Kentucky vs. North Carolina: Everything to know

A monster blud-blood matchup is on deck as the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kentucky Wildcats face off in the CBS Sports Classic. The game will come after the conclusion of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ matchup with the UCLA Bruins. Both games can be seen on CBS and streamed online at cbssports.com.

Two of the nation’s most decorated programs, the Cats and Tar Heels have put together some memorable performances in the series’ history over the years. North Carolina has the series edge with a 24-15 overall record, but Kentucky has won five of the last eight meetings since John Calipari took the reins as head coach.

During Calipari’s tenure, John Wall made a statement to college basketball that Kentucky was back behind 16 points and seven assists in a 68-66 win in 2009. Brandon Knight lifted UK to its first Final Four under Calipari’s direction in the NCAA East Regional Finals with 22 points in 2011.

An Anthony Davis block with under five seconds to play gave the Cats a one-point (73-72) win over the Tar Heels during the 2012 national championship season.

Malik Monk hit eight three-pointers and scored a freshman-record 47 points in a thrilling 103-100 win in Las Vegas in the 2016 CBS Sports Classic.

This will mark the 25th time and seventh in a row the teams will meet with both ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. But for Kentucky, a win Saturday would mean a lot more since they’ve already suffered two debilitating losses this season and haven’t exactly impressed much in their eight wins either.

A win Saturday would be Kentucky’s first victory away from home this season, and it would mark the Wildcats’ third win in their last four games vs. North Carolina. It would also improve UK’s record to 3-2 in the CBS Sports Classic and 7-3 when playing in the United Center.

But more importantly, it would be Kentucky’s first win over a ranked opponent this season, not to mention one over a top-10 team, something the young Wildcats desperately need to change the course of their season.

Use this steam to keep track of everything related to the Wildcats’ clash with the Tar Heels.