In its first test of the NCAA basketball season, the Michigan Wolverines (5-0) were able to prevail.

However, the No.3-ranked program will be forced to face yet another one when they take on No. 18 North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-1) on Tuesday night in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

After winning its first three games by a combined total of 105 points, the Wolverines were faced with some stiffer competition during the last two games of the NIT Season Tipoff in New York.

Michigan managed to come out victorious on last Wednesday against Pittsburgh by a 67-62 margin and also edged out Kansas State on Friday by a score of 71-5, which included a 23-point performance from Tim Hardaway Jr.

Although Hardaway took a knee to the head during the final four minutes of the game, Wolverines' trainer John Rosario stated that the junior passed all of his concussion tests. Hardaway eventually returned to the bench to celebrate with his fellow team members while also accepting the MVP award of the tournament.

Oddly enough, no other Michigan player scored over 10 points in the matchup against K-State. However, Glenn Robinson III did grab 12 boards for the team in the game.

"The season is a marathon. This is maybe the first 400 yards or something of that marathon, but we ran it well. I think it's important that we're heading in the right direction," coach John Beilein told ESPN.

Michigan will attempt to replicate their 7-0 start from the 2006-07 season. Despite their success in the NIT tournament, Beilein isn't taking the Wolverines' future for granted.

"We've got to go prove it again. They're not going to care that we won the (NIT) championship. We've got to perform again," he added.

CLICK HERE to watch the Michigan Wolverines take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack via free live stream. Coverage of the NCAA basketball game is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. CST.

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NCAA Basketball