Michigan Wolverines

No. 13 North Carolina looks to bounce back against Michigan (Nov 29, 2017)

Published Nov. 28, 2017 5:05 p.m. ET

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- By Wednesday night, coach Roy Williams figures his team will be ready to move on after yet another historic record for the storied program.

However, this record isn't one to be relished.

Following one of the worst offensive performances in school history, the No. 13 Tar Heels take on visiting Michigan as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

"I was going to go to sleep (on the flight back), but I didn't want to have two nightmares," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said, referring to the team's 63-45 loss to Michigan State on Sunday in the finals of the PK80 Invitational in Portland, Ore.

In that game, the Tar Heels had the lowest shooting percentage in school history at 24.6 percent, including 1-for-18 on 3-pointers.

"We set some records," Williams said Tuesday. "And we've been playing basketball a long time around here."

But be sure, Williams wasn't just bemoaning the shooting, though he pointed out that "you can make 1 for 18 with your eyes closed."

For the Tar Heels (5-1), it was their first loss in 11 games dating back to last year's run to the national championship.

"It wasn't just the shooting," Williams said. "I've had teams play poorly in the past. But that was an unusual one, gracious."

It's the next step that seems most pressing to the Tar Heels.

"I think (Coach Williams) will make sure we learn from what happened," North Carolina senior guard Joel Berry II said.

Going against a Michigan team that has had some good defensive outings could be tricky for the Tar Heels if they don't regain their shooting touch.

The Wolverines held Southern Mississippi to 14 second-half points in a 61-47 victory a couple of weeks ago.

But Michigan coach John Beilein is expecting a brisk pace.

"They're going to fast break and they're going to (run) like it's a cattle stampede," Beilein said. "I'm hoping to go in there and give them a game and maybe hang around to the end and win it."

Michigan (6-1) has played three games decided by eight points or less and another in which it trailed in the second half before pulling away.

"It gives us a great measure for ourselves to play under duress and still win," Beilein said.

Michigan will face its first ranked opponent of the season. The lone blemish on the record is a two-point loss to LSU in its Maui Invitational opener.

The Wolverines returned home to blow out UC Riverside 87-42 before this assignment. Yet sometimes the offense has been stagnant.

"We've got to move the ball, move the ball and just trust what it does," Beilein said. "I don't think we have the flow yet. ... I think we can really shoot. We're going to make 3s. They'll just come within our offense."

Beilein has never faced a Williams-coached team or been part of a game in Chapel Hill.

"It's one of the very few places I've never (been to)," he said. "It's brand new to me. I don't know what to expect."

This begins what shapes up as a challenging period for the Wolverines, with their next games against Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA and Texas.

"Now we go into an incredible stretch that I've never seen before," Beilein said.

North Carolina holds a 3-2 edge in the series, though the teams haven't met since the Tar Heels prevailed in the 1993 national championship game. This will be the first time the teams meet on either school's campus.