Sweet 16: Tennessee Vs. Michigan Preview

The Tennessee Vols taking on the Michigan Wolverines is perhaps the most interesting match up in the Sweet 16, despite the interstate rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky stealing all the headlines.

Both teams had similarly rocky routes to get to the Sweet 16.

Michigan was 8-4 after 12 games into the season.  A key player in Mitch McGary also went down with a season ending injury.  The rough start would end though, when the Wolverines somehow rallied back to win 10 consecutive games.  The Wolverines would against stumble mid-season, however they finished strong by winning nine of their last ten.  They would go all the way to the Big Ten finals only to lose to Michigan State (another team in the Sweet 16).

The Vols also started their season with some losses.  The Vols did not really even begin to get noticed until the end of the season when they somehow marched into the SEC tournament semifinals and beat Iowa, UMass and Mercer (who defeated Duke) to make to the Sweet 16.

Both these teams rough starts and big comebacks are going to make them more determined than ever to win it all and now simply be a footnote by getting eliminated in the Sweet 16.

Tennessee and Michigan’s play style are even similar in their differences.  Michigan can knocked down shot from down town.  They boast a 3-point shooting percentage of 40 percent and have five different players who are dangerous from behind the arc. Nik Stauskas in particular is beast from three-point range.  He averages 17 points a game and shoots 45.1 percent from the three-point line.

Tennessee, on the other hand, has a defense built to stop the three.  They have athletic perimeter defenders that could stifle Michigan’s long-range shooters.  If they do shutdown the three, Michigan will look to the post where Jarnell Stokes will be waiting.  Stokes has shut down every player he has defended throughout the tournament.

This is only the eighth time the Vols have made it to the Sweet 16.  If the Vols make it past Michigan it will be the only the second time in the school’s history they make it to the Elite 8.

Tennessee have the big advantage down low, but if Michigan can find a way to knock down threes the Vols will be in trouble.  It is definitely going to be an interesting match up.

Michigan has the -3.5 point advantage to win this game.  The game starts at 7:15 p.m. ET and you can watch it on CBS.