Missing two starters, UNC basketball rolls over Pitt anyway

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— UNC star freshman Caleb Wilson was as animated as ever on Saturday afternoon. He played dribbling games with his teammates in warmups. He signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans before the game and, after tipoff, could be seen flexing after dunks and debuting a number of other celebrations in coordination with his teammates’ baskets.

He did it all from the sideline, seated not far from Henri Veesaar. Both big men were unavailable against Pittsburgh — Wilson due to a fractured left hand (no known timetable, per UNC) and Veesaar due to an illness, although he’s also dealing with a slight lower-body injury.

With both Wilson and Veesaar sidelined, No. 11 North Carolina handled business against Pittsburgh with a 79-65 win. The injury-riddled Panthers (9-17, 2-11 ACC) entered Saturday’s contest at the Smith Center having dropped four straight ACC games.

Make that five thanks to double-digit outings from Zayden High, Jarin Stevenson, Luka Bogavac and Seth Trimble, all of whom scored 15 or more on Saturday for the Tar Heels (20-5, 8-4 ACC). The four combined for 68 of UNC’s 79 points.

North Carolina freshman point guard Derek Dixon rebounded from a poor outing against Miami, leading the team with six assists and six rebounds on Saturday. He only scored three points but looked much more comfortable captaining the offense. He finished with just one turnover.

Here are some observations from UNC’s win:

Tar Heels make do without Wilson, Veesaar

North Carolina knew, by Thursday afternoon, that it would be without Wilson.

But a second blow, for Saturday’s contest, soon followed as Veesaar fought through a lingering illness. During Tuesday’s loss to Miami, Veesaar could be seen receiving lower-body treatment on the bench. He’s being monitored for a lower-extremity injury and was seen Saturday morning wearing a bit of tape on his left ankle. The main cause for concern, though, was whatever sickness the Estonia native had been suffering from since the team returned from its trip Tuesday night.

There’s simply not enough space here to list all the many ways Veesaar and Wilson — who both started the first 28 games — impact this team. The freshman from Atlanta led UNC in four major statistical categories, while Veesaar averaged 16.4 points and nine rebounds a game.

Without the fantastic frontcourt duo, North Carolina was outrebounded, 32-27. But the Tar Heels did pick up their transition game significantly.

On Tuesday at Miami, UNC scored just one basket on the fastbreak and it came from a freshman with a broken hand. This Pitt contest was much more indicative of the pace the Tar Heels, albeit shorthanded, want to play. It’s even more impressive considering Veesaar and Wilson’s impact in that area, with their ability to pull down defensive rebounds with ease and outlet pass.

UNC scored 16 points in transition on Saturday, compared to four for Pitt.

Hot starts for Bogavac, Stevenson

Given all the injuries to the Tar Heels’ frontcourt, it was clear the guard corps needed to step up Saturday.

Bogavac was the first backcourt baller to answer the call, putting up 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting in UNC’s first 10 minutes of play against Pitt — more than he scored against Duke and Miami combined. Two of those early buckets on Saturday were 3-pointers, and he also added three assists during that time.

The Tar Heels as a whole got out to a hot start, making all of their first eight attempts from the floor. Stevenson also provided an offensive punch early. The Alabama transfer led UNC with 14 points in the first half, providing plenty of aggression and confidence on offense — aspects he felt were missing from UNC’s “hangover” loss at Miami earlier this week.

Stevenson and Bogavac only combined for 10 points after the break, but their combined 24 first-half points helped UNC establish a crucial early lead over Pittsburgh.

High earns first start, scores career high

High earned his first start on Saturday afternoon. He tipped off, opened the game with a hookshot jumper and finished with a career-best 15 points, 11 of which came after halftime.

The sophomore’s career at UNC has not been without controversy. As The N&O reported last year, High was suspended from the team for violating campus policy on sexual exploitation.

When asked at ACC Tipoff in October about why High was brought back following his suspension, Davis stated, “The only thing that I can say is that Zayden is officially a part of the team.”

But Davis did elaborate then on what he thought High could bring to the Tar Heels’ arsenal.

“He’s a versatile big that can do a number of things out there on the floor,” Davis said back in October. “Defensively, he can guard multiple positions. He’s an excellent rebounder. He’s a great offensive rebounder. Has the ability to shoot the ball from the outside, but also he’s a willing and instinctive passer.”

The Smith Center saw that, in particular, during one second half stretch in which High scored six straight points for the Tar Heels in just over a minute of time. Dixon assisted on two of those buckets, including one highlight-worthy sequence that began with a Dixon steal and ended with a High dunk on the other end.

Both times High checked out of the game, he was greeted with applause from the home crowd, grateful for his production with the team’s top two forwards unavailable.

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