Posted Feb 6, 2025
A proposed rule change intended to discourage players from faking injuries that prompt unwarranted timeouts will be considered when the NCAA Football Rules Committee meets this month. Feigning injuries has become a tactic defenses use to slow down offenses or as a way for an offense to avoid a delay of game penalty or get an extra timeout. (Associated Press)

UNC 67, PITT 66
FEBRUARY 8, 2025
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

UNC Scoring Leader: RJ Davis 18
UNC Rebound Leader: Seth Trimble 7
UNC Assist Leader: Elliot Cadeau 7
Team Records: UNC 14-10, 7-5 ACC; Pitt 14-9, 5-7 ACC

• This is the first time UNC has won multiple games in a season by one point since 2007-08. Carolina also beat Notre Dame, 74-73, on January 4.
• This was Carolina’s 10th one-possession game of the season, the most in any season in the three-point era (beginning in 1986-87).
• UNC is 6-4 in those one-possession games, its second-most one-possession wins in that period (Carolina won eight one-possession games in 2010-11).
• The game was within five points at the 5:00 mark in the second half, the 12th time in 24 games this season that has occurred.
• On January 28 at Pitt, the Tar Heels committed 14 turnovers that led to 22 Pitt points. Today, the Tar Heels committed only six turnovers that led to six Pitt points.
• This was the first time in six games the opponents scored fewer than 10 points off turnovers.
• Four Tar Heels scored in double figures for the second time in ACC play (five in the OT win over Boston College).

• Following a Pitt three-pointer to open the scoring, UNC went on a 12-0 run, its largest run since a 15-0 spurt against Cal on January 15.
• UNC led at halftime for the ninth time in the last 10 games (6-3 in those games). The Tar Heels are 12-3 this season when leading at the half.
• UNC shot 46.7% from three (made 7 of 15), the fourth time this season UNC has shot at least 40% from three. It was the first time the Tar Heels have better than 40% from three since shooting 50% against SMU on January 7.
• Ven-Allen Lubin made a season-high eight field goals and scored a season-high 17 points (previous highs were five FGs and 13 points vs. Stanford).
• It was the fifth time Lubin scored in double figures this season.
• RJ Davis (18 points) led the Tar Heels in scoring for the 11th time this season and 55th time in his career. UNC is 37-19 all-time when Davis leads in scoring.

• Davis became the seventh ACC player to score 2,500 points (has 2,505).
• Davis made three-pointers, the ninth time this season and fourth time in the last six games, he made at least three.
• Davis passed NC State’s Rodney Monroe for ninth in three-pointers in ACC history. Davis has 325 (Monroe made 322).
• Drake Powell (10 points) scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and second straight game. It was the second time Powell has scored in double figures in consecutive games (Campbell and Louisville).
• Powell made multiple three-pointers for the fifth time this season and first time since making four against SMU on January 7. UNC is 4-1 when Powell makes multiple threes.
• Elliot Cadeau had a game-high seven assists. He made both of his field goals less than a minute apart to tie the game at 58 and 60.
• Seth Trimble (15 points) scored in double figures for the 16th time this season and the fourth consecutive game.

• Trimble made multiple three-pointers for the first time since making three against Auburn on November 26. It was the fourth time this season and sixth time in Trimble’s career he made multiple threes. UNC is 3-1 this season and 4-2 overall when Trimble makes multiple threes.
• Ian Jackson tied his season high with three assists. Jackson did not score for the first time all season.
• Carolina’s 27 rebounds tied a season low, which was previously done against Hawai’i (also a victory).
• Pitt scored zero fastbreak points, the third time this season the Tar Heels have held an opponent to zero fastbreak points (American and Wake Forest).
• The game featured 13 lead changes (third most all season behind 17 in the win over Notre Dame and 13 in the loss to Stanford).
• There were also 11 ties, the fourth most in any game this season.

UNC-Pitt
• UNC is 18-9 vs. Pitt, including 8-3 in Chapel Hill (7-3 in the Smith Center).
• It was the first time in four games the Tar Heels defeated the Panthers in the Smith Center. Pitt’s three consecutive victories (in 2020, 2022 and 2023) equaled the second-longest streak by an opponent in the Smith Center.
• On January 28 at Pitt, Cadeau scored with 3:21 to play to give Carolina a 65-64 lead. The Panthers scored the game’s final nine points for a 73-65 Pitt victory.
• Today, Ven-Allen Lubin scored with 2:57 to play to give Carolina a 65-64 lead. Pitt regained the lead, 66-65, on a Jaland Lowe basket with 2:03 to play, but RJ Davis hit the go-ahead and game-winning shot with 52 seconds to play for the final points of the game.

Next Game: Monday, February 10, at Clemson (7 p.m., ESPN)

No room for mistakes today as the season is on the line.,Everybody needs to step up and play with pride and passion: Game on ESPNU at 4

...and I pretty much had most of this written by the under-8 of the 1st half --- and then the 2nd half proved my point.

- By the 3rd possession it was painfully clear that they had scouted and were anticipating all of our predictable horizontal actions. Their guys were simply ignoring anything vertical and opening up to passing lanes.

- And when we got 1/5 and/or 5/1 mismatches on like 8 different occasions before the under-8, instead of letting those guys take advantage, we've got other guys running around in semi-crcles or crossing the ball-handler and getting in the damn way. For pete's sake, opponents can see our "zoom" actions coming down I-40.

- But there's a LARGER question: Why in the hell would you start our smallest iineup against the biggest team in D1 unless you're gonna PRESS? And why use mid-post doubles on Flagg when it just opens up shooters without stressing the ball to any degree?

- Those questions were made even more poignant when, in the second half --- LO AND BEHOLD --- we legitmately went MULTIPLE, mixing Zone and 40, and mostly successfully. Of course we stubbornly waited until precious minutes had ticked off. Still, we beat them by 5 in the 2nd half and believe me, dook was NOT coasting. I'm not into moral victories --- I'm into LEARNING --- and all I can hope is the staff damn well learned something for the rest of the schedule.

- We also eventually played our best offensive ball late when we started using VERTICAL initiations from the key. Some of the actions that got Drake in space for a vertical drive, for example, worked very well.

- But back to the defensive end, look, us trying to be stubbornly in Man vs dook is a loser. For one thing, bless his heart, there is nobody in the dook rotation that RJ can guard --- and hoo-buddy, they exploited that every chance they got.

- Finally, when I wrote that pissed-off abbreviated post after PItt, I neglected to mention the point that this team thus far has had NO IDENTITY. I did notice that @gunslingerdick picked up my slack in the replies and he was spot on. And we've also got Frosh wings making Frosh mistakes on top of our size deficit. My point is, we at least got a glimpse of what this team's identitiy SHOULD be --- be MULTPILE and aggressive from the tip, and on offense, stop with all the called weaves, etc and let play-makers make plays TOWARD the rim. Moreover, make teams guard US in the inevitable mismatches we can create.

- Oh, and one last thing --- once we started showing a defensive identity, ain't it amazing how suddenly the size deficit didn't matter quite as much when we weren't a damn SITTING DUCK anymore, huh? And I'm gonna tell ya, Wash and Lubin started holding their own in the trenches. And I'm also gonna mention that Tyson acquitted himself quite well, and helped mitigate the size thing a bit.

Anyway, there it is. This OUGHTA be a epiphany moment for Hubert. I mean, geez, you gotta know we're starting any game at HIS with a 10-point deficit just from the "treatment" we're gonna get (and did), so why put yourself at a further disadvantage by playing right into their strengths? Fact is, we have personnel who were MADE to be multiple and aggressive --- NOT to be stuck in Man defense. On the other end it's about NOT making ourselves predictable and easy to guard. Stop dicking around horizontally on the perimeter and stress the damn rim. We've got a week to learn. Will we? We'll see...

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/44/american-university-eagles

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Pittsburgh Panthers​

14-8, 5-6 Conference
ESPNU
2/8
4:00 PM

North Carolina Tar Heels​

13-10, 6-5 Con



NCAA College Basketball Odds, Betting Lines & Point Spreads



Contest Rules:

Contest #1: Total points for entire season
Contest #2: Reset: Total points after game #15
Contest #3: Final Four Pool Bracket (Top 64 players)
Contest #4 Grand Prize: Total points ACC and NCAA tournaments games through title game (contest continues even if UNC eliminated)
Contest #5 Early Season Non-Conference Contest


Bullet Points!
For the first 20 games, three (3) Bullet points will automatically be added for any player that forgets to post a prediction for a game. Thus, as long as a player posts a prediction for at least one game, he will receive 3 points for all games that he fails to make a prediction. This is applicable even if he does not make his first prediction until the 20th game of the season. In this case, he will still get 60 points for the first 20 games that he failed to make a prediction for. Bullet Points will be automatically added. You do not have to request them.


Points Awarded Per Game
36 pts--Max points, Quadruple points game
27 pts--Max points, Triple points game
18 pts--Double points game
12 pts--Partial points, Quadruple points game
9 pts--Partial points, Triple points game
6 pts--Partial points, Double points game
3 pts--automatic points for any game missed (you failed to make a prediction) in first 20 games


Contest #1 Prizes
1st Place - 1-Year Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
2nd Place - 6-Month Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
3rd Place - 3-Month Subscription to Premium
4th Place-- 3-Month Subscription to Premium

Contest #2 Prizes
1st Place - 1-Year Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
2nd Place - 6-Month Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
3rd Place - 3-Month Subscription to Premium
4th Place-- 3- month Subscription to Premium

Contest #3 Prize - 6-Month Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize

Grand Prize (Contest #4)
Post Season Contest
Top 15 players in Contest #1 and # 2
ACC and NCAA Tournaments games through title game (contest continues even if UNC eliminated)
Prizes: Large Flat Screen TV, Laptop or Tablet (winner option)

Contest #5 Early Season Non-Conference Contest

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/44/american-university-eagles

Login to view embedded media

Pittsburgh Panthers​

14-8, 5-6 Conference
ESPNU
2/8
4:00 PM

North Carolina Tar Heels​

13-10, 6-5 Con



NCAA College Basketball Odds, Betting Lines & Point Spreads



Contest Rules:

Contest #1: Total points for entire season
Contest #2: Reset: Total points after game #15
Contest #3: Final Four Pool Bracket (Top 64 players)
Contest #4 Grand Prize: Total points ACC and NCAA tournaments games through title game (contest continues even if UNC eliminated)
Contest #5 Early Season Non-Conference Contest


Bullet Points!
For the first 20 games, three (3) Bullet points will automatically be added for any player that forgets to post a prediction for a game. Thus, as long as a player posts a prediction for at least one game, he will receive 3 points for all games that he fails to make a prediction. This is applicable even if he does not make his first prediction until the 20th game of the season. In this case, he will still get 60 points for the first 20 games that he failed to make a prediction for. Bullet Points will be automatically added. You do not have to request them.


Points Awarded Per Game
36 pts--Max points, Quadruple points game
27 pts--Max points, Triple points game
18 pts--Double points game
12 pts--Partial points, Quadruple points game
9 pts--Partial points, Triple points game
6 pts--Partial points, Double points game
3 pts--automatic points for any game missed (you failed to make a prediction) in first 20 games


Contest #1 Prizes
1st Place - 1-Year Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
2nd Place - 6-Month Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
3rd Place - 3-Month Subscription to Premium
4th Place-- 3-Month Subscription to Premium

Contest #2 Prizes
1st Place - 1-Year Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
2nd Place - 6-Month Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize
3rd Place - 3-Month Subscription to Premium
4th Place-- 3- month Subscription to Premium

Contest #3 Prize - 6-Month Subscription to Premium, plus miscellaneous prize

Grand Prize (Contest #4)
Post Season Contest
Top 15 players in Contest #1 and # 2
ACC and NCAA Tournaments games through title game (contest continues even if UNC eliminated)
Prizes: Large Flat Screen TV, Laptop or Tablet (winner option)

Contest #5 Early Season Non-Conference Contest

ESPN began ignoring and then often downgrading, even trashing, the ACC. In contrast, CBS Sports remains fair to the ACC, as is seen in this article on signing day, which is subtitled: Bill Belichick's Tar Heels had two big flips Wednesday.

Looking at the Wiki on Tony Bennett, I saw this bit


Freshmen and new transfers make that assessment harder, but I think a few of our guys could answer that "yes." Especially if you divide the question into offense and defense.

What do you think?

Here's my take. Feel free to reuse the table with your own answers.

Is it televised somewhere? Can’t find it at 4 pm on my Spectrum cable listing in Charlotte.