When the North Carolina Central men’s basketball team takes the floor at Crisler Arena on Tuesday night, it will have already faced more Big Ten opponents this season than Michigan.

Shortly before Thanksgiving on Nov. 23, NCC traveled to Bloomington to face Indiana. The Eagles managed to stay with the Hoosiers throughout the first half, forcing ten lead changes. But a strong Indiana defensive pressure forced 22 Eagle turnovers, which ultimately contributed to Indiana's 72-56 victory.

In that game, the Eagles’ backcourt — guards CJ Wilkerson and Landon Clement — led the team with a combined 29 points. The duo leads the team in scoring for the season, averaging 17.6 points per game and 15.9 points per game, respectively.

Down low, NCC (4-4) boasts consistent post play in, 6-foot-7 Nick Chasten, who’s averaging 11.5 points and 7.9 boards per game. When the Eagles faced off against the Wolverines (7-2) two years ago, Chasten scored 15 points while going 7-for-11 from the field.

His size should match up well with redshirt freshman Jordan Morgan, who bounced back in the Wolverines’ win over Utah — the team's fourth straight win — after a poor showing in Michigan’s matchup with Concordia.

In the first five minutes of play, Morgan scored four points and grabbed three boards, establishing an early post presence that forced the Runnin’ Utes to bring perimeter players down to the post. That left players open on the perimeter.

“It forced (Utah) to respect our inside game a little bit and when they do that it opens things up for our shooters,” Morgan said after Michigan’s win over Utah.

Michigan's shooters hit eight 3-pointers on the night. But it was freshman Tim Hardaway Jr. who really broke it open for the Wolverines in the second half, nailing three shots from behind the arc.

Hardaway Jr., who has struggled in the past few games for Michigan, spent a lot of time in the gym last week working on his shot and even showed up to Crisler Arena early for the Utah game in order to focus on his follow-through just a bit more.

“Everybody could do this, everybody could have this big of a night,” Hardaway Jr. said after the Utah victory. “Anybody can come in and do this on any given night.”

Hardaway was complemented by sophomore point guard Darius Morris, who has been the Wolverines’ most consistent offensive contributor — averaging 14.9 points. His 7.8 assists per game put him atop the Big Ten in that category and third in the nation.

Michigan will look to remain undefeated on its home court and add on to its 7-2 start, which is the best start the team has seen since Michigan coach John Beilein took over the program. The game marks the fourth of the Wolverines’ eight-game home stretch.