Connect with us

Sports

Top takeaways after No. 11 North Carolina runs away from Pitt in first game without superstar Caleb Wilson

Published

on

Caleb Wilson is North Carolina’s best player and emotional leader; big man Henri Veesaar is North Carolina’s second-best player by every metric. UNC knew it was not going to have Wilson a fracture in his left hand was discovered earlier this week, but Veesaar was under the weather and was held out of Saturday’s home tilt against Pitt.

And yet, the 11th-ranked Tar Heels comfortably held off Jeff Capel’s Panthers 79-65 in a game that was not as close as the final score indicated without a starting front line that had been as dominant as any frontcourt in college basketball outside of Michigan, Florida and Arizona.

Pitt is one of the ACC bottom-feeders, but UNC played well and showed glimpses of the new way it’s going to have to win ballgames with Wilson sidelined indefinitely.

Advertisement

Michigan makes case to jump Arizona for the No. 1 spot in next AP Top 25 poll after dominant win over UCLA

Cameron Salerno

Michigan makes case to jump Arizona for the No. 1 spot in next AP Top 25 poll after dominant win over UCLA
Advertisement

Let’s dive into key observations.

Talented options shine in new roles

It’s time for Luka Bogavac to get it rolling. The international veteran had been shifted to a second-unit role, but he got re-inserted into the starting lineup and balled out with 15 points and four assists in 33 minutes. His individual creation is something this UNC offense needs to create some semblance of a jolt. 

Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson also shined in an expanded role. Stevenson didn’t shot-hunt at all. He just took what the defense gave him, and that resulted in 19 points on just seven shots. Stevenson drilled three triples and all four of his free throws. He played 36 turnover-free minutes. That’s exactly what the doctor ordered.

Advertisement

One guy can’t replace Wilson’s production, but Stevenson and Bogavac have to raise their level.

They did just that on Saturday. 

Can they do it again?

Don’t expect much on the offensive glass

UNC averages over 12 second-chance points, which ranks in the 77th percentile nationally, per CBB Analytics, thanks to the relentless effort from Wilson and Veesaar. 

Advertisement

Unsurprisingly, UNC was not able to be an impactful offensive-rebounding team against the Panthers. UNC totaled just six offensive rebounds on its 32 missed shots. That 18.8 offensive rebound rate is the second-lowest mark of the season for UNC.

The Tar Heels’ shot selection is going to have to be even better moving forward because those second-chance points that have fueled the Heels for long stretches this season is not going to be a strength while Wilson is on the mend. 

Dixon’s steady hand steers the ship

Ball control will be even more paramount for UNC without the offensive rebounding to serve as a buffer. That means a freshman like Derek Dixon just has to play clean basketball.

He was great against Pitt. He had seven assists and just one turnover. He got the ball where it needed to go and was super unselfish in setting the table for this group and getting the ball where it needed to go. Backup big man Zayden High delivered a career-high 15 points, but it was Dixon who expertly set up High left and right.

Advertisement

More of that, por favor.

Interior defense pros and cons

Pitt got whatever it wanted in the paint against UNC. The Panthers shot 13 for 20 at the rim and totaled 34 paint points. Pitt big man Cam Corhen got rolling early with some pick-and-pop treys and then started eating inside the arc on his way to a 23-point showing. He was terrific. UNC also struggled to contain versatile forward Roman Siulepa (14 points on 10 shots) for stretches.

It just is what it is with High as the primary shot-blocker. There’s just very little resistance when High and Stevenson are the primary interior defenders. 

But Saturday was the worst it could be. Veesaar’s return is imminent — he’s expected to suit up for Tuesday’s road tilt against rival N.C. State — and UNC’s defense needs its 7-footer on the floor as soon as possible. Wilson will be unquestionably missed, but Veesaar can keep UNC’s defense afloat with his interior rim protection and mobility on the perimeter. Thankfully for UNC, none of its next three opponents (NC State, Syracuse and Louisville) has that bruising center that you’re terrified of.

Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Beat the Streets rolls out to more UK locations

Published

on

By Kath Hudson    07 Mar 2026

Beat the Streets launches in five more locations this spring

Founded by Dr William Bird, it turns every journey into a game

Offering free participation, it has been proven to engage individuals from the most deprived communities

In 2025, social value was calculated at £321.80 per adult

Advertisement

Beat the Streets has announced plans to launch in a number of new towns this spring.

Bloxwich launched in February and will be followed by Colchester on 11 March. Hendon and Grangetown; Penzance and St Austell will all launch later this month.  

Beat the Streets turns towns and cities into a giant game with friendly competition to see how far an individual or their team can walk, run or cycle around their community, turning every journey into a game.

First introduced near Reading in 2013, it has now reached two million adults and children in more than 200 places across the world. 

Advertisement

It was the brainchild of Dr William Bird, who founded Intelligent Health in 2010 to create a world where every community is designed for health, and every individual has the agency and the environment to flourish. 

An analysis of nine programmes in 2024/25 showed that 40 per cent of registered participants came from the 20 per cent most deprived communities. Children from the most deprived areas (IMD 1–2), demonstrated a 7 per cent reduction in the proportion classified as less active and the rate of children achieving more than 60 minutes of daily activity increased by 8.4 percentage points. 

On average, programmes engage 12 per cent of the population and 68 per cent of adult players were women.

The social value was calculated at £321.80 per adult participant and extrapolated to 54,365 adult players this generated an estimated wellbeing value of around £17.5 million.

Advertisement

The game is free for all players and for partners purchasing the programme for their area, the average cost to engage a participant was £12.73 in 2024/25.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Free emblems, new cosmetics, and more

Published

on

Diablo 4 is collaborating with yet another major franchise in Season 12: Season of Slaughter. This time, the crossover is with Doom: The Dark Ages, bringing the Slayer’s aesthetic to Sanctuary through thematic rewards, premium cosmetics, and free emblems during a limited-time event.

This event will begin on March 11, 2026, at 10 am PT and is set to run until 10 am PT on March 18, 2026.


Everything we know about the Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration

Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

This crossover introduces the “most expansive earnable Reliquary yet” to Diablo 4 Season 12. During its run, players can battle enemies to earn Dark Ages Currency, a new currency tied to the Doom: The Dark Ages event.

Advertisement

To earn Dark Ages Currency, players must slay Elite and Champion enemies. The currency can then be spent on Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the event reliquary.

The reliquary contains 10 unique transmogs inspired by the Doom Slayer’s arsenal. Each cosmetic costs 100x Dark Ages Currency. Examples include:

  • Shield Saw cosmetic skin
  • Doom Slayer’s Flail weapon cosmetic

These items give your character a Doom-inspired makeover, perfect for facing Sanctuary’s demons.

Once you have acquired all the rewards, you will be able to claim the bonus Forsaken Gates Town Portal.

Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Doom Chests: Boss drops

In addition to the reliquary rewards, players can earn loot by engaging bosses. Lair Bosses in Season 12 have a chance of dropping Doom Chests, which contain Unique items with Doom Crucible-themed transmogs. This provides players with special cosmetic versions of gear and an incentive to challenge high-tier bosses in the Season of Slaughter.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12: The strongest builds, based on PTR meta

Advertisement

Free Doom: The Dark Ages emblems in Diablo 4 Season 12

Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard Entertainment is also giving away multiple free emblems during the event period via the in-game shop. You can claim them on the following dates and timings:

  • March 11, 12 pm PT – Dark Before the Dawn
  • March 13, 12 pm PT – Grandeur of the Gutted
  • March 15, 12 pm PT – Rip and Tear

These emblems are completely free; you only need to log in to the game in order to claim them.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12 PTR: Best builds for every class


Paid premium cosmetics

Alongside free rewards, you can also obtain optional paid cosmetics from the in-game shop starting from March 12, 2026, at 12 pm PT. The items include:

  • Doom Slayer Armor (cross-class armor set)
  • Mecha Dragon Serrat cat mount skin
  • Cacodemon pet

Blizzard has not yet confirmed the prices of these cosmetics. However, based on previous crossover cosmetics, they may range between $20 and $30 each.

Also read – D4 Lord of Hatred will bring back iconic crafting item from D2


The Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration will launch with Season 12: Season of Slaughter, which also introduces Bloodied Items, the Killstreak system, and the player ability to temporarily transform into The Butcher, complete with unique skills and gameplay mechanics.

Advertisement

Players will also be able to check out the new Paladin Class (from the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion) up to level 25. With free reliquary items, Doom cosmetics, and a Paladin class trial, Season 12 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet in Diablo 4.

For more details on Diablo 4 Season 12, visit the game’s official website.

youtube-cover

Check out our other guides related to the game: