You can tell that Bruce Pearl still has a soft spot for Tennessee based on what he said leading into the Volunteers' matchup against Michigan basketball.
Pearl said that Tennessee was "one team Michigan couldn't punk.'
If only that were true, Bruce.
Michigan has punked a lot of people this season. It started in Las Vegas when the Wolverines punked Auburn, Pearl's former team by 30 points, before beating Gonzaga by 40.
The Wolverines got mild challenges from Saint Louis and Alabama in the second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament, but still ran away to win by double digits.
Of course, Michigan did go on to punk Tennessee in the Elite 8. The Wolverines defeated the Vols by 33 points, which was the largest margin of victory in that round since 1989.
Turns out, the exact opposite of what Pearl said would happen happened, and the internet didn't let him forget it.
Bruce Pearl: This is one team in Tennessee that Michigan can’t punk 🤣 pic.twitter.com/IAlr4toe5Q
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) March 29, 2026
Michigan rolls into the Final Four
Michigan has won its four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 22.5 points. To be fair, Tennessee did keep things competitive. They were ahead 16-14 when Yaxel Lendeborg decided to take over, sparking a 21-0 run.
That was the third 20-point run this season by Michigan basketball. The Wolverines have had 39 10-0 runs this season. It was also the 15th double-digit win for them against top-50 teams, five more than anyone else. Arizona has 10.
The Wildcats are up next for the Wolverines. They were ranked No. 1 in Kenpom until this weekend, so if there is a team Michigan "can't punk", it's Arizona, as Charles Barkley has been saying.
Arizona is as good as it gets. Hopefully, Michigan can find a way to be better. For now, it's just fun to laugh at Bruce Pearl.