No. 19 Kentucky and No. 9 North Carolina to Face Off in Chicago

There should be no shortage of firepower as Kentucky and North Carolina face off in the United Center in Chicago tonight. These two College Basketball powerhouses have failed to disappoint in recent matchups between the two. It should be two very good teams going right at each other.

Both teams sit at 8-2 coming into this highly anticipated matchup. Both coaches are looking to see significant strides made with final exams being out of the way. UNC sits at number 9 in the nation, while Kentucky sits at number 19.

UNC had great perimeter shooting last week against Gonzaga, but coach Roy Williams wants to see some of that transfer to the other end in this game. “The biggest gap of where we are now and where I think we can get to is on the defensive end,” Williams said.

Kentucky, on the other hand, ranks fifth nationally with a plus-12.9 rebounding margin per game. This should be key considering that the Tar Heels rely heavily on strong rebounding efforts.

Key Players: Luke May of North Carolina reached the 1,000 career point mark against Gonzaga, and leads the ACC in rebounds averaging 10.1 boards per game. Kentucky freshman guard Keldon Johnson should come in shooting with confidence after an 88-61 win over Utah. Another freshman guard in Ashton Hagans has moved into the Wildcat starting lineup as he leads the team with 3.1 assists per game.

North Carolina leads the all-time series 24-15. Kentucky has won 5 of 8 meetings since Calipari became head coach. UNC is favored by -3.5 and the O/U has been set at 170.