The Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for their final major non-conference test before Big Ten play begins, and it’s a big one-literally. On Saturday, they’ll face off against No. 12 North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, and the Tar Heels bring one of the most imposing frontcourts in all of college basketball.
To put it plainly: this North Carolina team is huge. According to KenPom, they’re the tallest team in the country with an average height of 79.5 inches.
That size isn’t just for show, either-it’s a core part of how they play and win. The Tar Heels start a 6-foot-10 small forward, a 6-foot-10 five-star freshman power forward, and a 7-footer anchoring the middle.
All three are logging heavy minutes, with each seeing close to or over 30 minutes per game. That’s a lot of length, and a lot of talent, for any team to deal with.
North Carolina leans into that size offensively. Nearly half of their scoring-43.2%-comes from the paint, where they average 34.9 points per game.
The engine behind it all? A dynamic frontcourt duo in Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar.
Wilson, a freshman, is already putting up double-doubles and is riding a streak of three straight 20-point games. He’s not just producing-he’s dominating.
Meanwhile, Veesaar is a force around the rim, cleaning up on both ends of the floor and giving opposing bigs all they can handle.
But the Tar Heels aren’t just a paint-bound powerhouse. What makes them even more dangerous is their ability to stretch the floor and run in transition.
Wilson can grab a rebound and push the pace himself, while Veesaar has the range to step out and knock down threes. That versatility makes them a matchup nightmare, especially for a Buckeyes frontcourt that hasn’t seen this level of size and skill combined yet this season.
That’s where A’mare Bynum comes in.
The freshman forward is coming off a breakout performance against West Virginia, where he dropped a career-high 17 points, grabbed 9 boards, and swatted 3 shots-all while playing 38 minutes and missing just four shots. It was the kind of performance that puts a young player on the national radar, and now he’s got a golden opportunity to build on that momentum against one of the best frontcourts in the country.
If Ohio State wants to hang with North Carolina, Bynum’s going to need to play a big role again-literally and figuratively. His physicality and motor have matched up well against tougher competition so far this season, and he’ll need to bring that same energy against the Tar Heels’ towering trio. He doesn’t have to win the matchup outright, but if he can hold his own, it gives the Buckeyes a fighting chance.
This will be the fourth time Ohio State and North Carolina meet in the CBS Sports Classic, with the Tar Heels having taken the previous three matchups. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. ET in Atlanta, and while the Buckeyes come in as underdogs, they’ve got a shot to make things interesting-especially if Bynum rises to the occasion.
This one’s going to be a battle in the paint, and it might just come down to which frontcourt blinks first.