Davis after Tar Heels’ survival against Boston College. Hubert has said that just improvement is from the table in favor of a complete change of attitude.

With both teams close to NCAA Net Rankings (Pitt is 34, Carolina is 40), they also share space on the NCAA tournament bubble. And their two meetings in the next 11 days each allow to push the other to the wrong side of it.

Pitt has a slightly better overall record (13-6) than Carolina (13-8). Tar Heels (6-3) is in front of Panthers (4-4) in the ACC position. None of them are ranked in any of the national polls.

Both have two players in ACC’s top 20 scorers (Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett vs. RJ Davis and Ian Jackson) and one player each in the top 16 in field target percentage (Jackson and Leggett). They are led by points guards, Lowe and Elliot gifts, both of which have three matches with at least 10 assists.

Carolina does not have a rebounder in ACC’s Top 20 for the first time since the heels played in Tin can or before Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, Roy Williams and Armando Bacot. Pitt has one, No. 20 that average less than six a game.

Lowe has the second best free -throwing percentage and is fifth in stealing. RJ Davis is fourth and Seth Trimble Sixth. Pitt has none of the 15 best 3-pointer slots. Davis is ninth with 2 pr. Match.

Carolina is number two in scoring offense and 16. In scoring defense. Pitt is third and 10. In these categories.

In short, the team that wins the first match-up will accumulate more points the hard way. And there is no love lost between the programs, which should make it even more intensely competitive.

Jeff Capel played at Duke and hit one of the most memorable 3-point Heaves in Blue Blood History and sent the 1995 game on Cameron to overtime. His brother and assistant coach Jason Capel is hardly in the Carolina family with others who played for the infamous 8-20 team in 2002.

From opening tips, this game will not be for the weak in the heart. And it will not be won on marginal major-college talent alone. Pitt is the stronger and harder team. Can Carolina meet the moment?

Highlighted image via Associated Press/Matt Freed

Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books including best sellers “Game SHIFTERS,” “BLUE BLOODS” AND “DEAN’S LIST.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades after making his first performance as a student in 1971. His Comment on “Sports Notebook” is broadcast daily on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Hans “Art’s Angle” column runs weekly at Chapelboro.

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Chansky’s Notebook: Meet the moment

The first of two seasonal games for both Pitt and UNC boil down to, in my opinion, what each of their letters means.

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