North Carolina vs. Kentucky: 5 biggest storylines for 2020-21 showdown
The opening game of the CBS Sports Classic will feature two blue bloods that have a lot to prove in North Carolina and Kentucky – with storylines aplenty.
With the slate changed for the CBS Sports Classic due to COVID-19 testing protocols, the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kentucky Wildcats will now meet in the opening match-up of the 2020 CBS Sports Classic. Both teams are enduring sluggish stretches, to say the least – and both could desperately use a win.
After a solid start to the season, the Tar Heels (4-2) have struggled as of late. They picked up Maui Invitational wins over UNLV and Stanford before losing to Texas in the championship game on a game-winner with 0.1 seconds left – decidedly, nothing to be ashamed of. But the Tar Heels fell victim to a sharp-shooting Iowa team, giving up 17 three-pointers en route to losing by 13.
Even worse, UNC is coming off a narrow six-point home win over N.C. Central, 73-67. To UNC’s credit, they maintained a double-digit edge in the last ten minutes before N.C. Central drained back-to-back threes in the closing minute – but it was still a less than ideal showing against a team ranked 266th in KenPom.
The Tar Heels feature one of the most offensively-balanced rosters this season – seven different player average at least 6.5 points, with four averaging double-figures. Garrison Brooks – the Preseason ACC Player of the Year – and Armando Bacot comprise one of the best frontcourts out there – more on them later – but the guard play, comprised of two star freshmen, has been shaky.
There is not much to be said about Kentucky that is not already known. The Wildcats (1-4) have uncharacteristically stumbled to begin the season, dominating in their season-opener over Morehead State – but falling in their past four games.
Two of those came against good Richmond and Kansas squads, but their last two losses have been to mediocre ACC squads in Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. Their 17-point loss to a Georgia Tech squad that lost to Georgia State and Mercer was embarrassing, and the Wildcats were down by as much as 24 to Notre Dame – but their late-game comeback against the Irish might have been Kentucky’s most optimistic showing yet.
The architects of the Kentucky offense have been freshmen Brandon Boston Jr. (14.4 ppg and 6.2 rpg) and Terrence Clarke (13.8 ppg), as well as Wake Forest transfer Olivier Sarr (12.2 ppg), but the Wildcats have struggled to get consistent effort out of their recruiting class – which was the highest-rated incoming class ahead of the season.
These two teams met in the CBS Sports Classic in 2018 – more on that game later – when both teams were nationally ranked. Now, both teams will meet two years later with both striving for a season-defining win.