North Carolina vs Michigan: 2019-20 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
North Carolina and Michigan meet up in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Will it be the Tar Heels continuing their role or can the Wolverines keep their unbeaten start to the season going?
TV schedule: Thursday, November 28, 1:30 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas
With high expectations as usual, North Carolina (5-0) has begun their season with another solid start and look to continue that at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Tar Heels knocked off Alabama 76-67 in the first round and already have an ACC conference win over Notre Dame on their resume. This tournament, however, will pose more of a challenge than the beginning of their schedule.
The clear big name to watch is freshman guard Cole Anthony (22.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg), who just might be the best player in the ACC this season. Another name to watch is junior forward Garrison Brooks (12.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg), who led the way with 20 points against the Crimson Tide. Another freshman stud is forward Armando Bacot (10.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg) who’s establishing himself in the interior, picking up 15 rebounds against Alabama.
North Carolina is 9th in KenPom and is a top 10 team by just about every available metric or projection. The Tar Heels shooting has been alright while their rebounding has been excellent. Unfortunately, they rank near the bottom of the league in forcing turnovers, even though their defense has been excellent, giving up no more than 67 points this season.
On the other side, first-year head coach Juwan Howard has gotten off to a fast start with the Wolverines (5-0). They took care of business in defeated Iowa State 83-76 while they also knocked off Creighton a couple of weeks back. There’s plenty new in Ann Arbor this season, but can Howard pick up where John Beilein left off?
After much of their elite scoring departed last season, Michigan has turned to some new faces to lead the charge. Junior forward Isaiah Livers (17.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg) has slid nicely into the starting lineup this season, leading the way with 17 points against the Cyclones yesterday. Down low, senior center Jon Teske (13.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg) is taking a step forward in his development while senior guard Zavier Simpson’s (14.0 ppg, 9.0 apg) game as a distributor has definitely been enhanced.
Michigan ranks 24th in KenPom, though they’ve yet to enter the top 25 in any of the polls. They’ve played great on offense, albeit against a few subpar teams, but have a great chance to showcase their new talent against the Tar Heels. These Wolverines struggle at times from the charity stripe and also have a hard time forcing turnovers.
For the Tar Heels, who have a clear talent edge, they just need to play their game and make the shots they need to break. They’ll have the size advantage and should hold a slight rebounding edge. For the Wolverines, this is all about their ability to beat North Carolina’s defense while putting up enough offense to match them. They put up points in bunches against Houston Baptist, but this is a whole new animal.
Next. 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis preview. dark
I expect Cole Anthony to shine on the national stage. The unfortunate news for Michigan is that they have to stop more than just Anthony to have a shot in this game. Bacot and the rest of this talented roster are sure to pack a punch. Expect a hard-fought game, though Michigan might struggle against their first real defensive test of the season.