CBS Sports Classic 2016: Teams, Schedule, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Four of the top programs in college basketball will be in action Saturday in Las Vegas in the third annual CBS Sports Classic.

UCLA, North Carolina and Kentucky will all enter the event ranked in the top 10 in the country, with each squad having proved itself as a legitimate title contender this season with loads of talent. While Ohio State hasn't been quite as successful in 2016, the Buckeyes have had almost as much recent success as these other teams behind coach Thad Matta.

This should create a pair of exciting battles from T-Mobile Arena.

Ohio State vs. UCLA

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

When: Saturday, Dec. 17

Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Live Stream: CBSSports.com

Ohio State has had an up-and-down season, and it's hard to really know what to make of the team. The Buckeyes won their first six games, some in convincing fashion, then took Virginia to the wire in a 63-61 road loss.

Even in defeat, this group showed it can compete with the best in the country.

Of course, this was all ruined with a home loss to Florida Atlantic, proving inconsistency is still a major issue, just as it was a year ago.

Jae'Sean Tate has a lot of ability, but as a junior he still makes a lot of freshman mistakes on both ends of the court. He and others struggle with questionable shot selection that leads to problems throughout the offense. While the Buckeyes scored 111 points in a win over Marshall this season, the challenge has been replicating this success.

That has not been an issue for UCLA, which has one of the top offenses in the nation at an incredible 97.9 points per game. The squad has reached 100 points in five of 11 games while scoring at least 97 in three others.

The Bruins are led by one of the best point guards in the country in Lonzo Ball. The freshman has taken the country by storm with his ability to run an offense, finding teammates all over the court while averaging 8.6 assists per game.

Nick Martin of Deadspin called him "one of the best things in college basketball." Matt Giles of FiveThirtyEight said he is a "unique, must-watch star." Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated has also been impressed:

His level of play has led to a rise in stock at the NBA level, with DraftExpress now projecting him as the No. 4 overall pick for the 2017 draft.

As much hype as Ball has had, he isn't the only player lighting up the scoreboard for the Bruins, with six players averaging at least 11 points per game. Freshman T.J. Leaf has been a versatile scorer both inside and out, while guards Isaac Hamilton, Bryce Alford and Aaron Holiday are all capable of carrying the offense on a given night.

After scoring 97 points in a road win over Kentucky, it was clear this is a team that should no longer be questioned.

A bigger guard like Ohio State's JaQuan Lyle could give Ball problems, but it will be a serious challenge for the Buckeyes to keep this entire unit in check for 40 minutes.

North Carolina vs. Kentucky

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

When: Saturday, Dec. 17

Time: 5:45 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Live Stream: CBSSports.com

North Carolina has had a strong start to the season with a 10-1 record, the only loss coming on the road to Indiana. However, serious question marks arose with Joel Berry II on the bench.

The junior point guard suffered a sprained ankle earlier this month and has missed the last two games. The most recent win over Tennessee wasn't the prettiest, with the Tar Heels overcoming a 15-point deficit to survive 73-71.

"That’s the luckiest I've ever been in 1,003 games," head coach Roy Williams said after the game, per Mike Griffith of SEC Country.

"They played better than we did," the coach added, "but we did make a couple of good plays down the stretch, but you've got to play more intelligent."

Berry provides a lot of help as a true lead guard who can score his own points or get others involved. His experience and leadership are also nearly impossible to replace. Per the team's account, the junior is expected to play, but it remains to be seen how effective he will be.

Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks have all played in a lot of games over the last three years and will have to step up regardless of what Berry does Saturday.

Experience is rarely in the discussion for Kentucky and that hasn't changed this year with a new crop of stud freshmen already among the best in the country at their position.

De'Aaron Fox has been arguably the most impressive with his ability to fill up the box score in a lot of areas, averaging 15.1 points, 6.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. He even had a triple-double earlier in the year against Arizona State.

His ability to dominate on both ends of the court will make him one of the most important players in this game. Then again, fellow freshmen Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo will make their presence known as well.

This will be a classic battle between experienced college stars and young, talented freshmen, but only one side can come out with a win.

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