For the third year in a row, Michigan will face North Carolina in the closing days of November. Both teams won their home games in back-to-back ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchups, but now the pair will play a grudge match in the Bahamas with a trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis final on the line.
The faces on both benches — in polos and uniforms — have changed significantly which makes the third installment feel more like a new season than a new episode. That being said, Michigan’s core of Zavier Simpson, Isaiah Livers, Jon Teske and Eli Brooks all knows what it is like to play against a Roy Williams-led team which should help on a short prep.
The Tar Heels boast one of the most impressive freshmen in the country, Cole Anthony, but are trying to figure out what else is there. Michigan still hasn’t lost a game under new head coach Juwan Howard and has the chance to make a statement on national television on Thanksgiving (1:30 p.m., ESPN).