Michigan is in the Sweet 16, just like we all predicted back in October. It took a strange, bizarre, and often frustrating path, but the heart and mettle of this Michigan Men's Basketball team cannot be doubted now. For the second straight game in the NCAA Tournament, they responded to adversity, clawing back during a game that seemed to be slipping away, executing in the big moments, and pulling out a win that was surprisingly comfortable on the scoreboard against a higher seed. The 11th seeded Wolverines downed the 3rd seeded Tennessee Volunteers this afternoon in Indianapolis 76-68. Off to San Antonio and the second weekend. 

The first half started promising for Michigan. They got out to a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes off the backs of a couple triples and generally held the lead throughout the first half. Michigan played solid defense, made a few timely shots, and were competing hard. The Wolverines led 30-24 with 4:50 to go in the first half before a late collapse began. Michigan scored just two points after that point and began to turn the ball over on nearly every other possession. Mixed in was a comical missed layup by Moussa Diabate after he declined to dunk an easy bucket, one of several massive mistakes in the late first half.

Michigan went into the half down 37-32, a result most Michigan fans would've taken before the game began, yet it still felt disappointing. The Wolverines shot 44% from the field (higher than Tennessee) in the first half, and went 4/9 from three, but the nine turnovers were costly, especially when they piled up at the end of the half. Tennessee didn't create many great looks, but they had an athleticism advantage at guard when DeVante' Jones was on the floor, and also boasted solid shotmaking in knocking down buckets from the long two range. 

[Zoey Holmstrom]

Two changes came after halftime. First off, DeVante' Jones was ruled out for the game due to an ailment, which forced Frankie Collins to play more at guard. Secondly, a crucial change came to the team strategy, when Juwan Howard switched to zone. As with any zone defense, a primary way to beat such a scheme is to shoot over it. Though Tennessee remained decent on those midrange looks, they were drier than the Sahara desert from three point range, while the schematic change helped to mitigate some of the athletic disadvantages Michigan was facing defensively. It didn't restore the good times yet, though, as Tennessee had the upper hand through much of the second half. They'd go up a few, then Michigan would come back to tie it, before Tennessee would charge ahead again. 

The turning point of the contest came with under eight minutes remaining. Jo Jo James split a pair at the line to make it 60-54 Tennessee and quickly got the ball back. Eli Brooks responded with a steal and then began to will Michigan forward himself. The wily veteran made a jumper and a layup on the next two possessions to cut it back within two points. More importantly: Michigan turned the defensive pressure up, Tennessee couldn't throw a rock in the ocean, and as a result, the Vols scored two points over a nearly five minute stretch that began at that mark of the game. 

Michigan trailed 60-58 after Brooks' personal 4-0 spurt, and then Terrance Williams II stepped up. Over the span of a minute, Williams would crash the offensive glass with purpose and finish a loose ball after a missed shot twice. Tennessee added a bucket in between, but that left the score at 62-62 with only four minutes to go. Brooks took the ball and drove to the basket, making contact with with a defender. The ball went through the hoop and a foul was called... on Tennessee. Brooks swished the and-one free throw and Michigan led 65-62 with 3:21to go. 

[Zoey Holmstrom]

Kennedy Chandler knocked down another midrange jumper to trim it to one, and then Dickinson was fouled while posting up. He went 1/2 at the line and then Michigan put together a strong defensive possession that ended with Williams snagging a defensive rebound and drawing a foul. Williams went to the free throw line, facing down a one-and-one and a weakness that had haunted him in his career... free throws. Williams rattled the first one down, and swished the second. 68-64 Michigan. 

Eli Brooks then locked in defensively, with a brilliant stop that forced a shot clock violation, giving Michigan the ball with 1:38 to go. Disaster then struck on the in-bounds pass, as Williams delivered it to Brooks, who was quickly cornered. Brooks made weak contact with a Volunteers player, and the ball dribbled off himself and out of bounds. Turnover. Caleb Houstan was torched on the ensuing possession, and Tennessee's Santiago Vescovi converted on a layup. 68-66 with 1:28 left. 

Michigan took the ball down the floor and ran the shot clock down. With the time ticking down and desperation setting in, the Wolverines turned to the veteran Eli Brooks yet again. He dribbled down towards the baseline and in Zavier Simpson fashion, connected on an improbable hook shot with 53.6 left. 70-66 Michigan.

On the following trip down the floor, a Ziegler three pointer for Tennessee popped out, Dickinson got the rebound, passed to Brooks, who drew the foul. In the double bonus, Brooks swished both guaranteed free throws, and Michigan led 72-66 with only 36.2 left. Tennessee got a tip-in to cut the lead back to four, but Moussa Diabate (a shaky free throw shooter himself) did his part in the free throw contest, making both, which restored the lead to six with only 23 seconds left. After Chandler missed a layup and Dickinson snagged the defensive board, the game was over. A couple free throws followed and we had a final score. 76-68 Michigan. Sweet 16 Bound. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: Click for a few short takes]

[Zoey Holmstrom]

Michigan won this game because of the performance of the two returning starters, Hunter Dickinson and Eli Brooks. Those two scored 50 of Michigan's 76 points, and after DeVante' Jones was declared out for the second half, they were needed to drive offensive play. Dickinson was a dominant presence inside for most of the game (8/13 from the field) who carried Michigan's offense through the first 30 or so minutes. Then Brooks took over, with a little help from timely Terrance Williams II tip ins. Brooks scored 23 on 9/14 from the field, including a pair of triples, and he was the go-to guy in the clutch. Every team needs that to win a tight tournament game. 

On the flip side, Michigan also won because Tennessee went ice cold from three, finishing a dreadful 2/18 from distance. The Vols still had an athletic advantage when they could get in one-on-one matchups, but when forced to shoot, the ball wasn't going down. Moreover, some of the blow-bys they got inside created open kickouts, and those shots wouldn't go down either. UT was 53% from two, but 11% from three. They did well to keep much better care of the ball than Michigan (only seven turnovers), but it only matters so much when a crucial component of a modern offense falters in the tournament. Michigan fans who remember the 2019 tournament loss to Texas Tech know about that predicament all too well. 

Michigan is now into the Sweet 16 for the fifth straight NCAA Tournament. They will face the winner of tomorrow's (2) Villanova vs. (7) Ohio State game. That game is scheduled for 2:40 pm EST and will be on CBS. Next week's matchup will take place on Thursday night in San Antonio, Texas.