No. 21 Kentucky made a bold statement about its national relevance with a 98-69 win over North Carolina on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic as the Wildcats (8-2) notched their first win over a power conference opponent this season in emphatic fashion. UK shot 66.7% from the floor in the second half and 54.2% for the game as point guard Sahvir Wheeler poured in a game-high 26 points and dished out eight assists.
Armando Bacot led the Tar Heels (8-3) with 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting, but he didn't get much help on the perimeter. The Tar Heels made just 1 of 13 attempts from 3-point range after entering ranked seventh nationally in 3-point shooting at 40.9% for the season.
UNC staged a rally late in the first half to cut its halftime deficit to 40-29 after it trailed by 18, but Kentucky quickly squashed any thoughts of a comeback in the second half as Wheeler took over the game with his shifty ball-handling and ability penetrate off the dribble. He fell just one point short of matching his career high, which he set while playing for Georgia last season.
Transfer party
Kentucky loaded up on veterans via the transfer portal during the off season, snagging four players who had proven productive at their previous stops to bolster a roster that struggled under the weight of youth last season. Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick, a 3-point marksman, is likely out for the season with a hamstring injury, but the other three new transfers thrived Saturday. Wheeler, Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia) and Kellan Grady (Davidson) combined to score 60 points.
Grady's 18 points on just eight attempts from the floor marked his most-productive outing since the second game of the season. Tshiebwe also collected a team-high 12 rebounds to go with his 16 points, despite playing just 22 minutes after sitting the final 12:37 of the first half with two fouls. It was his eighth double-double in 10 games this season.
Outside shooting reversal
There was a glaring statistical difference between those teams entering the game. Kentucky ranked 291st in 3-point percentage at 30.2%. UNC, by contrast, was hitting 40.9% of its 3-point attempts, which was seventh nationally. But the roles were reversed Saturday, as Kentucky was 8 of 15 mark from 3-point range and UNC just 1 of 13.
UK's hot shooting from the outside -- and from the floor in general -- underscored North Carolina's defensive issues. After allowing 83.8 points per game in their first five games, the Tar Heels had allowed just 58 points per game over their last five contests entering Saturday. That stretch included a 72-51 win over Michigan.
But whatever strides the Tar Heels made defensively in recent weeks were seemingly erased in their worst defensive showing yet against the Wildcats.
Rebounding woes
Kentucky entered with the nation's best offensive rebounding percentage, according to KenPom.com. But North Carolina ranked second nationally in limiting opponents on the offensive glass. That made for a fascinating matchup on the glass, which the Wildcats dominated. Kentucky pulled down 17 offensive boards and converted them into a 15-6 edge in second-chance points. Tshiebwe is one of the nation's top rebounders, but he got help on the offensive glass as Wheeler, TyTy Washington, Jacob Toppin and Keion Brooks each pulled down two offensive rebounds apiece.
In essence, UNC failed in both 3-point shooting and defensive rebounding, which were the two statistical categories in which it was elite entering the game. With not even serviceable defense to fall back upon, the Tar Heels wilted.