Basketball Preview: Ohio State vs. No. 4 Kentucky

The Buckeyes were favored the last time Ohio State and Kentucky met.

That happened in the Sweet 16 of the 2011 NCAA tournament when Ohio State was the No. 1 overall seed and the Wildcats were under-seeded at No. 4. After Jon Diebler nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game late, Brandon Knight hit a jumper from the elbow with Aaron Craft in his face with just 5.4 seconds remaining to help win the game for Kentucky and upset the top-ranked Buckeyes.

Now, it's Ohio State trying to pull the upset.

The Buckeyes take on No. 4 Kentucky on Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York as part of the CBS Sports Classic. The event also features North Carolina and UCLA in a round-robin format over three years. Ohio State lost to the Tar Heels last season at the United Center in Chicago, 82-74. 

The Buckeyes (5-5) have EVEN more on their hands this year against the John Calipari-led Wildcats, who enter Saturday's game with a 9-1 record on the season.

"Obviously, we’re kind of a work in progress," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said Thursday. "Kentucky will pose a tremendous challenge, but also an opportunity for us.”

Opponent Breakdown

Kentucky is one of the top teams in the country again — and that's not surprising.

Calipari reloads after he loses a handful of guys each year to the NBA. The Wildcats went undefeated all the way to the Final Four last year and lost an absurd number of players from that team, yet they're ranked fourth in the country this season because of the talent brought in.

Kentucky is deep and talented and has four guys averaging double figures. Freshman guard Jamal Murray leads the way at 15.5 points per game, but right behind him are Isaiah Briscoe (12.4 ppg), Tyler Ulis (12.1 ppg) and Skal Labissiere (10.6 ppg). Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee, the Wildcats' pair of veterans, are right there in the mix as well, averaging 9.6 and 8.5 points per game.

Kentucky ranks eighth in KenPom's advanced statistical ratings. The Wildcats give up an average of just 64.8 points per game and rank 10th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. Scoring will be hard for the Buckeyes.

"When you hear about Kentucky basketball, they’re a No. 1 contender every year," Ohio State sophomore forward Jae'Sean Tate said. "We’ve just got to come out and play as hard as we can and make sure we come out and play Buckeye basketball from the start."

Buckeye Breakdown

Ohio State knocked off Northern Illinois on Wednesday night in a choppy game. The good news for the Buckeyes was they got back to .500, but they received bad news Thursday when freshman guard Austin Grandstaff announced his intent to transfer.

Grandstaff's departure likely means more minutes for sophomore guard Kam Williams off the bench, as well as the possibility of Matta running both of his freshman point guards — A.J. Harris and JaQuan Lyle — at the same time.

Ohio State is also expected to welcome back freshman guard/forward Mickey Mitchell, who was cleared to play Friday afternoon and is eligible to play against the Wildcats. Mitchell gives the Buckeyes another ball handler and his unique skill set could provide the team with an extra boost it is looking for.

Tate was Ohio State's best player in the win over the Huskies and he — like the rest of the team — will need to be nearly perfect for the Buckeyes to pull an upset over the Wildcats.

Ohio State must shoot the ball better than it did Wednesday and better than recent games. The Buckeyes shot just 39 percent from the field against Northern Illinois and will need a 60 percent shooting effort against Kentucky to pull of a stunner.

That doesn't happen often against the Wildcats.

How It Plays Out

There's a reason Kentucky is a heavy favorite in this game and one of the top contenders to win the national championship. The Wildcats are bigger, deeper and more talented than just about every team they play.

Kentucky has an overwhelming advantage against Ohio State, and it will be what wears down the Buckeyes down. The Wildcats will likely harass Ohio State's young ballhandlers all game with pressure defense and create some turnovers that turn into easy baskets the other way.

Look for Kentucky to jump to an early lead and coast the rest of the way to an easy win.

Tim's prediction: Kentucky 82, Ohio State 64