It’s confirmed: the UNC basketball program is returning to Madison Square Garden
The annual CBS Sports Classic makes a return to New York City, featuring the comeback of Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball team at Madison Square Garden.
As reported by Jeff Goodman, North Carolina will participate in the CBS Sports Classic, facing off against UCLA in one of the two games. The venue for the event is confirmed, scheduled to be held at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2022.
This year’s games are set for Saturday, December 21. UNC will play against UCLA in the first game at 3:00 PM EST, followed by a match between Kentucky and Ohio State.
Fans of the UNC basketball team have fond memories of their last CBS Sports Classic appearance at The Garden, particularly the thrilling buzzer-beater by Pete Nance that forced overtime against Ohio State. UNC emerged triumphant with an 89-84 victory, with Armando Bacot’s outstanding performance of 28 points and 15 rebounds leading the way.
In previous CBS Sports Classic matchups, North Carolina has enjoyed success against UCLA, winning both prior meetings. The first encounter in 2014 saw the then No.11-ranked Tar Heels defeating the No.22-ranked Bruins with a score of 89-76. In 2019, the Tar Heels secured another victory, winning by a 10-point margin in Las Vegas.
Although initially scheduled to face UCLA in the 2021 event, the match was disrupted by COVID-19 protocols, leading to a matchup against Kentucky instead, the only team to have defeated them in this event.
Further details about the upcoming schedule for the UNC basketball team are emerging, indicating a challenging non-conference lineup for Hubert Davis’ squad. Davis has expressed his excitement about returning to the Big Apple, describing New York as a city they aim to visit regularly, reflecting his strong ties to the city from his professional career.
