Michigan basketball came into its Elite Eight matchup against Tennessee with a point to prove, and they probably did more than that after looking at the final score. The Wolverines controlled the game from beginning to end and defeated the Vols 95-62 to advance to the Final Four.
They'll now be going into a blockbuster matchup against Arizona, as many expect this to be a heavyweight battle against two of the better teams remaining in the tournament.
As for Michigan and Tennessee, it looked as if it was going to be a back-and-forth matchup, but the Wolverines found a way to pull away and never looked back. Yaxel Lendeborg led the way for Michigan, and he finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
It was obvious that Tennessee didn't have an answer for him, but they also didn't have anything to throw at the entire team. On defense, Michigan smothered the opposition and forced them to shoot 32% from the field and just 19% from the three-point line.
Michigan used its fast pace to take advantage of Tennessee, and by halftime, the score was 48-26. Things weren't much better for the Vols in the second half, as they were outscored 47-36.
Michigan has had the utmost confidence in themselves in this tournament, and after their win against Alabama, Lenderborg made a bold statement that caught many people's attention.
“We might be the best Michigan team ever. We're gonna try to go for that,” Lenderborg said.
Of course, the Fab Five has an argument for the best Michigan team, but this current squad is trying to put themselves in the conversation. They still have some unfinished business, and their next stop will be to take down a hot Arizona team who is also playing some of their best basketball.
