NCAA Basketball: Preview for the 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

No. 8 North Carolina @ No. 21 Michigan – Nov. 28

Consider the North Carolina Tar Heels and Michigan Wolverines as the headliner of the 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. In a rematch of their 2017 challenge game, the Wolverines look to take the victory this time. North Carolina won it easily, 86-71, behind 27 points from forward Luke Maye.

Maye will probably be the Tar Heels go-to option on offense this season as well. The North Carolina backcourt will boast five-star freshmen Nassir Little and Coby White, two players who bring tons of talent to Chapel Hill.

The Wolverines will be without their top player in Mo Wagner but Charles Matthews is returning. In addition, there’s production in Zavier Simpson (7.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game) as well as rising sophomore Jordan Poole. Poole averaged 6.1 points and 1.4 rebounds a game as a freshman off the bench. Things could change with him in the starting lineup.

Next: Updated preseason top-25

After going 33-8 in 2017-18, it’s hard to see the Wolverines trending in the downward direction. They’ve also got six freshmen in their 2018 recruiting class coming in, something head coach John Beilein will certainly use to his advantage.