The North Carolina Tar Heels fell to 7-3 on the season after a 78-73 loss to Kentucky in Atlanta. The two teams squared off in a ranked match in the CBS Sports Classic but it was the Wildcats that took control of the game early on.

With Kentucky building a double-digit lead, the Tar Heels fought back and even took a one-point lead in the second half. But time after time the Wildcats hit big shots, grabbed rebounds, and played good defense to seal the deal. While the loss was a tough one for the Tar Heels to swallow, Kentucky head coach John Calipari praised their effort.

“Let me say this. UNC is a Final Four-level team. They are,” Calipari said after the game. “And Davis, I’m like ‘You’re one of the best players in the country right now’. A three-level scorer, layup, mid-range and three. Now all of a sudden number three comes in, hasn’t been making shots but naturally against us, he makes every shot and now you still have the other big guys. They are good. They are good. Cadeau, he’s good. They are a good team. We were lucky to win.”

Calipari wasn’t shy to give UNC their credit after the game mentioning Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Cormac Ryan, and Armando Bacot.

This might sting a little more for UNC fans as it’s the team’s second-straight loss and they have a tough game ahead against Oklahoma. But there’s still a lot of time left this season for them to figure it out. And they’ve shown that when they are firing on all cylinders, they will be a tough team to beat.

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Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire