Tennessee basketball

2022 - 3 - 19

Michigan Finds Consistency Just in Time to Halt Red-Hot Tennessee (unknown)

The Vols had been playing like a title contender of late, but it's the Wolverines who are on to the Sweet 16.

We still have a lot of mistakes that we have to clean up,” Brooks said. It’s a rather stunning end for a Tennessee team that looked the part of a real national championship contender for the better part of the last month. From a COVID-19 pause to injuries to failing to live up to expectations to the postgame melee at Michigan that left head coach Juwan Howard sidelined for the final five games of the regular season, few if any teams in the sport endured more adversity than the Wolverines have this season. But the story today is Michigan, a team that has had many opportunities to fracture this season. “That was the main focus: Run them off the line and stay down on shot fakes, and we did that,” senior guard Eli Brooks said. The team that spent the last month finding itself and then having to go back to the drawing board broke through Saturday, and did so against arguably the hottest team in men’s college basketball.

Twitter reacts to Michigan basketball's upset win over Tennessee (unknown)

Remember when some complained Michigan basketball didn't belong in the NCAA Tournament after being named an 11 seed on Selection Sunday?

Michigan basketball stuns Tennessee to reach NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 (unknown)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Michigan picked the perfect time to finally win consecutive games. The Wolverines stunned Tennessee 76-68 on Saturday night to advance to ...

But a turnover on the inbounds led to a Tennessee basket. Jones subbed out at the first media timeout and left the bench area, apparently with a wrist injury. Brooks, then Diabaté, each had a layup roll off the rim just before the final media timeout of the half. Dickinson grabbed a rebound at the other end and was fouled. He missed the free throw but Michigan still led 30-24 with 4:50 left. Brooks pointed to the player on the ground, in the no-charge circle: “And one, baby!” His free throw made it 65-62 with 3:21 left. Michigan went back up one on a Brooks layup with 11:29 left before Tennessee got some separation with three straight layups, then a free throw, to make it 60-54. A Brooks 3 in transition -- “Boom!” the fifth-year senior yelled as the ball ripped the net -- got Michigan within one a few minutes in. After the teams traded blows, Michigan took the lead for good on a Brooks and-one with 3:21 to go. Despite playing poorly at the end of the first half and heading back to the locker room down five, Michigan didn’t panic. Michigan point guard DeVante’ Jones returned to the starting lineup after missing Thursday’s first-round game -- a comeback win over Colorado State -- due to a concussion but only played 12 minutes on Saturday, all in the first half. A zone defense helped slow Tennessee’s attack in the second half.

Tennessee-Michigan postgame social media buzz (unknown)

Following the Tennessee-Michigan game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Vols Wire looks at postgame social media buzz. Postgame social media buzz is ...

Michigan basketball beats Tennessee, 76-68, to make improbable run to Sweet 16 (unknown)

Michigan basketball, the No. 11 seed in the South region, beat No. 3 seed Tennessee, 76-68, in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Portions of the second half were breathless in a game featuring six ties and 12 lead changes. Michigan fans roared when Dickinson blocked an attempted layup, altered another shot after an offensive rebound by the Volunteers and then plunged to the floor in pursuit of a loose ball, ultimately producing a tie-up. When Dickinson swished a free throw-line jumper with 2:29 remaining in the half — an unusual shot type from an unusual location for the team's leading scorer — Michigan climbed in front, 32-31, to annoy the largely pro-Volunteers crowd. "Everybody thought we shouldn't be in the tournament. The cushion proved large enough to keep Tennessee at bay. The return of point guard DeVante’ Jones from a concussion that sidelined him against Colorado State gave U-M an emotional lift, and fans cheered when he took the floor for pregame warmups. That was the biggest key of winning the game." "We turned the ball over, things weren't going our way," Williams said. Super sub Terrance Williams II scored six of his nine points in the last five minutes to spark the final comeback from a 60-54 deficit. "That was the main focus," Brooks said. The ball belonged to Eli Brooks, the graduate student with more games in a maize and blue uniform than anyone in program history. Skin-tight defense against Jones, Brooks and freshman point guard Frankie Collins repeatedly pushed the starting position for Michigan near mid-court.

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Knoxville News Sentinel"

Tennessee Vols vs. Michigan basketball video highlights, final score ... (Knoxville News Sentinel)

Check out the top plays from Tennessee Vols vs. Michigan men's basketball in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Tennessee Vols guard Santiago Vescovi hit a 3-pointer with 2:10 left in the first half. Tennessee's Kennedy Chandler got a steal, and it led to him getting a fast-break dunk with 9:36 left in the first half. James' dunk cut the Michigan lead to 15-12. Tennessee Vols center Uros Plavsic got a dunk via a Kennedy Chandler assist with 39 seconds left in the first half. Michigan center Hunter Dickinson hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 13:51 left in the second half. Michigan guard Eli Brooks drove and got a layup to give Michigan the lead with 3:21 left in the second half.