John Calipari’s Wildcats looking forward to matchup with 9th ranked Tarheels in CBS Sports Classic


By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today

Bruiser Flint doesn’t think it will take much to motivate Kentucky when the Wildcats take on No. 9 North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic Saturday in Atlanta.

“You always get excited not only when you play North Carolina but in these events,” the Kentucky assistant coach said earlier this week. “It’s always good to play against these opponents. If coaches have to motivate you to play in these type games, you’re going to be in trouble. I think the guys are excited about playing.”

Reed Sheppard collected 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists in Kentucky’s loss to North Carolina-Wilmington on Dec. 3 in Lexington. (Photo by Les Nicholson, Kentucky Today)

The 14th-ranked Wildcats are coming off an 81-66 win over Penn last Saturday and will play the first of two games against the Tar Heels before Christmas break. The Wildcats (7-2) are at Louisville Thursday.

Kentucky has compiled a 4-5 record in the prestigious event that began in 2014 and has been played at nine various venues. Three of those four victories in the classic were against the Tar Heels, including a 98-69 victory in Las Vegas two years ago. The other lone win in the event was against UCLA in 2014.

Overall, the two programs have split the past four games and North Carolina is the only school that has played Kentucky at least 10 times and has compiled a winning record against the Wildcats.

North Carolina coach Hubert Davis compared the current Kentucky squad to Tennessee, a team Davis and his squad defeated 100-92 on Nov. 29 at Chapel Hill.

“The way they score in terms of their pace I think is elite,” Davis said. “They’re really good in transition, not just off of a missed shot, a turnover, even after a made basket, they get the ball out quick and do an excellent job of pitching the ball ahead. They’re very efficient at scoring six to seven seconds of a possession. Our transition defense in this scenario is going to have to be really good, defensively.”

Davis also is aware of Aaron Bradshaw’s recent return to the court. Bradshaw had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in last week’s win over the Quakers.

“He gives them another asset on the offensive end,” Davis said. “As it has been for the first nine games, it will be a great challenge for us and we’re excited about it.”

The addition of Bradshaw gives Kentucky the post presence it has needed the season. The Wildcats had trouble defending Hunter Dickinson in an 89-84 setback to Kansas in the Champions Classic a month ago in Chicago.

Flint said the presence of Bradshaw, coupled with Ugonna Onyenso’s expected return to the floor, will help the Wildcats defend North Carolina standout Armado Bacot in the paint.

“Hopefully, we can handle him (better) because we have two guys who can match up with him,” Flint said. “We didn’t have that against Dickinson.”

In the opening game of a blockbuster doubleheader, UCLA will take on Ohio State at 3 p.m.

Gametracker: Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 5:30 p.m. Saturday. TV/Radio: CBS, UK Radio Network.


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