North Carolina vs. Ohio State live updates: Tar Heels vs. Buckeyes meet in CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta

LATE 1H: No. 12 North Carolina 27, Ohio State 20

Here comes North Carolina. The Tar Heels have made five of their last seven shots, while Ohio State is 1 of 8 in that stretch. The Buckeyes have been scoreless for the last three minutes.

MID 1H: No. 12 North Carolina 17, Ohio State 16

One of the most important players on this North Carolina roster is Seth Trimble, who had missed the last nine games due to a forearm injury. Trimble is back for the first time in a month against Ohio State and just recorded his first field goal of the game to give North Carolina the lead back. Another notable development is that UNC star freshman Caleb Wilson is scoreless. He's missed his first three shots but has four rebounds, two assists and a block.

EARLY 1H: No. 12 North Carolina 10, Ohio State 9

Through the first eight minutes of play, points have been at a premium. Ohio State is 4 of 16 from the floor, while UNC is 4 of 15. However, the bright spot has been Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar. He is 3 of 4 from the floor and has a game-high seven points. Meanwhile, Ohio State forward Amare Bynum has four points.

"I like how tough we are playing," Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said on the CBS Sports broadcast.

EARLY 1H: Ohio State 5, No. 12 North Carolina 4

We have reached the first media timeout from Atlanta. Ohio State leads No. 12 North Carolina 5-4. UNC is 2 of 9 from the floor, while Ohio State is 2 of 10. North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar has all four of his team's points so far.

The second leg of the CBS Sports Classic is officially underway.

The matchup to watch here is Ohio State's offense vs. UNC's defense. If the Tar Heels can limit an explosive offense, Hubert's squad should be able to come away with a win. Wilson is the X-Factor here. He has been a double-double machine this season, and I expect him to finish with one against Ohio State. Give me UNC to win by at least five points. Pick: North Carolina -4.5

North Carolina vs. Ohio State prediction, pick, odds: Tar Heels battle Buckeyes in CBS Sports Classic showdown

Cameron Salerno

It's no secret that UNC coach Hubert Davis entered this season facing pressure. Through the first month and a half of the season, his team has played extremely well. With a win over the Buckeyes, UNC can improve to 11-1, which would be the program's best start since the 2008-09 season. During that year, UNC started 12-0 and went on to win the national title.

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David Cobb

The North Carolina standout defender is expected to return against Ohio State after missing the last month with a forearm injury, according to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. He has missed the last nine games for the Tar Heels and is one of their most important players.

Entering this game, Ohio State is scoring 87.6 points per game. That is on track to be the Buckeyes' most since the 1969-70 campaign (88.1 ppg). The head of the snake of the offense has been Thornton, who is averaging 21.8 points. However, Ohio State has three other players (John Mobley Jr., Christoph Tilly and Devin Royal) averaging at least 13 points. Notably, UNC is allowing just 64.1 points per game and hasn't allowed more than 75 in a game this season.

The best NBA Draft prospect playing in this game is Wilson. The former five-star recruit is a projected top-five pick in this summer's draft because of his strong start to the season. Wilson is averaging 19.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has recorded a double-double in seven games thus far. If Ohio State can't contain him, it will be a long night for the Buckeyes.

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Cameron Salerno