Kentucky vs. North Carolina: Preview, Odds, How to Watch

It’s time for Kentucky’s next test under the bright lights, this time against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. The Cats are looking for their first Quad 1 victory of the season, a chance to start building a solid NCAA Tournament resume ahead of conference play.

They’ll do so down in Atlanta, tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET inside State Farm Arena on Saturday, Dec. 16. It comes in a city where Kentucky is 70-33 all-time — 7-4 since John Calipari became coach. And of those wins, every single one of them has led to a Final Four: three in the 2011 SEC Tournament, two in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and two in the 2014 SEC Tournament.

Needless to say, this is a big one.

How To Watch

No. 14 Kentucky (7-2) vs. No. 9 North Carolina (7-2)
5:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, December 16 | State Farm Arena

TV: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Jenny Dell)
Streaming: Fubo (Try for free) – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite and Premier plans for the first month
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
Online Radio: iHeart
Satellite Radio: Sirius 158 or 191
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Team Records

No. 14 Kentucky: 7-2 (KenPom: 22)

11/6: 86-46 W vs. New Mexico State
11/10: 81-61 W vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (Wildcat Challenge)
11/14: 89-84 L vs. No. 1 Kansas
11/17: 101-67 W vs. Stonehill (Wildcat Challenge)
11/20: 96-88 OT W vs. Saint Joseph’s (Wildcat Challenge)
11/24: 118-82 W vs. Marshall
11/28: 95-73 W vs. No. 8 Miami (FL)
12/2: 80-73 L vs. UNC-Wilmington
12/9: 81-66 W vs. Penn

No. 9 North Carolina: 7-2 (KenPom: 17)

11/6: 86-70 W vs. Radford
11/12: 90-68 W vs. Lehigh
11/17: 77-52 W vs. UC Riverside
11/22: 91-69 W vs. Northern Iowa
11/23: 83-81 L (OT) vs. Villanova
11/24: 87-72 W vs. Arkansas
11/29: 100-92 W vs. Tennessee
12/2: 78-70 W vs. Florida State
12/5: 87-76 L at UConn

Series History

North Carolina leads the all-time series 25-17, but Kentucky is 7-4 against the Tar Heels under John Calipari and 3-1 in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats earned their first win in the event when Malik Monk scored 47 points in a 103-100 win in Las Vegas during the 2016-17 season. UK then won 80-72 in Chicago in 2018-19 when Ashton Hagans tied the program’s single-game assist record with eight, followed by its most recent 98-69 victory in Vegas in 2022-23, Oscar Tshiebwe leading the way with a 16-point, 12-rebound effort. UNC’s lone win in the event came during the COVID season in 2020-21, a 75-63 final.

UNC is coached by Hubert Davis, who is in his third season as a head coach — all with the Tar Heels. He’s racked up a career record of 56-25.

Kentucky vs. North Carolina Odds

Spread: UNC -1
Total: 164.5 points

Kentucky Projected Starters

(Starting lineup based on the last game)

#21 – DJ Wagner
6-4 • 192 • GUARD • FRESHMAN
12.6 PPG, 3.8 APG

#12 – Antonio Reeves
6-6 • 195 • GUARD • SENIOR
18.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG

#3 – Adou Thiero
6-8 • 222 • GUARD • SOPHOMORE
7.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG

#1 – Justin Edwards
6-8 • 203 • FORWARD • FRESHMAN
9.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG

#4 – Tre Mitchell
6-9 • 231 • FORWARD • GRADUATE STUDENT
13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.9 APG

Head Coach: John Calipari (32nd season, 15th at UK) – 839-255 overall, 394-115 at UK

North Carolina Projected Starters

(Starting lineup based on the last game)

#2 – Elliot Cadeau
6-1 • 180 • GUARD • FRESHMAN
7.1 PPG, 4.1 APG, 1.6 RPG

#3 – Cormac Ryan
6-5 • 195 • GUARD • SENIOR
10.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.4 APG

#4 – RJ Davis
6-0 • 180 • GUARD • SENIOR
21.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.7 APG

#55 – Harrison Ingram
6-7 • 235 • FORWARD • JUNIOR
15.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.6 APG

#5 – Armando Bacot
6-11 • 240 • CENTER • GRAD SENIOR
15.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.9 BPG

Head Coach: Hubert Davis (3rd season at UNC, 3rd overall): 56-25

Statistical Comparison

(via Kentucky’s game notes)

Fun stats from UK’s game notes:

Kentucky is 4-5 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic, including 3-1 against North Carolina in the event.
The Wildcats lead the country with a 2.20 assist-to-turnover ratio. Four players have a 2.73 assist-to-turnover ratio or better and they all rank among the top 70 in the country.
Kentucky is dishing out 19.6 assists per game, which is the seventh-best in the nation. Four players have 30 or more assists (3.8 per game) thus far.
UK is shooting 41.4% from 3-point range which ranks fifth-best in the country. Reed Sheppard’s 59% from long range is the best in the nation.

Pregame Storylines

STOPPING RJ DAVIS

The fourth-year UNC guard has been on a tear this season, leading the team in scoring in each of the last five games with 133 total points against Villanova (23), Arkansas (30), Tennessee (27), Florida State (27) and UConn (26). That’s the most points scored by a Tar Heel over a five-game stretch since Tyler Hansbrough totaled 146 in 2008. He’s hit eight or more field goals in those five games, 17 of his buckets coming from three while hitting 35 of 36 free throws. No Tar Heel has led UNC in scoring in five consecutive games since Justin Jackson did it in six straight en route to ACC Player of the Year honors in 2017.

Top 10

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ARMANDO BACOT IS BACK

The 6-11 center is now ninth on UNC’s all-time scoring list with 1,952 career points. That’s because he’s been there since 2019, this being his fifth season in Chapel Hill. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors in 2022 and 2023 and could be on his way to a third straight, averaging a double-double once again (16-12). Bacot had 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks as a sophomore in the program’s only win over Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic in ’20. He then went for 22 points and 10 rebounds in UNC’s most recent loss in ’21.

UGONNA ONYENSO SET TO MAKE DEBUT?

A potential answer for Bacot? The return of Kentucky’s dynamic shot-blocker, who is physically healthy again for the first time since breaking his foot this summer. The 7-foot center returned to practice this week where he’s “done well,” according to assistant coach Bruiser Flint. “We’re looking forward to getting him out there,” he said. Onyenso had five multi-block games as a freshman last season.

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