Kentucky will play Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic
Basketball scheduling news is starting to trickle out. According to Jeff Goodman, Kentucky will play Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, December 21, likely at Madison Square Garden. North Carolina and UCLA will face off in the other game of the doubleheader.
Kentucky is 5-5 in the CBS Sports Classic, most recently beating North Carolina 87-83 in Atlanta in December 2023. The Cats have only played Ohio State twice in the event, losing both times, first in Brooklyn in December 2015 and again in Las Vegas in 2019. From BigBlueHistory.net:
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/20/2014 | UCLA | W | 83 – 44 | CBS Sports Classic (at Chicago, IL) |
| 12/19/2015 | Ohio State | L | 67 – 74 | CBS Sports Classic (at Brooklyn, NY) |
| 12/17/2016 | North Carolina | W | 103 – 100 | CBS Sports Classic (at Las Vegas, NV) |
| 12/23/2017 | UCLA | L | 75 – 83 | CBS Sports Classic (at New Orleans, LA) |
| 12/22/2018 | North Carolina | W | 80 – 72 | CBS Sports Classic (at Chicago, IL) |
| 12/21/2019 | Ohio State | L | 65 – 71 | CBS Sports Classic (at Las Vegas, NV) |
| 12/19/2020 | North Carolina | L | 63 – 75 | CBS Sports Classic (at Cleveland, OH) Originally scheduled vs. Ohio State but changed due to Covid-19 testing protocols |
| 12/18/2021 | North Carolina | W | 98 – 69 | CBS Sports Classic (at Las Vegas, NV) Originally scheduled vs. Ohio State but changed due to Covid-19 |
| 12/17/2022 | UCLA | L | 53 – 63 | CBS Sports Classic (at New York, NY) |
| 12/16/2023 | North Carolina | W | 87 – 83 | CBS Sports Classic (at Atlanta, GA) |
There will be more than one familiar face on the opposing sideline this year. Former Kentucky assistant Joel Justus is now the associate head coach of the Buckeyes under first-year head coach Jake Diebler. Aaron Bradshaw also transferred to Ohio State in April after one season at Kentucky. The 7-footer averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game last year under John Calipari. Now, he’ll face his old school under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden, albeit an entirely new squad with a new coach.
The CBS Sports Classic will take place one week after Kentucky’s game vs. Louisville at Rupp Arena. Here is the non-conference schedule as we know it:
- Tue., Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic, Atlanta)
- Sat., Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Seattle)
- Sat., Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena)
- Sat., Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic, New York City)
- TBD: ACC/SEC Challenge
- TBD: Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena)
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