In July 2021, reports surfaced that the Michigan men’s basketball team accepted a spot in the first ever Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. On Monday, college basketball insider Jon Rothstein announced who the Wolverines would face:
North Carolina, the runner-up of the 2022 National Championship Game.
The Wolverines and Tar Heels are set to play Dec. 21, one day after the other matchup of the tournament between Oklahoma and Florida.
Michigan last faced North Carolina in December, losing 72-51 on the road after a humiliating second-half collapse.
While the Wolverines face vacancies in their rotation with the backcourt duo of Eli Brooks and DeVante’ Jones graduating and freshman forward Moussa Diabate entering the NBA Draft, the Tar Heels’ lineup remains intact. After North Carolina’s impressive run in the NCAA Tournament, sophomore guards R.J. Davis and Caleb Love and junior center Armando Bacot all announced their return.
Michigan — who also faces Kentucky on Dec. 4 in London, England — now finds itself with an even more difficult non-conference schedule.
The Wolverines came into last season with a similarly difficult schedule and high expectations, but they failed to meet them. After just scraping into the NCAA Tournament, Michigan advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Led by incoming-junior Hunter Dickinson who announced his return to Michigan on Sunday, the Wolverines aim for a different outcome against the Tar Heels this upcoming season — this time in the inaugural Jumpman Invitational.