Michigan @ North Carolina preview

Defending national champion North Carolina aims to rebound from a humbling defeat on the road when it hosts Michigan on Wednesday night as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The 11th-ranked Tar Heels were held to 24.6 percent shooting and outrebounded by 16 in a 63-45 loss to Michigan State on Sunday in the championship game of the PK80 Invitational "Victory" bracket.

“Being an experienced player here and going through big-time games, we kind of needed a game like this to see where we were at, and see how we do when we’re facing adversity,” North Carolina senior point guard Joel Berry III told the Raleigh News & Observer. “… We did the same thing last year - had a game that kind of humbled us and we went back and we worked hard. And the history will speak for itself.” This version of the Tar Heels is a new one, however, with four of the top five scorers gone from last season and they will need to produce a much better effort against Michigan State’s rival on Wednesday. The Wolverines have won six of seven to start the season, losing a two-point decision to LSU in the first round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, and average 78.7 points while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. Michigan came back to win the consolation bracket in Maui, knocking off Chaminade and VCU, before hammering UC Riverside 87-42 on Sunday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT MICHIGAN (6-1): Junior guard Charles Matthews, a transfer from Kentucky who sat out last season, has gotten off to a strong start while leading the team in scoring (16.7) and shooting 56.8 percent from the field. “The year he was able to redshirt for us he worked so hard at his game to get better,” Wolverines coach John Beilein told reporters. “Now the light has come on and he’s a really young player with huge potential.” Freshman point guard Eli Brooks registered season highs of eight points and four rebounds in his third straight start Sunday.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (5-1): The Tar Heels averaged more than 90 points before getting held to 45 and missing 17 of 18 attempts from 3-point range against Michigan State - an effort senior swingman Theo Pinson called “a learning experience.” Pinson was the only player to score in double figures with 16 and is fourth on the team at 11.2 points per contest while leading the way in assists (3.7). Junior forward Luke Maye tops the team in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (10.0) with Berry second at 15 points per contest, although he is shooting just 32.8 percent from the field.

TIP-INS

1. Michigan junior F Moritz Wagner is second on the team in scoring (15.3) and leads the Wolverines in rebounds (8.6).

2. North Carolina junior G Kenny Williams averages 14 points and is 14-for-25 from behind the 3-point arc.

3. Wolverines senior G Duncan Robinson has drained 17-of-32 from the field and averaged 15 points the last three games.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 76, Michigan 66