Getty Nassir Little and Luke Maye's North Carolina Tar Heels will visit the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will play the Michigan Wolverines in UNC’s first visit ever to Ann Arbor on Wednesday night. Here’s how to watch the historic matchup of ranked teams.
The game is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including all the ESPN channels. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
ESPN is included in the “Sling Orange” bundle. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
Though both schools have boasted their share of powerhouse squads, the Tar Heels have never visited the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
The schools played almost a year earlier to the day, on November 29, 2018. UNC destroyed the Wolverines in that matchup, 86-71, behind an efficient 27 points from floor-stretching big man Luke Maye.
“I was surprised (when I found out) they had never been to Ann Arbor,” Michigan head coach John Beilein told the “Inside Michigan Basketball” radio show, according to ESPN. “I watched (last year’s) game and it was such a fun game. The ball was going back and forth. They were scoring too easy. We were scoring, but our baskets were tough. They are so fast in transition and we are not used to that speed.”
The No. 7 Wolverines are 6-0 in the season’s early going, including a dominant, 73-46 victory over the Villanova Wildcats, the reigning champions. Michigan leads the nation in defensive field-goal percentage.
“It’s a little bit of a different team for him,” North Carolina head coach Roy Williams said regarding Beilein and his squad, per ESPN. “They have always been known as a very skilled offensive team with great shooters. You just look down at the numbers. Teams are shooting 32.9 percent against them.
“His team has shot 80 free throws and opponents have only shot 65. All those are (because) of the defensive side of the ball. I’m not saying John was a bad defensive coach in the past, but it’s a completely different team for him.”
Canadian forward Iggy Brazdeikis, a redshirt freshman, leads Michigan in scoring at 15.7 points per game.
“I did not know anything (about) — I hate to say it like this — Brayzdelkis?” Williams told MLive.com. “Whatever his name is. My god, he can really play. I don’t have a clue where the crap he came from, but I know he can really play when I watch him on tape.”
Beilein compared his star freshman to a future Hall of Famer, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili.
“My hope is that as he grows, he could be like a Manu Ginobli type of player,” Beilein said, per MLive.com. “He doesn’t have a position. He just plays.”
The No. 11 Tar Heels have their own star freshmen in forward Nasir Little and guard Coby White, the No. 3 and No. 25 recruits from their class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. White has started all seven games for Carolina, averaging 15.7 points per game, while the forward is coming off the bench behind a veteran frontcourt, averaging 12.9 points per game.
After rattling off five wins to start the year, UNC fell to Texas on Thursday, then bounced back with a 94-78 win over No. 17 UCLA.