Date, likely location for UNC’s CBS Sports Classic game with UCLA reportedly set

By R.L. Bynum

North Carolina already knew that UCLA would be its opponent in the CBS Sports Classic next season, but more details emerged on Monday.

Jeff Goodman reported, according to sources, the doubleheader, with Kentucky facing Ohio State in the other game, will be played on Dec. 21, likely at Madison Square Garden.

UNC has defeated UCLA in the previous two CBS Sports Classic meetings, with the No. 11 Tar Heels beating the No. 22 Bruins 89–76 in the inaugural year in 2014 at Chicago’s United Center and winning 74–64 in a battle of unranked teams in Las Vegas in 2019.


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Carolina was supposed to face UCLA in 2021 but the Bruins couldn’t play because of COVID-19 protocols and instead faced Kentucky.

UNC is 6–4 in the CBS Sports Classic, with all four losses coming against Kentucky. The lone Carolina win over Kentucky in the event came 75–63 in 2020 in Cleveland.

Carolina leads the all-time series with UCLA 11–3 and has won the last six meetings.

It’s the latest element of UNC’s schedule that has been revealed, including home games Nov. 4 vs. Elon and Nov.14 against LaSalle, road games No. 8 at Kansas and Nov. 22 at Hawaii, the Maui Invitational Nov. 25–27 (with Auburn, Colorado, Dayton, Iowa State, Memphis and Michigan State in the field) and the Dec. 17 Jumpman Invitational game at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center against Florida.

No.ClassPlayerPos.HgtWgt
8FreshmanCaleb Wilson (5 star)46–10215
5FreshmanIsaiah Denis (4 star)CG6–4180
3FreshmanDerek Dixon (4 star)CG6–5200
40SophomoreIvan Matlekovic57–0255
11SophomoreJonathan PowellG6–6190
2SophomoreJames Brown 56–10240
1SophomoreZayden High46–10230
44JuniorLuca Bogavac
(BO-guh-VAHTS)
W6–6215
4JuniorJaydon Young26–4200
13RS juniorHenri Veesaar
(VEH-sar)
57–0225
0JuniorKyan Evans16–2175
15JuniorJarin Stevenson46–10215
7SeniorSeth Trimble26–3200
Walk-ons
25SophomoreJohn Holbrook46–8230
32JuniorEvan Smith26–1195
6RS seniorElijah Davis26–3205

Former UNC players who transferred

PlayerClass next seasonPos.HgtWgtNext school
Elliot CadeauJuniorPG6–1180Michigan
Jalen WashingtonSeniorC6–10235Vanderbilt
Ian JacksonSophomoreG6–4190St. John’s
Cade TysonSeniorF6–7200Minnesota
Ven-Allen LubinSeniorC6–8230N.C. State

DateMonth/dayTimeOpponent/event
(current ranks)
TV/
record
October
24FridayL, 78–76vs. No. 16 BYU in SLCExhib.
29WednesdayW, 95–53vs. Winston-Salem St.Exhib.
November
3MondayW, 94–54vs. Central Arkansas1–0
7FridayW, 87–74vs. No. 11 Kansas2–0
11TuesdayW, 89–74vs. Radford3–0
14FridayW, 97–53vs. N.C. Central4–0
18TuesdayW, 73–61vs. Navy5–0
Fort Myers Tip-Off
25TuesdayW, 85–70vs. St. Bonaventure6–0
27ThursdayL, 74–58vs. No. 10 Michigan State6–1
DecemberACC/SEC
Men’s Challenge
2TuesdayW, 67–64at Kentucky7–1
—————————
7SundayW, 81–61vs. Georgetown8–1
13SaturdayW, 80–62vs. USC Upstate9–1
16TuesdayW, 77–58vs. ETSU10–1
CBS Sports Classic
in Atlanta
20SaturdayW, 71–70vs. Ohio State11–1
—————————
22MondayW, 99–51vs. East Carolina12–1
30TuesdayW, 79–66vs. Florida State13–1,
1–0 ACC
January
3SaturdayL, 97–83at SMU13–2, 1–1
10SaturdayW, 87–84vs. Wake Forest14–2, 2–1
14WednesdayL, 95–90at Stanford14–3, 2–2
17SaturdayL, 84–78at California14–4, 2–3
21WednesdayW, 91–69vs. Notre Dame15–4, 3–3
24SaturdayW, 85–80at No. 18 Virginia16–4, 4–3
31SaturdayW, 91–75at Georgia Tech17–4, 5–3
February
2MondayW, 87–77vs. Syracuse18–4, 6–3
7Saturday6:30vs. No. 4 DukeESPN
10Tuesday7 p.m.at MiamiESPN or
ESPN2
14Saturday2 p.m.vs. PittsburghESPN
17Tuesday7 p.m.at N.C. StateESPN or
ESPN2
21Saturday1 p.m.at SyracuseABC
23Monday7 p.m.vs. No. 24 LouisvilleESPN
28Saturday6:30 or 8:30vs. Virginia TechESPN or
ESPN2
March
3Tuesday7 p.m.vs. No. 20 ClemsonESPN or
ESPN2
7Saturday6:30at No. 4 DukeESPN
10–14Tues.-Sat.ACC
tournament
Spectrum Center,
Charlotte

Photo via @UNC_Basketball

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