As North Carolina gears up for its final non-conference test before diving into ACC play, the Tar Heels are eyeing more than just a win-they’re chasing consistency. Ranked No. 12 and riding a four-game winning streak, UNC heads to Atlanta this Saturday to face Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic, looking to put together a complete 40-minute performance.
At 10-1, the Tar Heels have handled business on the scoreboard, but head coach Hubert Davis knows the results haven’t always told the full story. In recent wins over South Carolina Upstate and East Tennessee State, North Carolina didn’t hit its stride until after halftime. That kind of slow burn might work against mid-majors, but with the Buckeyes (8-2) on deck-and ACC play looming-UNC needs to flip the switch from the opening tip.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that we’ve consistently gotten off to slow starts,” Davis said this week. “But at times, we haven’t been consistent at the beginning.
We’ve had fast starts, then hit a four- or six-minute lull on both ends of the floor. We allow teams to come back.”
That’s the challenge Davis has been hammering home: sustaining intensity and execution for a full game. And with the level of competition ramping up, there’s no better time to put that goal into action.
Much of North Carolina’s early-season success has come on the back of freshman phenom Caleb Wilson. The Atlanta native has been nothing short of spectacular in his first 11 college games, averaging 19.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest. He’s scored in double figures every game and is trending upward, putting up 20.0 points and 11.0 boards over his last three outings.
Now, Wilson returns home for the first time in nearly half a year-though he’s not making a big deal out of it.
“I think it’ll be great. I haven’t been to Atlanta in five or six months, so it’ll be fun for sure,” Wilson said.
“But the atmosphere really doesn’t matter to me. I’m just going out there and playing my hardest.”
He’s not alone in powering the Tar Heels’ frontcourt. Sophomore big man Henri Veesaar has been a steady force, adding 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Together, Wilson and Veesaar give UNC one of the most productive interior duos in the country.
There’s also a chance the Tar Heels get a boost in the backcourt. Senior guard Seth Trimble, who’s been sidelined since Nov. 11 due to a broken forearm suffered in a weight-room accident, is progressing well in his recovery. While there’s no official word on his return, Hubert Davis noted earlier this week that Trimble is “progressing nicely.”
On the other side, Ohio State enters Saturday with a shot at a statement win. The Buckeyes already had one close call against a ranked opponent this month, falling 88-80 to No.
13 Illinois. But they bounced back in dramatic fashion last weekend, overcoming a 16-point hole to edge West Virginia 89-88 in double overtime.
This will be Ohio State’s second shot at a ranked team this season-and it comes in a familiar setting. The Buckeyes have been part of the CBS Sports Classic since it launched in 2014, using it as a key opportunity to sharpen their resume before Big Ten play.
“This is an event we look forward to every year,” said head coach Jake Diebler. “There’s a lot of teams in the country that aren’t playing 25 high-major games in a season, and it’s something that’s important to us. We’re excited about the opportunity for a big-time resume-building win in front of us.”
The Buckeyes haven’t had much success against North Carolina in this event, going 0-3 in previous matchups. But they’ll lean on senior guard Bruce Thornton to change that.
The Atlanta-area native is averaging 21.8 points per game and has been the engine of Ohio State’s offense. He’s supported by John Mobley Jr. and Christoph Tilly, both averaging 13.8 points.
Saturday’s matchup has all the ingredients of a December measuring stick: two high-major teams with postseason aspirations, a national spotlight, and a neutral-court atmosphere that feels anything but neutral for a pair of Atlanta-area stars returning home.
For North Carolina, it’s about proving they can bring the same energy in the first half as they do in the second. For Ohio State, it’s a chance to grab the kind of win that committee members remember come March.
Tip-off can’t come soon enough.