Mar 17, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis coaches during the First Four Practice at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

UNC Men’s Hoops Schedule Breakdown: Ohio State

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Saturday, December 20, is when the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, Georgia, inside the home of the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. The Tar Heels won their last matchup against the Buckeyes, 89-84, during the 2022-2023 season, the year following Head Coach Hubert Davis' magical run to the national championship in his first year of leading the program.

UNC was trailing at halftime, 44-35, but then came back firing with a 44-point second-half to get back in the game. However, the Buckeyes were able to keep everything tight, as the two schools went down at the end with time expiring.

Former Tar Heel, Pete Nance, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, took the last shot of regulation down 79-77, and a cross-court inbound pass from another former Tar Heel, Leaky Black, found the hands of Nance as he took a fadeaway shot, leaning to the right, and just barely converting in time with seconds remaining on the clock. From then on, UNC was able to take control during overtime, leaving Madison Square Garden with the victory.

How Did Ohio State Perform Last Season?

Head Coach Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes completed the 2024-2025 campaign with a record of 17-15 in overall and 9-11 in the Big 10. Ohio State finished with the following home, away and neutral records, respectively: 11-6, 4-7, 2-2.

Some of the notable wins were against Rutgers, then-ranked No. 4 Kentucky, then-ranked No. 11 Purdue, and then-ranked No. 18 Maryland. Coach Diebler and the Buckeyes' season came to an end after playing Iowa during the Big Ten Tournament, as an NCAA Tournament appearance was not in their cards, despite the ranked wins.

Ohio State had a handful of scorers, four who recorded above 13 points per game last season. Bruce Thornton (17.7), Devin Royal (13.7), Micah Parrish (13.3) and John Mobley Jr. (13) led the way for Coach Diebler's squad. As a whole, the Buckeyes scored 78.8 points, grabbed 33.7 rebounds and had 13.2 assists per game, while also shooting 46.6% from the field, 74.8% at the charity stripe, along 36.8% from the three-point line.

The North Carolina Tar Heels will be heading into an exciting game against Ohio State, as the two will get to duke it out in an NBA arena at the end of the year.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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