The Tennessee Volunteers have done something unprecedented: winning in the Sweet Sixteen as a lower seed under head coach Rick Barnes.
Their third straight trip to the Elite Eight now presents the Volunteers with their toughest test yet: the No. 1-seed Michigan Wolverines.
To spring this upset, Barnes needs to empower his best players to cut loose.
My Tennessee vs. Michigan player props and March Madness picks trust the Volunteers’ stars on Sunday, March 29.
Tennessee vs Michigan props
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Nate Ament |
3+ threes | +290 |
| Ja'Kobi Gillespie |
Over 17.5 points | -130 |
 Elliot Cadeau |
Over 5.5 assists | -115 |
Prop #1: Nate Ament 3+ threes
Nate Ament pouring in points is Tennessee’s best hope of keeping up with Michigan. The 6-foot-10 freshman forward is not a volume 3-point shooter, taking only 3.6 per game in SEC competition, but he is an accurate one.
Ament made 36.8% of his 3-pointers in the SEC regular season. It somewhat seems like he has tailed off in the postseason, but in five games, he has hit 8-of-19 from beyond the arc.
The Wolverines’ natural defense will encourage Ament to chuck even more often. Michigan ranks in the top 20% in the country in forcing opponents to live beyond the arc, with foes taking 43.0% of their shots from deep.
That largely works out for the Wolverines, but that volume of looks, combined with Tennessee’s urgency, should result in a bounty of Ament attempts.
Prop #2: Ja'Kobi Gillespie Over 17.5 points
Desperate times may call for desperate measures. If the Volunteers are trailing by double digits in the final eight minutes, they should try to get chaotic in some way, shape, or form.
That most likely starts with veteran point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who has already cleared this prop in three of his last four games.
Betting on Gillespie is, in some part, a bet on Tennessee finding itself in dire straits... which seems rather likely.
Prop #3: Elliot Cadeau Over 5.5 assists
Michigan wants to run. The Wolverines rank No. 25 in the country in pace, while the Volunteers sit at No. 297, per KenPom.
Get ready for Michigan to dial up the pace, and expect the ball to be in Elliot Cadeau's hands. The junior already ranks in the Top 50 in assist rate, and the North Carolina transfer is now seeing more minutes due to reserve guard LJ Cason's injury.
Since Cason went down, Cadeau has cleared this prop in six of eight games in March, including each of his last four. Cadeau has averaged 6.5 assists in the month and 8.25 in his last four games.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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