After three games in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels head to Atlanta for the CBS Sports Classic, where they’ll face a potential NCAA Tournament team in Ohio State.
The Buckeyes carry an 8-2 record, a #40 KenPom ranking, and a #47 NET ranking. The two losses may be Ohio State’s most notable results of the season so far – for opposite reasons. OSU lost on a buzzer-beater to a bad Pitt team on Nov. 28 (currently rated as a Q3 loss by NET), then took a top 25-ranked Illinois squad down to the wire on Dec.
9 (it was a three-point game with just over a minute to go). In their most recent outing, the Buckeyes beat West Virginia in double overtime last Saturday after trailing by 14 in the second half.
Ohio State is led by Jake Diebler, who’s in his second full season as head coach and seventh with the Buckeyes. He was named interim head coach when Chris Holtmann was fired in February 2024 and secured the job permanently after winning six of his first eight games. Last season, the Buckeyes finished 17-15 and earned a bid to the inaugural College Basketball Crown, which they declined due to injuries and illness. OSU hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2022.
Saturday’s matchup between Carolina and Ohio State is the first since the 2022 CBS Sports Classic (which was played at Madison Square Garden). UNC trailed for most of that game before Pete Nance hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to send it to overtime, where the Tar Heels ultimately got the win. Whether or not this meeting is that close will likely depend on how well Carolina can contain Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton.
Thornton, a four-year starter for the Buckeyes (he scored 17 points against the Tar Heels in 2022), is one of the top-producing players in the country through his first 10 games. He’s averaging 21.8 points (eighth-most in Division I) on outstanding shooting splits: 60% from the field, 50% on threes, and 86% on free throws. The other parts of his game are strong as well; he averages 5 rebounds (third on the team), 4.4 assists (team leader) and 1.3 steals (team leader). What’s more, he’s remarkably durable – he never came off the floor against Illinois, and played 49 of 50 minutes against West Virginia. As of Thursday night, Seth Trimble’s status for this game remains unknown, but it would make a significant difference if he’s available to guard Thornton even for limited minutes.
Thornton’s partner in the backcourt is John Mobley Jr. Though less impressive by comparison, the sophomore’s numbers are solid: he averages 13.8 points (on 40/36/80 splits), 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. He’s the Buckeyes’ second option and most likely to shoot the three.
Ohio State’s frontcourt is anchored by senior 7-footer Christoph Tilly (13.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.8 APG), who transferred in after three seasons at Santa Clara. Alongside him are junior Devin Royal (13.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and fifth-year Wright State transfer Brandon Noel (8.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG). Noel is an interesting case, as he went off for 29 points in a win over Northwestern on Dec. 6 but scored a total of nine points against Illinois and West Virginia. His starting job could be in jeopardy if freshman Amare Bynum (8.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG), who’s been the first player off the bench for the Buckeyes, continues his upward trajectory; the former 4-star recruit had the best game of his young career against West Virginia, posting 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks.
As usual for this season, Carolina has a height advantage in the frontcourt (7’0”—6’10”–6’10” vs 7’0”–6’8”–6’6”), but it’s worth noting that Ohio State is heavier: Tilly weighs 240 pounds to Henri Veesaar’s 225, and Noel and Royal weigh 240 and 230 (Bynum also weighs 240) to Caleb Wilson and Jarin Stevenson’s 215 and 215. That could be an issue if the Buckeyes play physical.
Overall, this matchup feels similar to Georgetown: a winnable game against a good-but-not-great opponent. If the Tar Heels can assert themselves in the paint and limit opportunities for Ohio State’s guard tandem, it should be a successful trip south.
