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North Carolina hosts Kentucky in annual series

Dec 2, 2006 - 2:54 PM Kentucky (4-2) at No. 6 North Carolina (5-1) 12:00 pm EST

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Ticker) -- After beating the top-ranked team in the country, North Carolina will host one of the nation's most-storied programs.

The sixth-ranked Tar Heels will take on Kentucky as the two winningest college basketball programs face off.

Tyler Hansbrough scored 21 points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds as North Carolina outlasted No. 1 Ohio State, 98-89, in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday. With 7-foot freshman Greg Oden sidelined after offseason wrist surgery, Hansbrough had his way inside, shooting 8-of-16 from the field.

However, it won't get any easier for the Tar Heels. Despite being unranked this season, the Wildcats have proven to be a tough opponent for North Carolina in their annual series, which began in 2000-01. Kentucky won the first four matchups but the Tar Heels have been victorious in the last two, including an 83-79 victory in Lexington last season.

The Wildcats have not been playing well against ranked opponents so far, dropping contests against then No. 5-UCLA and then No. 12 Memphis in the Maui Invitational. Kentucky bounced back in its last contest, a 77-61 victory over Charleston on Tuesday with Randolph Morris scoring 17 points.

North Carolina leads the all-time series, 18-10.