CBS Sports Classic 2019: Teams, Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket and TV Info

Four of college basketball's marquee programs converge on T-Mobile Arena Saturday for the CBS Sports Classic, but only one enters off a victory.

The fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes looked like a national championship contender during their 9-0 start. They suffered their first defeat Sunday to Minnesota but rebounded with a 32-point win against Southeast Missouri State Tuesday. 

John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats are not as talented as previous rosters, and they enter the clash with Ohio State off a loss to the Utah Utes. 

Saturday's opener between the North Carolina Tar Heels and UCLA Bruins is expected to be the least intriguing of the two matchups.

Without freshman Cole Anthony in the lineup, UNC is struggling to find offensive consistency, while the Bruins suffered four nonconference defeats in Mick Cronin's first season. 

CBS Sports Classic Information

Saturday, December 21 

UCLA vs. North Carolina (3 p.m. ET, CBS) 

Ohio State vs. Kentucky (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS) 

Games can be live-streamed on CBS.com or CBS Sports app.

Previews

UCLA vs. North Carolina

Young Kwak/Associated Press

Both the Bruins and Tar Heels enter Las Vegas off double-digit defeats. 

UCLA fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by 14 points a week ago, and it has lost four of seven games since starting 4-0. 

The Bruins have a decent backcourt led by Chris Smith, Prince Ali and Tyger Campbell, but the trio does not compare to other positional units across the country. 

Smith is the team's leading scorer at 11.3 points per game, while Campbell may cause trouble with his distribution, as he averages 3.7 assists per contest. 

The Pac-12 side ranks 160th in team scoring and did not reach 65 points in each of its last three defeats. 

North Carolina is typically a high-scoring team, but it has struggled from the field in a majority of its contests. 

The Tar Heels are tied for 234th in points per game, and they shoot just 40.3 percent from the field.

Without the injured Anthony on Wednesday, Roy Williams' side shot 7-for-19 from three-point range and was 14 percent worse than the Gonzaga Bulldogs from the field.

To reverse a four-game losing streak, North Carolina needs contributions from all areas of its roster to create some momentum ahead of ACC action. 

UNC's advantage could come on the boards through Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot, who both average over eight rebounds per game. 

The Tar Heels lead Division I in rebounds per contest and are ninth in offensive rebounds per game. 

If they control the glass and create some second-chance opportunities, the Tar Heels could come away from their trip out west with their third nonconference Power Five win. 

Ohio State vs. Kentucky

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Some buzz was taken away from this matchup Wednesday when the Wildcats struggled in Las Vegas against the Utah Utes. 

In the 69-66 loss, Kentucky committed 12 turnovers and only made two three-point shots. 

Poor shooting beyond the arc also hurt the SEC side in its surprising home loss to the Evansville Purple Aces, as it shot 4-for-17 from that part of the floor. 

Ashton Hagans will be the key to success on both ends of the court, as he leads Kentucky in points, assists and steals per game.

The sophomore has at least seven assists and two steals in his last four games, and the turnovers he forces could lead to quick transition baskets. 

If Ohio State freshman D.J. Carton avoids giveaways, he may take away Hagans' defensive impact. 

The first-year player has only committed five turnovers once and that was in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

Carton has 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in his last two games, which is his best back-to-back stretch. 

The difference-maker could be Ohio State's best player, Kaleb Wesson, who averages 14.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. 

The junior has four double-doubles and played well against each of Ohio State's marquee nonconference opposition, including 10 points and nine boards versus North Carolina. 

Chris Holtmann's team also ranks 19th in field-goal percentage at 49 percent. If it continues to score at a high level and Wesson dominates the block, the Buckeyes could earn their third Top 10 victory. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com