By Danielle Daniels
Ohio State vs. #4 Kentucky
Date: December 21, 2024
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Venue: Madison Square Garden – New York, N.Y.
TV: CBS
Listen: Ohio State Radio Network from Learfield
Live Stats: Sidearm
Game Notes: Ohio State | Kentucky
Rosters: Ohio State | Kentucky
Season Stats: Ohio State | Kentucky
TICKETS: Season, single-game, group and mini plans are available for all men’s basketball games this season. Visit OhioStateBuckeyes.com or call the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office in the Schottenstein Center at 1-800-GOBUCKS.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State heads to the Big Apple to play in the second biggest game for an Ohio State team this weekend at the basketball Buckeyes will face No. 4 Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on CBS. Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery and Jenny Dell will call the action.
The game can also be heard on AM 1460 in the Columbus area or on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Neil Sika and former Buckeye captain Ron Stokes are on the call.
- Ohio State is 5-4 all-time in the CBS Sports Classic, which is the second-best record among the four teams. The Buckeyes have won four of the last five games in the classic with the lone loss coming at MSG in 2022 in an overtime thriller against North Carolina.
- Ohio State and Kentucky are meeting for the third time in the CBS Sports Classic. The Buckeyes won the 2015 matchup in Brooklyn and then the most recent meeting in 2019 in Las Vegas.
- Overall, this will be the 22nd meeting all-time between Ohio State and Kentucky with the Wildcats holding a slim 11-10 edge in the series.
- Ohio State is coming off a solid 95-73 victory over Valparaiso on Tuesday night. Sophomore Devin Royal had a career night, notching career-highs of 31 points and 15 rebounds in the victory.
- That was the first 30-point, 15-rebound game for a Buckeye since Jared Sullinger had 30 points and 19 boards in a win over South Carolina on Dec. 18, 2010.
- Royal leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He is fourth in the Big Ten in shooting percentage at 61.1 percent.
- Freshman John Mobley Jr., who made his first collegiate start in the win over Valparaiso, is third in the country in three-point percentage at 53.6 percent. He hits nearly three three-pointers per game and is averaging 12.1 points per contest.
- Micah Parrish is coming off a great all-around game against Valpo. The San Diego State transfer had 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. He tops the team with 13 steals.
- Evan Mahaffey was 6-of-6 from the floor against Valpo and is shooting over 72 percent this season. His 15 points against Valpo were one-off a career high.
- Kentucky has lost just once so far this season and its wins Duke and rival Louisville. UK alum and head coach Mark Pope is leading the Wildcats to nation’s top scoring offense at over 91 points per game. Saturday’s game will also be the first for UK director of player development Brett Rybak against his former school. Rybak blessed Ohio State with 11 years as a member of the athletics communications office.
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