In the first game of the CBS Sports Classic, Ohio State faces off against North Carolina basketball. Can the Tar Heels avoid losing back-to-back?
Matchup: North Carolina Tar Heels (10-2, 0-0 ACC) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 2-0 Big Ten)
Tip-time: Saturday, Dec. 23, 1:30 p.m. ET
TV schedule: CBS
Arena: Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana
The CBS Sports Classic has been an annual non-conference event since 2014 and is one of the more prestigious events of the year. Along with Kentucky and UCLA, these two teams take turns each year playing one another as part of a doubleheader televised on CBS during the holiday season.
North Carolina (10-2) is coming off a shocking home loss to SoCon foe Wofford. The Terriers led the entire second half and withstood every Tar Heel run. Fletcher Magee had another great game for the Terriers with 27 points, but it was Cameron Jackson that provided the second option offensively, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Joel Berry led the Tar Heels with 23 points, and Luke Maye had 17 and 14 although it was on 4/16 shooting. The good news for coach Roy Williams from this game was that Pitt grad transfer Cam Johnson scored 10 points off the bench in his first game back. They’ll now be heading to Louisiana for this neutral site game.
Ohio State (10-3) has done well so far this season in what was supposed to be a “rebuilding season” under first-year coach Chris Holtmann. A big part of this surprising season has been the return of Keita Bates-Diop, who missed most of last year with an injury. This year, he’s leading the Buckeyes with 18.2 ppg and 8.9 rpg. Other upperclassmen like C.J. Jackson and Jae’Sean Tate have also contributed to the 10-3 early record.
The current winning streak for Ohio State is up to five after beating The Citadel earlier in the week, 94-65. Bates-Diop and Williams each had 17 to lead the way.
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For Ohio State to have any chance to win this game, Bates-Diop has to outplay UNC’s Maye down in the post. The Buckeyes just don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Tar Heels and is an average shooting team overall. Ohio State will certainly put up a fight, but will likely come up short.
Prediction: North Carolina: 76 – Ohio State 68