Michigan vs. Tennessee scouting report, prediction for March Madness Elite Eight
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James Hawkins of The Detroit News breaks down Michigan's Elite Eight opponent in the NCAA Tournament and predicts the outcome:
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▶ Tennessee hopes that the third time is the charm. That’s because for the third consecutive season, the Volunteers have reached the Elite Eight and are looking to break through with their first Final Four trip in program history under longtime coach Rick Barnes, who’s in his 11th year. Last season, Tennessee was popped by Houston in a 19-point Sweet 16 loss. The season before that, Purdue ended its season with a six-point loss in the regional semifinals at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.
▶ The Volunteers are a major force on the glass, especially on the offensive end, and Friday’s 76-62 win over No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16 was the latest example. They dominated the rebounding battle by a 43-22 margin and turned 16 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points. On the season, Tennessee is grabbing 45% of its missed shots and averaging 15.8 offensive boards per game, marks that rank first and second, respectively, in the nation. And it’s not just one frontcourt guy who Michigan needs to locate and put a body on whenever a shot goes up; there’s several. J.P. Estrella, Jaylen Carey, Felix Okpara and Nate Ament are all averaging around two to three offensive rebounds a game.
▶ During SEC play, Tennessee’s offense ranked near the bottom out of 16 conference teams in numerous categories, per KenPom, including 3-point shooting (33%; 12th), 2-point shooting (49.8%; 13th), turnover percentage (17%; 15th), free-throw shooting (69.1%; 15th) and tempo (66.5 possessions; 16th). Tennessee’s defense, on the other hand, ranked first in steal percentage (11.2%), second in defensive efficiency (1.085 points per possession) and offensive rebounding percentage (27.1%), and fourth in effective field-goal percentage (50.8%).
Michigan vs. Tennessee prediction
The Volunteers have a potent 1-2 punch in senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and freshman forward Nate Ament, but the one thing they do better than anyone is crash the offensive glass. Tennessee grabs a staggering 45% of its missed shots, a mark that leads the nation per KenPom, with four players averaging roughly two offensive boards per game. Outside of that, the Volunteers don’t excel at anything else offensively. Defensively, they ranked second in the SEC during conference play, so they can present some challenges there. As long as Michigan finishes off defensive possessions and limits Tennessee’s second-chance opportunities, it should keep marching on. Pick: Michigan, 82-72
NCAA Tournament
NO. 1 MICHIGAN VS. NO. 6 TENNESSEE
▶ What: Elite Eight NCAA Tournament game
▶ When: Sunday, 2:15 p.m.
▶ Where: United Center, Chicago
▶ TV: CBS
▶ Records: Michigan 34-3, Tennessee 25-11
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan Wolverines prediction for Elite Eight of 2026 NCAA bracket