UNC Basketball will take on Michigan in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Here are three keys to a Tar Heels’ victory in the prestigious tournament.
In the eight short years it has been around, the Battle 4 Atlantis has earned the reputation of one of, if not the best early-season tournament in college basketball. Not because of the tournament’s locale, the tropical Bahamas, but because of the level of competition that has made up its fields. The last two winners of this tournament have gone on to cut down the nets at the Final Four and with the field this year that features UNC Basketball, Gonzaga, Oregon, and Seton Hall among others, that streak could go to three.
The first semifinal will feature a 5-0 Michigan Wolverine team with new head coach Juwan Howard that is two years removed from the national championship game, fresh off a trip to the Sweet Sixteen last year, and beat Iowa State in the quarterfinals of this tournament, taking on a 5-0 North Carolina team that is ranked sixth in the country and features one of the most electrifying players in the country in freshman Cole Anthony.
This game will be the stiffest test for Roy Williams’ Tar Heels this season, as a season-opening 11-point win over Notre Dame has been their closest victory before they knocked off Alabama 76-67 in the quarterfinals to earn a meeting with the Wolverines. In order for North Carolina to move on to the finals they will have to play their best basketball of the season, because even though they have a new coach, Michigan is always one of those teams that will not beat themselves. Here are three key areas to look at if the Tar Heels are to come away with a victory over Michigan.