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March Madness: Five keys for Tennessee Vols’ Round of 32 matchup vs. Michigan

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10), Tennessee forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (2), and Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James (30) react on the bench during the NCAA Tournament first round game between Tennessee and Longwood at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday, March 17, 2022. Tennessee defeated Longwood.Kns Ncaa Vols Longwood Bp
Tennessee forward John Fulkerson (10), Tennessee forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (2), and Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James (30) react on the bench during the NCAA Tournament first round game between Tennessee and Longwood at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday, March 17, 2022. Tennessee defeated Longwood.Kns Ncaa Vols Longwood Bp /
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Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic (33) reacts as the buzzer goes off for halftime during the NCAA Tournament first round game between Tennessee and Longwood at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday, March 17, 2022.Kns Ncaa Vols Longwood Bp RANK 1
Tennessee forward Uros Plavsic (33) reacts as the buzzer goes off for halftime during the NCAA Tournament first round game between Tennessee and Longwood at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday, March 17, 2022.Kns Ncaa Vols Longwood Bp RANK 1 /

2. Don’t get dominated inside

Many of these keys break down how the Vols can avoid getting dominated down low. To flesh that out, it’s worth noting that Hunter Dickinson is 7’1″ 255 pounds and leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 18.4 and over eight a game. Moussa Diabaté, meanwhile, is a 6’9″ stretch-four freshman phenom who could be a lottery pick.

Add in the fact that Olivier Nkamhoua isn’t coming back, and the Vols should at least accept the fact that they aren’t going to win this game in the paint. However, in addition to trying to offset that disadvantage, they could also play well where they have that disadvantage.

John Fulkerson is a sixth-year senior, so his veteran leadership should give the Vols some production down low, particularly on offense. Jonas Aidoo has proven to be an elite defender with his athleticism underneath the basket. Uros Plavsic is also 7’1″, so he at least has the size to match Dickinson. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has scoring potential to draw out Diabaté.

With those four guys, the Vols have enough to advance in March Madness if they do everything else right. They have to rebound well too. Josiah-Jordan James won’t be able to move down low and make the impact he usually does, but if the true post players step up, it won’t matter.

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