Juwan Howard updates status of Devante' Jones ahead of Tennessee game

When Michigan beat Colorado State on Thursday, the Wolverines did it without Devante’ Jones. As they gear up to take on Tennessee on Saturday, Juwan Howard provided an update on Jones’ status for the Round of 32 showdown.

Jones missed the game with a concussion he suffered in practice. He practiced on Friday between games, and Howard said he really wants his starting point guard on the floor against the Volunteers on Saturday.

“DeVante’ was out there for more than practice, got out there, got a little lather and it’s a game-time decision,” Howard said. “I will be on my knees tonight praying he will hopefully be ready to go … because we’re going to need all hands on deck.”

Michigan started out slow against Colorado State in the Round of 64 and even trailed at halftime. But the Wolverines bounced back to shoot 60% after the break to beat the Rams 75-63 and advance to the next round. However, getting Jones back would be a huge boost for the 11th-seeded Wolverines against the 3-seeded Volunteers.

Jones has been a vital part of the Wolverines’ offense this year after transferring from Coastal Carolina. He started all 31 games prior to the NCAA Tournament and averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists in those appearances.

Jay Bilas discusses ‘intriguing’ Tennessee vs. Michigan matchup

The first round of the NCAA Tournament is in the books, which means the round of 32 is upon us. The College GameDay crew discussed which games it thinks will be the most “intriguing” — and Jay Bilas pointed to Tennessee vs. Michigan.

The two teams had very different first games. Michigan trailed at halftime before shooting the lights out to defeat Colorado State 75-63 on Thursday, while Tennessee cruised to an 88-56 win over Longwood. But the Wolverines’ second half nearly matched the Volunteers’ total performance, which is why Bilas thinks it’s an interesting matchup on Saturday.

“Michigan shot 60% in the second half against Colorado State and did an excellent job getting the ball inside to Hunter Dickinson, who had 21 points,” Bilas said during a SportsCenter segment. “Eli Brooks was terrific. Tennessee shot 60% for the game against Longwood and Santiago Vescovi had six threes in that game. He was 6 of 8. That’s the most threes in a game for Tennessee since Chris Lofton did it. That’s the company he’s in.

“Tennessee’s the better team, but can they beat a big shot in Michigan in the second round?”

Tennessee and Michigan tip off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Saturday at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS. KenPom gives Tennessee a 72% chance of winning the game.