UNC and Kentucky to meet for 43rd time and fourth time in the CBS Sports Classic

R.L. Bynum,

By R.L. Bynum

Carolina and Kentucky, two of men’s college basketball’s best programs, will meet again next season.

The teams will tangle for the 43rd time, playing in Atlanta at the 10th annual CBS Sports Classic. The game will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game between UCLA and Ohio State, which starts at 3 p.m.

Both games will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

UNC is an event-best 6–3 in the event, with all three losses coming against Kentucky, the last a 98–69 Wildcats victory in Las Vegas on Dec. 18, 2021. Carolina’s only CBS Sports Classic win over UK was 75–63 in Cleveland on Dec. 19, 2020.

Ohio State is 4–4, Kentucky is 4–5 and UCLA is 3–5 in the event.

In last year’s event, the Tar Heels knocked off Ohio State 89–84 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.

It will be UNC’s first game in the Atlanta Hawks’ arena since the 2012 ACC tournament. The No. 1-seed and No. 4-ranked Tar Heels lost 85–82 in the championship game to No. 3-seed and No. 17 Florida State despite 21 points from Harrison Barnes.

The Hawks’ arena will be the seventh venue to play host to the CBS Sports Classic. Previous hosts before it was in Madison Square Garden last year were the home arenas for the Chicago Bulls (2014, 2018), the Brooklyn Nets (2015), the Vegas Golden Knights (2016, 2019 and 2021), the New Oreans Pelicans (2017) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2020).

Carolina leads the series with Kentucky 25–17. The programs have combined for 38 Final Fours and 11 NCAA championships. They are in the top two in winning percentage, NCAA tournament appearances, games and victories and in the top three in all-time wins.

UNC vs. Kentucky

UNC leads the series 25–17

DateLocationWinnerScore
Feb. 29, 1924AtlantaNorth Carolina41–20
Jan. 4, 1929Lexington, Ky.North Carolina26–15
Feb. 27, 1932AtlantaNorth Carolina43–42
Jan. 9, 1950Lexington, Ky.No. 2 Kentucky83–44
Dec. 18, 1959Lexington, Ky.Kentucky83–44
Dec. 13, 1960GreensboroNo. 20 Kentucky70–65
Dec. 17, 1962Lexington, Ky.North Carolina68–66
Dec. 9, 1963Lexington, Ky.No. 9 Kentucky100–80
Dec. 7, 1964CharlotteNo. 13 North Carolina82–67
Dec. 13, 1966Lexington, Ky.No. 6 North Carolina64–55
Dec. 12, 1967GreensboroNo. 7 North Carolina84–77
Dec. 7, 1968Lexington, Ky.No. 2 North Carolina87–77
Dec. 8, 1969CharlotteNo. 2 Kentucky94–87
Dec. 11, 1972Louisville, Ky.No. 13 North Carolina78–70
Dec. 10, 1973GreensboroNo. 5 North Carolina101–84
Dec. 9, 1974Louisville, Ky.No. 15 Kentucky90–78
Dec. 8, 1975CharlotteNo. 4 North Carolina90–77
March 19, 1977College Park, Md.No. 5 North Carolina79–72
Dec. 26, 1981East Rutherford, N.J.No. 1 North Carolina82–69
Dec. 27, 1989Louisville, Ky.No. 24 North Carolina121–110
Dec. 10, 1990Chapel HillNo. 10 North Carolina84–81
March 25, 1995Birmingham, Ala.No. 4 North Carolina74–61
Dec. 2, 2000Chapel HillKentucky93–76
Dec. 8, 2001Lexington, Ky.No. 11 Kentucky79–59
Dec. 7, 2002Chapel HillNo. 18 Kentucky98–81
Jan. 3, 2004Lexington, Ky.No. 8 Kentucky61–56
Dec. 4, 2004Chapel HillNo. 9 North Carolina91–78
Dec. 3, 2005Lexington, Ky.North Carolina83–79
Dec. 2, 2006Chapel HillNo. 7 North Carolina75–63
Dec. 1, 2007Lexington, Ky.No. 1 North Carolina86–77
Nov. 18, 2008Chapel HillNo. 1 North Carolina77–58
Dec. 5, 2009Lexington, Ky.No. 5 Kentucky68–66
Dec. 4, 2010Chapel HillNorth Carolina75–73
March 27, 2011Newark, N.J.No. 10 Kentucky76–69
Dec. 3, 2011Lexington, Ky.No. 1 Kentucky73–72
Dec. 14, 2013Chapel HillNo. 18 North Carolina82–77
Dec. 13, 2014Lexington, Ky.No. 1 Kentucky84–70
Dec. 17, 2016Paradise, Nev.No. 6 Kentucky103–100
March 26, 2017MemphisNo. 6 North Carolina75–73
Dec. 22, 2018ChicagoNo. 19 Kentucky80–72
Dec. 19, 2020ClevelandNo. 22 North Carolina75–63
Dec. 18, 2021Las VegasNo. 21 Kentucky98–69
DateMonth/dayScoreOpponent/event
(current ranks)		Record
October
27FridayW, 117–53vs. St. Augustine’sExhibition
November
6MondayW, 86–70vs. Radford1–0
12SundayW, 90–68vs. Lehigh2–0
17FridayW, 77–52vs. UC Riverside3–0
Battle 4 Atlantis
in the Bahamas
22WednesdayW, 91–69Northern Iowa4–0
23ThursdayL, 83–81, OTVillanova4–1
24FridayW, 87–72Arkansas5–1
ACC/SEC
Men’s Challenge
29WednesdayW, 100–92vs. No. 6 Tennessee6–1
December
2SaturdayW, 78–70vs. Florida State7–1,
1–0 ACC
Jimmy V Classic
in New York
5TuesdayL, 87–67No. 1 Connecticut7–2
CBS Sports Classic
in Atlanta
16SaturdayL, 87–83No. 12 Kentucky7–3
Jumpman Invitational
in Charlotte
20WednesdayW, 81–69Oklahoma8–3
—————————
29FridayW, 105–60vs. Charleston Southern9–3
January
2TuesdayW, 70–57at Pittsburgh10–3, 2–0 ACC
6SaturdayW, 65–55at Clemson11–3, 3–0 ACC
10WednesdayW, 67–54at N.C. State12–3, 4–0 ACC
13SaturdayW, 103–67vs. Syracuse13–3, 5–0 ACC
17WednesdayW, 86–70vs. Louisville14–3, 6–0 ACC
20SaturdayW, 76–66vs. Boston College15–3, 7–0 ACC
22MondayW, 85–64vs. Wake Forest16–3, 8–0 ACC
27SaturdayW, 75–68at Florida State17–3, 9–0 ACC
30TuesdayL, 74–73at Georgia Tech17–4, 9–1 ACC
February
3SaturdayW, 93–84vs. No. 13 Duke18–4, 10–1 ACC
6TuesdayL, 80–76vs. Clemson18–5, 10–2 ACC
10SaturdayW, 75–72at Miami19–5, 11–2 ACC
13TuesdayL, 86–79at Syracuse19–6, 11–3 ACC
17SaturdayW, 96–81vs. Virginia Tech20–6, 12–3 ACC
24SaturdayW, 54–44at Virginia21–6, 13–3 ACC
26MondayW, 75–71vs. Miami22–6, 14–3 ACC
March
2SaturdayW, 79–70vs. N.C. State23–6, 15–3 ACC
5TuesdayW, 84–51vs. Notre Dame24–6, 16–3 ACC
9SaturdayW, 84–79at No. 13 Duke25–6, 17–3 ACC
ACC tournament
Washington
14ThursdayW, 92–67Quarterfinals:
Florida State		26–6
15FridayW, 72–65Semifinals:
Pittsburgh		27–6
16SaturdayL, 84–76Final:
N.C. State		27–7
NCAA tournament
21ThursdayW, 90–62First round in Charlotte:
Wagner		28–7
23SaturdayW, 85–69Second round in Charlotte:
Michigan State		29–7
28ThursdayL, 89–87Sweet 16 in Los Angeles:
No. 19 Alabama 		29–8

Key events, dates

Saturday, April 27, was the deadline for players to submit their names to the NBA draft
Wednesday was the deadline for players to enter the transfer portal
May 11–12 — NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago
May 12–19 — NBA Combine in Chicago
May 17–19 — Evaluation for high school players at NCAA-certified events (EYBL in Indianapolis is one of those)
May 29 at 11:59 p.m. — Deadline to withdraw from NBA draft and maintain college eligibility
June 16 at 5 p.m. — Deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft

UNC schedule so far

Nov. 8 — at Kansas (final AP rank No. 20; final NET ranking No. 19)
Nov. 22 — at Hawaii (final NET ranking No. 172)
Nov. 25–27 — Maui Invitational — Auburn (final AP rank No. 18; final NET ranking No. 5), Colorado (unranked; No. 25), Connecticut (No. 1; No. 2), Dayton (No. 24; No. 23), Iowa State (No. 8; No. 6), Memphis (unranked; No. 75), Michigan State (unranked; No. 24)
Dec. 14 — vs. La Salle (final NET ranking No. 195)
Likely in late November — Opponent TBA in ACC/SEC Challenge
December — vs. UCLA (final NET ranking No. 107) in CBS Sports Classic (date, location TBA)
December — vs. Florida (final NET ranking No. 29) in Jumpman Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center (date TBA)
— Games home and away against Duke, N.C. State and Pittsburgh
— Home games vs. Boston College, California, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
— Road games vs. Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Note: 2024 NCAA tournament teams are in bold.

Potential 2024-25 UNC roster

No.ClassPlayerPos.HgtWgt
—FreshmanJames Brown (4 star)56–8225
—FreshmanIan Jackson (5 star)26–4180
—FreshmanDrake Powell (5 star)26–5185
2Soph.Elliot Cadeau PG6–1180
1Soph.Zayden High46–9225
—JuniorCade Tyson36–7203
13JuniorJalen Washington56–10230
0JuniorSeth Trimble26–3195
5GraduateRJ DavisPG6–0180
Eligible for fifth season
24GraduateJae’Lyn Withers 46–9215
Walk-ons eligible for 5th season
14GraduateCreighton LeboPG6–1180
22GraduateRob Landry26–4190

Photo via @UNC_Basketball

Published by R.L. Bynum

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