MICHIGAN 75, TENNESSEE 45
For a while, this looked like it was going to be a great game. UT led for stretches of the first half, and it was only down by four at the half. UM had made a bit of a run to close the period, but it was nothing insurmountable. After the break, Tennessee came out and quit. That's what the scoreboard said they did, and that's what the players said they did. The Vols had two scoreless stretches of around five minutes. They were outscored 42-16 after intermission, and Michigan posted the largest margin of victory in an 8-9 game ever.
Whenever players quit on a coach, it brings into question the future of that coach. Bruce Pearl wants to stay at Tennessee, but after Mike Hamilton's recent comments and this debacle, you wonder if he'll get the chance. Of course, the smart money says Hamilton shouldn't sleep peacefully at night either.
WASHINGTON 68, GEORGIA 65
Four Bulldogs scored in double figures but it wasn't enough as the favored Huskies beat Georgia in the closing seconds in Charlotte. Georgia led for a good part of the first half, while Washington led for most of the second. UGA stormed back at the end, nearly erasing an eight-point deficit with less than a minute to play.UW held on though, sending the Bulldogs home after just one game.
Trey Thompkins was the star of the night, posting a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Travis Leslie contributed 12 points, six boards, and five assists. It was the next step in Mark Fox's building plan to get UGA to the dance, and the next one is to win a game or two. You just wonder who it will be that he'll get to replace Thompkins and Leslie in order to accomplish that.