Dusty May previews Elite 8 matchup vs. Tennessee: ‘They want Armageddon’
By David Wasson
Published:
If you want a high-flying, full-court, 3-point barrage of an Elite Eight game this weekend… don’t look toward Michigan vs. Tennessee.
Wolverines coach Dusty May echoed that analysis Saturday on the eve of his team’s Midwest Region title game against the Volunteers (Sunday, 2:15 pm ET, CBS).
“They want Armageddon,” May said during an interview on ESPN’s College GameDay, via RockyTopInsider. “It’s going to be a brawl. It’s literally going to be feudal warfare in the paint.”
May wanted a similar tussle against Alabama in the Sweet 16 and got it in the final 20 minutes to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a 13-point victory – doing so by slowing down the Crimson Tide and pounding the ball inside with relentless efficiency.
Here’s a quick look at Kalshi’s odds to win Sunday’s game:
The Volunteers were similarly effective in the paint in their Sweet 16 victory against Iowa State on Friday night, winning the rebounding battle 43-22 and hauling in 16 offensive rebounds. That glass dominance helped Tennessee outscore Iowa State by 12 in the paint and led to 14 second-chance points.
“Tennessee is throwback,” May added. “They’re No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounding. Out of 79 Power Five teams, they’re 65th in first-shot offensive efficiency and they’re an efficient offense as a whole. So, this shows you how dangerous they are with their second, third, and fourth shots even.”
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
