SITE: Charlotte
TIME: 12:40 p.m.
TV: truTV
ANNOUNCERS: Jim Nantz play-by-play, Clark Kellogg analyst
THE SPREAD: Tennessee by 2
RECORDS: Michigan 20-13, Tennessee 19-14
ENROLLMENTS: Michigan 39,980; Tennessee 27,107
THE BUZZ: Hmm – a first-round NCAA tourney game with 27 combined losses. I guess that’s like a bowl game where each team is 6-6. Michigan played well down the stretch, while the Vols did not. Tennessee can play lockdown defense when the mood strikes, and a big key for the Vols is keeping Wolverines G Darius Morris under control. If Morris is stymied, Tennessee will be in good shape. The Vols often struggle to score because outside of G Scotty Hopson, these guys are bricklayers from the perimeter. But Michigan’s frontcourt isn’t that big, so Tennessee Fs Elias Harris and Brian Williams should have success in the paint. The Vols also should control the boards.
