Carolina plays No. 21 Kentucky in Las Vegas in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, December 18. Game time is 5:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30pm PT in Las Vegas). Tickets previously purchased for the UNC-UCLA and Kentucky-Ohio State games will still be honored for the UNC-Kentucky game.
Carolina was originally scheduled to play UCLA in this year’s Classic, which is in its eighth year. The UNC-Kentucky matchup was arranged after Ohio State and UCLA were unable to play due health and safety protocols. This is the second straight year UNC will play Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic in a late change of the schedule. Last season, the Tar Heels were slated to play Ohio State, but a change was made three days before tip to match teams from the ACC and SEC, which had similar Covid protocols.
About UNC
- UNC has won its last five starts allowing 58.0 points per game. No opponent has scored more than 63 points in those five games, the first time UNC has held the opposition to 63 or fewer points in five straight games since 2010-11. The last time UNC held six straight opponents to 63 or fewer points was 1984-85, when UNC did that in its final seven games.
- Carolina has won eight of its first 10 games for the first time since 2018-19.
- Carolina ranks in the top third in the ACC in numerous categories, including first in rebound margin, second in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and rebounding and third in assists and scoring.
- The Tar Heels are averaging 80.4 points, their highest average since scoring 85.8 per game in 2018-19. Carolina has averaged 80 or more points 21 times since the shot clock era began in 1985-86.
- The wins over UNC Asheville and Michigan marked the first time since December 2006 the Tar Heels held the opponents to 53 or fewer points in consecutive games.
- Caleb Love leads UNC in scoring (16.2 ppg), assists (39), three-pointers (21) and steals (16). The sophomore has more assists than turnovers in nine of the first 10 games.
- Love has made 21 three-pointers in the first 10 games. Last year as a freshman, Love made his 19th three in the Tar Heels’ 21st game against Louisville on February 20th.
- Armando Bacot is second in the ACC in field goal percentage (.619) and rebounding (9.8) and fifth in blocks (17). Bacot leads the ACC and is sixth in the country with six double-doubles. He has 24 in three seasons as a Tar Heel. Bacot is 19th in the nation in rebounding and 22nd in field goal percentage.
- Sophomore guards RJ Davis and Caleb Love are playing a combined 64.4 minutes game and averaging 29.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game. They are one-two on the team in three-pointers made – 21 by Love and 19 by Davis. They are shooting 44.0 percent from three (40 of 91).
- Five Tar Heels are averaging double figures in scoring this season. The last time five Tar Heels averaged 10 or more points was 2017-18.
- Five different Tar Heels also have scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Caleb Love has four 22-point games, Armando Bacot and Dawson Garcia each have three 20-point games, and Brady Manek and RJ Davis have two apiece.
About Kentucky
- Kentucky is 7-2. The Wildcats opened the season with a 79-71 loss to Duke in New York, won their next seven and are coming off a 66-62 loss at Notre Dame on December 11.
- The ‘Cats lead the nation in offensive rebound percentage (45.0%), are ninth in blocked shot percentage (5.2%) and 19th in offensive efficiency.
- Through games on Dec. 11, Oscar Tshiebwe led the nation in rebounding (14.4) and offensive rebounding percentage (25.2%) and ranked second in double-doubles (seven). He has grabbed double-figure boards in all but one game.
- Through games on Dec. 11, Sahvir Wheeler was second in the country with 7.7 assists per game. He has three games with double-figure assists.
- SEC Freshman of the Week (11/22)TyTy Washington is averaging 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He has two 20-point outings and scored in double figures in every game of UK’s seven-game winnning streak. Washington also has 10 assists over the last two games.
- Kellan Grady has a team-best 18 3s on 40.0% 3-point shooting. He as voted preseason All-SEC Second Team (media/coaches), is on the Jerry West Award preseason watch list and has the second-most returning points in college basketball (2,002).
- Keion Brooks is averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds per game and shooting 46.9% on the season. He’s scored in double figures in 5 games.
- In addition to its rebounding prowess, UK ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring margin (11th at plus 18.9) and blocks per game (18th at 5.8) through games on Dec. 11.
- Kentucky has never been reliant on the 3 under John Calipari. Even with more shooters at their disposal, this season is not an exception. So far UK is generating 21.6% of its points from beyond the arc, which is ranked 342nd in the country, and 29.1% of its attempts are from long range. Kentucky’s perimeter shooting is led by Kellan Grady, who has sunk 18 of 45 for a 40.0% clip thus far. TyTy Washington Jr. has added 11 treys. As a team, the Wildcats are connecting at a 30.2% rate, which is currently the lowest 3-point field-goal percentage under Calipari.
- Defense has always been a recipe for success for the Wildcats under John Calipari. The special ingredient: 55 points. Kentucky is a perfect 81-0 under Calipari when holding the opponent to 55 points or fewer, including 2-0 this season.
- Kentucky’s 64-39 record vs. opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in John Calipari’s tenure is impressive, but the Wildcats’ ability to beat all-comers can’t be overlooked. Under Calipari, UK is 282-56 vs. unranked competition, an .834 winning percentage.
UNC vs Kentucky
- Carolina is 25-16 all-time against Kentucky.
- Carolina is the only D-I program in the country that has 10 or more wins and a winning record against Kentucky.
- Carolina is 13-6 against Kentucky at neutral sites, including 2-1 in Charlotte, Greensboro and Louisville; 1-0 in Atlanta, Birmingham, Cleveland, College Park, East Rutherford, N.J., Memphis and Raleigh; and 0-1 in Chicago, Newark and Las Vegas.
- Carolina is 1-2 against Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats beat UNC, 103-100, in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 12/17/16. Malik Monk scored 47 and De’Aaron Fox had 24 points and 10 assists to offset a career-high 34 points by Tar Heel junior Justin
Jackson.
- That game was just the second in UNC history, and the first in a regulation-length game, in which the Tar Heels lost when scoring 100 points.
- The teams met in Memphis later that season in the 2017 NCAA South Region final, a game UNC won, 75-73, on a Luke Maye shot with 0.3 seconds to play.
- On 12/22/18 in Chicago, Carolina committed 18 turnovers that led to 23 points in an 80-72
Kentucky victory.
How to Watch
Time: 5:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Jamie Erdahl)
Stream: Paramount+
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Properties (Jones Angell, Eric Montross, Adam Lucas)
Slow Starts Continue to Plague Tar Heels