University of North Carolina Athletics
Luka Bogavac
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Pitt Rapid Reactions
February 14, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the lone meeting with the Panthers.
By Adam Lucas
1. Carolina rolled past Pitt at the Smith Center, 79-65. Four Heels (Jarin Stevenson, Seth Trimble, Zayden High and Luka Bogavac) had at least 15 points.
2. The Tar Heels already knew they would be without Caleb Wilson, who is out an indefinite period of time with a fracture in his left hand. They also played without Henri Veesaar. That led to a starting lineup of Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon, Luka Bogavac, Zayden High and Jarin Stevenson.
3. And somewhat unexpectedly, with the Heels having endured some slow starts lately, that group hit their first eight shots and built a quick 18-8 lead in six minutes. Four different Heels scored those 18 points, including a pair of buckets from High and ten points from Bogavac.
4. It seemed fairly obvious that High would start with Wilson and Veesaar unavailable. But then Hubert Davis had to get creative with the rotation beyond that. Jonathan Powell was the first substitute off the bench, sliding Stevenson to the center spot. The Pittsboro native had a huge first half, scoring 14 points. Most importantly, High and Stevenson picked up just one foul between them in the first 20 minutes, which prevented the Heels from having to get too deep in the bench. Even with the limited personnel availability, UNC had an 8-5 lead in bench points.
5. Those 14 points for Stevenson in the first half were more than his full game production in all but two games so far this year. He finished with a season-high 19 and hit three three-pointers.
6. It's remarkable how much more confident and fluid High looked in extended minutes than he has looked in his shorter outings this year. Sometimes knowing they will be able to play through mistakes allows a player to relax, and that certainly seemed to be the case for High, who finished with a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds.
7. Seth Trimble had a good game, scoring 19 points and hitting nine of his eleven free throws. But the rest of the Tar Heel backcourt needs to be more productive. Against a tougher upcoming schedule, Carolina is going to need scoring from the perimeter. Derek Dixon did collect seven assists, five of them in the second half (with zero turnovers).
8. One way Carolina generated offense without Wilson and Veesaar was to push the tempo. The Heels won the fast break points category, 16-4.
9. Really, it was a case of the Tar Heels doing most all of the discipline and details, as Davis likes to say, very well. Even without their two best rebounders, they lost the overall rebounding battle but mostly did a good job of keeping Pitt off the offensive glass (just six on 29 missed shots). They mostly played defense without fouling to avoid giving up easy points at the free throw line (the Panthers attempted just six). They took care of the ball (just four turnovers). They mostly moved the ball and made open shots (9-for-25 from three) but didn't fall in love with three-pointers. Given the circumstances, it's hard to imagine a much better performance, even while recognizing the fact that Pitt has struggled this year.
10. Drake Powell got a well-deserved big cheer when he was shown on the video board during a first half timeout. Powell was in town because of the NBA All-Star break. The newest Charlotte Hornet, Coby White, was also at the game.
11. The Tar Heels now face a huge week that includes a road trip to NC State on Tuesday and a visit to Syracuse on Saturday. The status of Veesaar will be a big postgame question, as the Heels will need him in Raleigh.
1. Carolina rolled past Pitt at the Smith Center, 79-65. Four Heels (Jarin Stevenson, Seth Trimble, Zayden High and Luka Bogavac) had at least 15 points.
2. The Tar Heels already knew they would be without Caleb Wilson, who is out an indefinite period of time with a fracture in his left hand. They also played without Henri Veesaar. That led to a starting lineup of Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon, Luka Bogavac, Zayden High and Jarin Stevenson.
3. And somewhat unexpectedly, with the Heels having endured some slow starts lately, that group hit their first eight shots and built a quick 18-8 lead in six minutes. Four different Heels scored those 18 points, including a pair of buckets from High and ten points from Bogavac.
4. It seemed fairly obvious that High would start with Wilson and Veesaar unavailable. But then Hubert Davis had to get creative with the rotation beyond that. Jonathan Powell was the first substitute off the bench, sliding Stevenson to the center spot. The Pittsboro native had a huge first half, scoring 14 points. Most importantly, High and Stevenson picked up just one foul between them in the first 20 minutes, which prevented the Heels from having to get too deep in the bench. Even with the limited personnel availability, UNC had an 8-5 lead in bench points.
5. Those 14 points for Stevenson in the first half were more than his full game production in all but two games so far this year. He finished with a season-high 19 and hit three three-pointers.
6. It's remarkable how much more confident and fluid High looked in extended minutes than he has looked in his shorter outings this year. Sometimes knowing they will be able to play through mistakes allows a player to relax, and that certainly seemed to be the case for High, who finished with a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds.
7. Seth Trimble had a good game, scoring 19 points and hitting nine of his eleven free throws. But the rest of the Tar Heel backcourt needs to be more productive. Against a tougher upcoming schedule, Carolina is going to need scoring from the perimeter. Derek Dixon did collect seven assists, five of them in the second half (with zero turnovers).
8. One way Carolina generated offense without Wilson and Veesaar was to push the tempo. The Heels won the fast break points category, 16-4.
9. Really, it was a case of the Tar Heels doing most all of the discipline and details, as Davis likes to say, very well. Even without their two best rebounders, they lost the overall rebounding battle but mostly did a good job of keeping Pitt off the offensive glass (just six on 29 missed shots). They mostly played defense without fouling to avoid giving up easy points at the free throw line (the Panthers attempted just six). They took care of the ball (just four turnovers). They mostly moved the ball and made open shots (9-for-25 from three) but didn't fall in love with three-pointers. Given the circumstances, it's hard to imagine a much better performance, even while recognizing the fact that Pitt has struggled this year.
10. Drake Powell got a well-deserved big cheer when he was shown on the video board during a first half timeout. Powell was in town because of the NBA All-Star break. The newest Charlotte Hornet, Coby White, was also at the game.
11. The Tar Heels now face a huge week that includes a road trip to NC State on Tuesday and a visit to Syracuse on Saturday. The status of Veesaar will be a big postgame question, as the Heels will need him in Raleigh.
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/ Men's BasketballCarolina Insider: Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. Pitt – February 14, 2026
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