Michigan Basketball: 3 Keys for Wolverines against Tennessee
Following a win over Colorado State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Michigan basketball will face Tennessee next, and here are three keys for the Wolverines.
Michigan basketball spotted Colorado State a 15-point lead on Thursday but still found a way to rally and win by 12.
We all know that March is about surviving and advancing. Now, the Wolverines are one win away from their fifth straight Sweet 16 and standing in their way third-seeded Tennessee.
The Vols, who won the SEC championship, are very dangerous. They dominated 14th-seeded Longwood and connected on 12 3-pointers in the process. They also have one of the best defensive teams in the country and are sixth in the Kenpom rankings; Michigan is 30th.
It’s going to be a huge challenge for the Wolverines who haven’t won back-to-back games in over a month, while Tennessee has won eight straight and 13 of 14.
Michigan basketball will need to be at its best and here are three keys to the Wolverines beating the Volunteers in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.
Dickinson has to conquer Vols 2-point defense
Tennessee won’t have any problems dealing with Michigan’s size. The Vols have four guys in their rotation at 6-foot-9 or taller. Tennessee is also a team that defends without having a ton of great shot blockers.
Josiah Jordan-James was tied for the team lead in blocked shots at 1.1 per game and he’s more of a wing than a big. At any rate, the Vols didn’t need many blocked shots (just one) against Longwood to hold them to 38 percent from the field and 43 percent on 2-point attempts.
Tennessee was 45th in the nation in 2-point defense and actually 56th in 3-point defense. The focus will be on stopping Hunter Dickinson and as we have seen, teams that are able to do that, without double teams are able to stonewall Michigan basketball.
For Michigan, it seems like Dickinson having a big game is always a key, but he’s the focal point of the offense, especially with DeVante Jones’ status unknown. Tennessee is very good at defending post-ups and that’s something Hunter will have to overcome because if he struggles, Michigan isn’t going to win.