North Carolina @ Michigan preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2018 ) North Carolina 67, Michigan 84

Fourth-ranked North Carolina is still seeking a complete performance in the early season and the Tar Heels may finally need one when they take on unbeaten Michigan on Thursday in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas. North Carolina received a career high-matching 20 points from junior forward Garrison Brooks en route to a 76-67 victory over Alabama in the first round Wednesday while the Wolverines held off Iowa State 83-76.

The Tar Heels had been looking for a more balanced offensive effort and got one Wednesday as heralded freshman Cole Anthony, averaging 22.8 points coming in, was held to 13 while freshman forward Armando Bacot had a double-double and senior guard Brandon Robinson scored 12 in his season debut. Anthony, who is just 8-for-27 from the field the last two games, dished out a game-high six assists and grabbed seven rebounds as North Carolina pounded the Crimson Tide on the boards 60-31. The Tar Heels allowed Alabama to stick around by committing 20 turnovers and Michigan shot 57.7 percent from the field while placing five players in double figures, but also had trouble with ball handling, turning it over 22 times. “They’re trying to make the right play to put us in the best position to win,” Wolverines first-year coach Juwan Howard told reporters. “. … I talked about it at halftime. ‘You can’t make those home-run plays. Sometimes the home-run plays get you in trouble. Just keep it simple, hit some singles.’”

TV: 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT MICHIGAN (5-0): Senior guard Zavier Simpson epitomized Wednesday’s game, scoring 10 points and dishing out 13 assists but registering eight turnovers, while leading scorer Isaiah Livers (17.2) topped the Wolverines with 17 points. Simpson averages 13.2 points along with a team-high 9.8 assists and 7-1 senior center Jon Teske - limited to 16 minutes by foul trouble in the first round - has scored 12.8 points and grabbed 9.0 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Eli Brooks also averages in double figures scoring (11.6) and sophomore guard David DeJulius poured in a season-high 14 points off the bench Wednesday.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (5-0): The 6-10 Bacot got off to a slow start but has strung together three straight double-doubles after scoring 12 and hauling in a season-best 15 rebounds Wednesday, improving to 20-of-30 from the field in the last three games. Anthony averaged 27.3 points in his first three games, but he managed 22 combined in the last two games, and Brooks (13.6 points, 7.8 boards per contest) is 13-for-25 from the field in his last two outings. Robinson has been sidelined since he suffered an ankle injury in the preseason, but he drained 3-of-6 from 3-point range and grabbed six rebounds versus Alabama.

TIP-INS

1. Michigan freshman G Franz Wagner scored six points in his career debut after missing time with fractured right wrist.

2. North Carolina sophomore G Leaky Blacks had career highs of nine points and nine rebounds Wednesday.

3. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 4-3 and the teams have split a pair of games the last two seasons with the home team winning both.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 80, Michigan 74