Well, as fun as yesterday was beating Iowa State in the Sweet 16, you have to win the weekend to really be satisfied. Tennessee has a gauntlet of a matchup Sunday afternoon in Chicago, taking on the Michigan Wolverines, who are 34-3 this year and have dismantled a plethora of good teams.
If Tennessee wants any chance at pulling off the upset, it’ll need to play a near-perfect game against Michigan. The Vols must match their physicality, take care of the basketball, and knock down a few shots that make you say “wow.” It will be a 40-minute grind, no doubt.
Not to mention, based on the opening odds in Vegas, the sportsbooks don't think Tennessee has a great shot at winning. According to Fanduel, Tennessee has opened up against Michigan as a +7.5 point underdog.
Rick Barnes needs the game of his career to pull off the upset
There's no question that Michigan thrives on wearing opponents down with relentless physicality from Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, and Yaxel Lendeborg. But Tennessee isn’t backing down. With Felix Okpara, Dewayne Brown, Jaylen Carey, and J.P. Estrella, the Vols have the size, strength, and depth to meet that challenge head-on. Its the other aspects of the game that worry me.
To put it mildly, Tennessee has to play inside-out tomorrow, attack the paint, then hit those kick-out threes. They can’t waste possessions, which has been an issue this year, because Michigan is too good in the half-court and will get its points. The Tennessee forwards will have their hardest game of the year, trying to get putbacks on Mara down low. Michigan is top-15 in the country at preventing offensive rebounds, which plays right into Tennessee's strength.
The way I see it is, Tennessee has to protect the ball because Michigan will make them pay for every mistake. The Wolverines can score from everywhere, at the rim, mid-range, and from deep. Sure, they can go cold from three sometimes, but they’re so solid everywhere else that it usually doesn’t matter.
The reality is that Tennessee can pull off the upset tomorrow, but it will take their best game of the year, and it will have to be a mistake-free contest. It wouldn't hurt if Tennessee had an added wrinkle that goes away from their tendencies from Barnes and the staff.
I love having the chance to get to the Final Four for the third straight year, but this matchup will be even tougher than Purdue and Houston were for Tennessee.