The stage is set for one of the most intriguing Elite Eight matchups in recent memory as No. 1 seed Michigan prepares to face No. 6 seed Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET on CBS at the United Center in Chicago. The Wolverines are riding high after a dominant 90-77 Sweet 16 victory over Alabama, while the Volunteers defeated No. 2 seed Iowa State 76-62 to punch their ticket to the regional final.
Both programs have been tested by injuries throughout the tournament. The availability of key players could determine who punches a ticket to the Final Four in San Antonio.
Key Injuries for Michigan and Tennessee
Michigan enters the Elite Eight with a 34-3 record and is one of the favorites to win the national championship, but the loss of backup point guard L.J. Cason has forced head coach Dusty May to tighten his rotation. Tennessee, meanwhile, has been without forward Cade Phillips for the majority of the season and is managing a lingering injury to star freshman Nate Ament.
As the two programs prepare for the biggest game of their seasons, injuries remain a storyline that could swing the outcome in either direction.
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Cason is out for Michigan after suffering a torn right ACL during the Wolverines’ Big Ten title-clinching victory at Illinois on Feb. 27. The sophomore guard was averaging 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 18.6 minutes off the bench while shooting 50.3% from the field.
Cason was Michigan’s primary backup point guard and provided a scoring spark, but his season ended just as he was making a sophomore leap. Cason has delayed surgery until April 9 to remain with the team throughout the tournament and will redshirt the 2026-27 season to fully recover.
Phillips is out for Tennessee after undergoing surgery in December to repair a recurring left shoulder injury. The junior forward appeared in 10 games this season, averaging 3.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks across 16.9 minutes per game.
Phillips was announced as out for the remainder of the season on Dec. 8 and has been sidelined throughout the NCAA Tournament. His absence has forced Tennessee to rely more heavily on its frontcourt depth, with Jaylen Carey and Felix Okpara taking on larger roles in his place.
Beyond those confirmed absences, Ament remains a key player to watch despite a right ankle and knee injury he has been dealing with since the Alabama game on Feb. 28. The injury caused him to miss two games late in the regular season, and while he has played through the tournament, the soreness remains a factor.
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Ament posted 18 points and four rebounds in the Sweet 16 win against Iowa State but struggled in the first round against Miami (OH), going scoreless against the RedHawks. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has stated that Ament will continue to play through the injury and that it will not be fully healed until the season ends.
For Michigan, the Wolverines have shifted their rotation without Cason, relying on freshman guard Trey McKenney, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Elliot Cadeau. Against Alabama, McKenney scored 17 points, Gayle added 14, and Cadeau chipped in 17.
The Wolverines have adjusted well in Cason’s absence, having clinched the Big Ten regular-season title and now winning three straight NCAA Tournament games.
