Can Tennessee finally reach a Final Four? Prediction markets lay out the Vols’ chances
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Tennessee basketball is teetering on the precipice of program history.
The Volunteers cracked the Elite 8 for the third straight season, beating Iowa State 76-62 Friday night. Now, Tennessee draws Michigan — one of the best teams in the country — for a shot at the Vols’ first Final Four appearance ever.
Kalshi isn’t counting the Volunteers out, but the early odds look about how you’d expect:
To put it lightly, advancing one more game isn’t going to be an easy task for these Volunteers. Michigan has lost just 3 times this year and boasts the best defense in the country, as well as a top 5 offense per KenPom. Standouts Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson make up a truly nasty frontcourt while guards Elliot Cadeau and Nimari Burnett cash in from range and run Dusty May’s offense with precision. Michigan rebounds at a high rate, can score from anywhere and shuts opposing offenses down with size, athleticism and pure God-given talent.
When the Wolverines are going, they look as good as any team has at this stage across the past 10 years.
The Wolverines have a few chinks in the armor, though. LJ Cason, the team’s backup point guard, was knocked out for the remainder of the season at the start of March, and Cadeau — while a gifted facilitator — struggles with turnovers issues (though he’s been pretty steady in the NCAA tournament thus far – just 4 turnovers across 3 games). Roddy Gayle, who handles the ball seldom in Cason’s absence, also has some turnover issues.
Tennessee beat Iowa State by smothering shooters on the perimeter while eating Iowa State’s banged-up frontcourt alive on the glass. The Vols simply aren’t going to have the same success it saw in the paint or on the boards against Iowa State, so the key to victory might be making Cadeau and Gayle as uncomfortable as possible in the early going. Of course, the Vols are going to need all-out performances from Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Nate Ament and at least one member of the frontcourt, too.
Considerably easier said than done.
Tipoff for Tennessee vs. Michigan is set for 2:15 p.m. on CBS Sunday afternoon.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
