UNC Basketball: The Tar Heels will face off against Kentucky in the 2023 CBS Sports Classic

CBS Sports announced this afternoon that UNC and Kentucky will face off this season in the 10th annual CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, GA. The last time these two teams faced off in the event was 2020 when the Tar Heels came away with a 75-63 win over the Wildcats.

For those who are invested in the tradition of the CBS Sports Classic, UNC, Kentucky, UCLA, and Ohio State all have a combined 26 national championships. While Ohio State only has one title, UNC accounts for six championships, Kentucky eight, and UCLA has the most with 11. It is also worth noting that UNC is currently the leader in Final Four appearances, second in program wins, and second in AP Top-Five appearances.

This game will be a really good test for a Carolina team that feels like it was put together overnight (despite it taking months to finally settle the roster). Only Armando Bacot and RJ Davis will be returning for the Heels as players that have played a high amount of minutes, though Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington both had notable moments during the 2022-23 season. As for Kentucky, their usual roster attrition has led to them having yet another team of highly-touted freshmen, the most notable of the bunch being D.J. Wagner. Seeing him go head-to-head with Elliot Cadeau could likely make this game must-see TV for any college basketball fan, but for each team it will serve as a barometer for where their two guards are at development-wise by the time December hits.

The CBS Sports Classic takes place on December 16th, and the first game of the evening will be Ohio State vs. UCLA at 3pm/ET. If you are interested in tickets, you can purchase them on August 16th by going to www.cbssportsclassic.com/tickets.