Tennessee-Michigan Preview, Prediction: Vols Slated For Tough Test in Round of 32

In order for Tennessee to make their second Sweet Sixteen in the Rick Barnes era, the Vols will have to knock off a Wolverines squad with plenty of size.

INDIANAPOLIS – The 3-seed Tennessee Volunteers are set to take on 11-seed Michigan on Saturday in Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 5:15 p.m. ET in the Round of 32 in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. 

The Vols enter Saturday having knocked off 14-seed Longwood in the first round of the tournament, drubbing the Lancers 88-56. As for Michigan, the Wolverines survived the first round thanks to a 15-point comeback win over 6-seed Colorado State. Michigan was led by sophomore 7'1" center Hunter Dickinson's 21 points on 8-10 shooting and freshman forward Moussa Diabate's nine boards. 

Diabate and Dickinson have been Michigan's elite big man duo, averaging a combined 27.4 points per game and 14.3 rebounds per game. Dickinson has also logged 10 double-doubles this season, more than any Vols' player this season. 

The Wolverines also offer graduate guard Eli Brooks, who shoots 38.6 percent from deep and is Michigan's second-leading scorer. 

Brooks, Diabate and Dickinson led Michigan to the big first-round win, and they did it without starting point guard DeVante Jones. Jones comes into the NCAA Tournament boasting 10.7 points per game and 46.4 shooting percentage. As of Friday afternoon, Jones is a game-time decision for the Round of 32 matchup with Tennessee, but the senior did practice with the team on Friday. 

"DeVanté [Jones] was out there for more than practice, got out there, got a little lather and it's a game-time decision," Michigan Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard dais of his point guard's status. "I will be on my knees tonight praying he will hopefully be ready to go tomorrow because we're going to need all hands on deck."

Dickinson has led the Wolverines to a Top-20 offense, according to KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency rating. Michigan is No. 19 in the metric, 15 spots ahead of No. 34 Tennessee.

While the Vols' offense has displayed their fair share of cold offensive stretches this season, Tennessee has been seeing the rim well in the postseason. Most recently, the Vols torched Longwood for 14 made threes to tie a second-high school record for most triples made in an NCAA Tournament game. 

And a big reason has been Tennessee's ball movement, as the Vols posted a co-season-high and school tournament-high 29 assists against the Lancers, two shy of the single-game program record set in November of 1988. 

The stark contrast between the two schools is defense, as the Vols further showed against Longwood how they are on of the best defensive units in the nation. 

Tennessee remains in the top-five of adjusted defensive efficiency rating, per KenPom, coming in at No. 2 (No. 1 SEC) after the first round of March Madness. Michigan is No. 78 in the metric, improving 13 spots after their triumphant win over Colorado State in Indianapolis. 

The Vols also crush Michigan in Quadrant 1 games, as Tennessee is 10-7 (4th in the nation, best in SEC), while Michigan is 5-10 (34th in the nation, 7th B10). 

In March, however, it's not all about the numbers. Everyone saw that with Saint Peters' shocking win over Kentucky. 

Michigan has a lot of momentum after their comeback over the Rams and will surely enter Saturday with a chip on their shoulder, but Tennessee is playing their best basketball of the season. 

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Take a look below for Volunteer Country's staff predictions for Tennessee's Round of 32 matchup with the Wolverines, as Rick Barnes looks to reach his second Sweet Sixteen with the Volunteers. 

Jack

Prediction: It's no secret Tennessee's backcourt has elevated the Vols' play to an entirely new level since the loss to Texas in January, offensively and defensively. Kennedy Chandler's ability to force turnovers and simultaneously drain threes makes him one of the best point guards in college basketball. 

Santiago Vescovi constantly keeps the defenses guessing with his frequent movement and just bucketed a near-program NCAA Tournament record six threes against Longwood. Throwing in Zakai Zeigler's passion and Josiah-Jordan James' all-around efficiency, Tennessee has one of the most complete rosters in the nation. It just comes down to consistency. Something they didn't show in losses to Arkansas, Texas and Kentucky, but something they have shown in the postseason. 

And it will continue against Michigan. 

Tennessee will struggle at times with Michigan's size. There's no doubt. Uros Plavsic struggled against Longwood and could easily see a reduced role if he cannot contain Dickinson and Diabate. Expect to see more of Jonas Aidoo if Plasvic struggles due to his rim protecting abilities, as Dickinson's size makes it a tall task for John Fulkerson to contain the oversized Wolverine. 

Although Michigan's bigs offer a mismatch for the Vols, with the way Tennessee has been shooting consistently, I cannot pick against the orange and white. Tennessee's guards will be too much for Michigan and will overcome the mismatch in the paint, leading to a Sweet Sixteen-clinching victory. 

Give me UT by seven for their seventh March win, which will tie a school record for most wins in March (2013-14, 2010-11). 

Score: Tennessee 72, Michigan 65

Jake

Prediction: Given the Vols' backcourt improvement and the barrage that Tennessee brings on the defensive end, I think Michigan will struggle in maintaining ball control -- especially if Devante' Jones is unable to go again. 

The Wolverines have an obvious advantage in the paint with Hunter Dickinson. Ultimately, though, I think the Vols get hot offensively and that their defense maintains control throughout to put UT in its ninth Sweet Sixteen in program history. 

Score: Tennessee 68, Michigan 60

Riley

Prediction: The Vols' guards have shown massive improvement and if they can keep their shooting percentage high, they can continue to win. However, relying on threes to score the majority of points is a recipe for disaster. Michigan is strong in the paint, but Super-Senior John Fulkerson, Uros Plavsic, Jonas Aidoo can compete with Michigan's paint dominance if it's needed. The Vols can advance to the Sweet Sixteen here, with early dominance in the paint and continued shooting success.

Score: Tennessee 67, Michigan 63

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