Well, that was a miserable 40 minutes of basketball. Not only was the final score ugly, 95-62, Michigan, but the way the game was officiated was brutal. There was a whistle every other possession today. In the first 10 minutes of the game, Tennessee held its ground and played well. The Vols were rebounding, playing physical on defense, and taking care of the basketball. However, they couldn't finish at the rim or hit shots, which hampered them. Pair that with pretty much every Tennessee big man getting in foul trouble, and it's a recipe for disaster.
With 11 minutes left in the first half, Tennessee was up on Michigan 16-14 until Michigan went on a double killshot run, 21-0, making it a 35-16 ball game five minutes later. From that point on, it pretty much felt over for Tennessee fans, and it pretty much was. Tennessee never got the game back within single digits, and it was pretty much over from that point on.
Why this loss stings even more for Rick Barnes
I think the most painful part of this loss was the fact that Tennesse had its chances to keep this game close. Senior point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie had a big tournament, but tonight he was absent. The Vols needed him to show up, and he just didn't have the juice tonight. Same with Nate Ament, the freshman star, who was just not his usual self. The pair combined for 10-34 from the field and 4-16 from three. Pretty much every scenario that would involve Tennessee winning would have to have had Ament and Gillepsie putting up an efficient 20-point night.
The reality is, you have to give a lot of credit to Dusty May and Michigan. The Wolverines have so much talent and depth, it's not a surprise that hardly anyone can keep up with them. Barnes had a solid game plan going in, mixing up coverages down low, but on offense Tennesse wasn't aggressive enough when Michigan's big men were in foul trouble. It doesn't get any easier losing in March, but this team surpassed what many expected they were capable of, and overall, it was a great season.