North Carolina vs. Kentucky: 5 biggest storylines for 2020-21 showdown
5. Two of college basketball’s most storied programs will meet for the 41st time
There is no end to the history that lines up on the court when these two programs meet. They have combined for 14 NCAA Tournament Championships, 37 Final Four appearances, and 109 NCAA Tournament appearances – and have accumulated a combined record of 4600-1537.
The Tar Heels and Wildcats will meet for the 41st time in the history of this rivalry, where North Carolina owns a 24-16 all-time edge over Kentucky. UNC is the only Div. I program that has 10 or more wins over Kentucky – while still maintaining a winning record.
The series dates back to 1924 when the Tar Heels picked up a 41-20 win – and since then, has become one of the most anticipated showdowns in any season. The two programs have produced some of the best collegiate basketball games of the past decade.
Two of those games came during the 2016-17 season. The first was in the CBS Sports Classic, in a back-and-forth high scoring affair that Malik Monk set a Kentucky freshman record with 47 points – and drain a go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left to lead the Wildcats past UNC, 103-100.
The two teams would meet again later in the season in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament – and again, it produced another back-and-forth affair. North Carolina exacted revenge, however, scraping by Kentucky on a Luke Maye game-winner with 0.3 seconds left to advance, 75-73 – and eventually go on to win the national championship.
The two programs have met just once since those games, in the 2018 edition of the CBS Sports Classic. Kentucky ranked 19th nationally, got out to a nine-point lead at halftime, and never allowed the Tar Heels to regain the lead in the second stanza, claiming an 80-72 victory.
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Despite the Tar Heels owning a dominant 24-16 all-time edge over the Wildcats, they have never beaten Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic. Despite the offensive woes of both teams, this match-up should produce yet another all-time classic in the series – and one that could be monumental for both teams this season.