Report: Michigan, North Carolina to face off in December's Jumpman Invitational
It was known that Michigan men’s and women’s basketball will take part in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina in December. Now we know who the men will play in the inaugural event.
According to FanDuel’s Jon Rothstein, Michigan will face off against national runner-up North Carolina on Dec. 21. The other contest will take place on Dec. 20 between Oklahoma and Florida.
The event is set to feature one game for each program in the showcase. Details on who the women will play have yet to be revealed.
North Carolina is No. 1 in Rothstein’s top 45 teams heading into next season. The Tar Heels were a win away from winning it all this past season. Michigan ranks 13th in his rankings, contingent on players that return. Center Hunter Dickinson will be back for his junior season, giving Michigan its biggest piece of the puzzle.
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Michigan and North Carolina last played on Dec. 1, 2021, a 72-51 Tar Heels win in Chapel Hill. The matchup will be the 10th in the series with UNC holding a 5-4 advantage all-time.
Michigan’s non-conference schedule is still a work in progress. The Wolverines will play in the Legends Classic on Nov. 16-17 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Arizona State, Pittsburgh and VCU are the other teams involved. Another headline event will be the team’s Dec. 4 contest against Kentucky in London, England.
The rest of the non-conference slate will be revealed at a later date.
Michigan is coming off a 19-15 season in 2021-22 that was capped off by the program’s fifth-straight trip to the Sweet 16. This was short of expectations coming into the year. However, with many familiar faces returning the hope is the Wolverines will regain their championship pedigree in 2022-23.
More details on Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational
Here are more details on the event via a release from July 2021:
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA (July 8th, 2021) – The Charlotte Sports Foundation today announced a three-year deal with Jordan Brand to host the Jumpman Invitational, a major holiday college basketball event in the Queen City. The inaugural gathering, slated for Dec. 20-21, 2022, will feature both the men’s and women’s teams from the original four schools to sign partnership deals with Jordan Brand in both basketball and football: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
All games will be played in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center in partnership with Hornets Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and operates the facility. The schedule will feature two games each night, with matchups and game times still to be determined. ESPN networks will air all four games, with ESPN Events working in conjunction with CSF to maximize the event’s success in front of a global audience.
