The Wolverines ran the Volunteers out of the building.
The second half was more even, but it was far too late for Tennessee. Michigan had its easiest NCAA Tournament game yet, and crushed the Volunteers, 95-62.Here are some takeaways from the Wolverines' win.
Joel Klatt always described the Wolverines as a boa constrictorThe Wolverines have the size, speed, and shooting ability to score at will against their opponent. And Michigan's defense is suffocating — ask Tennessee. The Volunteers are better than anyone at getting offensive rebounds, and even in this game, Tennessee grabbed 18 offensive boards.But Michigan didn't allow the Vols to get anything going. Not only did Tennessee struggle to turn those offensive boards into points, but Michigan's defense wasn't allowing Tennessee to generate open looks. The Vols' stars, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament, combined for 28 points on 10-34 shooting.that Lendeborg wasn't a dominant college basketball player, but he was just one a dominant basketball team — ok.. For the third game in a row, Lendeborg wasn't passive and made Tennessee pay. He does more than just score the basketball. Lendeborg added seven rebounds and four assists, but he scored a game high 27 points and shredded the Volunteer defense.Lendeborg has the ability to score from anywhere on the court, adding three threes, and his ability to score at the rim is unmatched. All the 6'9" forward has done is improve his draft stock and prove that he was the top-rated transfer available this past offseason.As well as Lendeborg played, along with a few other individual performances, there isn't anything quite like Michigan's ability to move the basketball. The Wolverines are full of unselfish players, sometimes to their own detriment, but it was a thing of beauty against Tennessee. There were multiple possessions on Sunday where Michigan passed the ball around at least five times before finding an open man. To initially put the Wolverines up by 11 points earlier in the game, both Lendeborg and Nimari Burnett passed up an open look to find Elliot Cadeau open in the corner to drill a three.When Michigan plays like this on offense, it's so difficult to beat it. The Wolverines were able to score under the rim and the three-ball was falling. Michigan shot well, but it's a testament to their ability to share the wealth.You won't see too many games as physical as this one was — especially in the first half. Both teams faced early foul trouble and each team had to bench one of their bigs. Aday Mara picked up two early fouls before five minutes of game action. As for Tennessee, Felix Okpara picked up three fouls in the first half, along with other Volunteers facing foul issues. There were 22 combined fouls in the first half, and a total of 42 fouls in the game. Both teams were looking to impose their will down low, and while the Wolverines had the upper hand, Tennessee used its size to gain some offensive rebounds, along with causing some fouls.TRENT KNOOP Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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