Auburn earns second Final Four berth: Tigers shake Johni Broome injury scare, hold off Michigan State

The Tigers completed the field for the Final Four with a 70-64 win vs. the Spartans in the Elite Eight

By David Cobb

& Cameron Salerno

Mar 30, 2025 at 7:46 pm ET • 1 min read

Auburn is heading to the Final Four for the second time in school history after toppling Michigan State 70-64 in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Tigers' victory ensured the Final Four will feature all four No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008 and for just the second time since NCAA Tournament expansion in 1985.

Star big man Johni Broome led the charge for Auburn with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Broome exited for over five minutes late in the second half following an awkward fall but returned to hit a dagger of a 3-pointer with 4:40 remaining to put the Tigers ahead 60-48.

No. 2 seed Michigan State stayed within striking distance for most of the second half, but a cringeworthy offensive day for the Spartans' guards doomed their chances of making another memorable rally. MSU drew within 65-58 with 1:40 remaining on a Jaxon Kohler 3-pointer. But that brief window of hope was quickly closed in a 4-0 Auburn spurt over the following 30 seconds. Kohler was the offensive bright spot for the Spartans with a double-double that included three 3-pointers.

The outcome eliminated the last Big Ten team from the bracket, ensuring the conference will go without a national champion for a 24th consecutive season.

Auburn's win sets up an all-SEC national semifinal next Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, as the Tigers will take on Florida. The Gators won the only meeting between the teams 90-81 at Auburn on Feb. 8. Regardless of who wins, it will be the first time since 2014 that an SEC team plays for the national title.

THE JOHNI BROOME GAME ™️#MarchMadness @AuburnMBB pic.twitter.com/A8vK7ERpoM
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2025

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Auburn earns validation

Auburn had dropped three of its final four games entering Selection Sunday, which raised questions over whether the Tigers deserved to be the No. 1 overall seed. Those questions evaporated this weekend in consecutive victories over the Big Ten Tournament champions (Michigan) and Big Ten regular-season champions (Michigan State). The questions over whether the Tigers could find the "on" switch again were answered by Broome, by freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford, who was electric against Michigan, and by coach Bruce Pearl. Few, if any, in the profession are better motivators than Pearl, and he had his team ready to operate at peak efficiency on the second weekend of the Big Dance. A 17-0 run in the first half changed the game and was the perfect embodiment of the sort of explosiveness that has made Auburn so lethal all season.

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Johni Broome was the hero

Auburn star center Johni Broome showed once again why he remains a serious challenger to Duke's Cooper Flagg in the national player of the year race. Broome dominated with 25 points and 14 rebounds in just 29 minutes amid the injury scare that forced him to miss over five minutes in the second half. The Spartans had no answer for Broome, who was effective in a variety of ways. He was a post-up target, a roll-man, a 3-point shooter and a beast on the glass. That he returned from injury to help finish off the victory only adds to the legend of a player who has turned in one of the greatest individual seasons in program history.

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Spartans go cold

Jaden Akins scored 13 of his 15 points in the final four minutes to help the box score look a bit more respectable for Michigan State. But there is no way around the fact that the Spartans' guards struggled. Freshman star Jase Richardson missed his last eight shots and finished 4 of 13. Tre Holloman finished 0 for 10, and Akins needed 17 shots to reach 15 points. Jeremy Fears Jr. was also ineffective, finishing 1 of 4.

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Auburn is heading to the Final Four

FINAL: (1) Auburn 70, (2) Michigan State 64

Auburn is heading to the Final Four for the second time under coach Bruce Pearl after toppling Michigan State 70-64 in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Tigers' victory ensured the Final Four will feature all four No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008 and for just the second time since NCAA Tournament expansion in 1985.

Michigan State stayed within striking distance for most of the second half, but a cringeworthy offensive day for the Spartans' guards doomed their chances of making another memorable rally. MSU drew within 65-58 with 1:40 remaining on a Jaxon Kohler 3-pointer. But that brief window of hope was quickly closed in a 4-0 Auburn spurt over the following 30 seconds. Kohler was the offensive bright spot for the Spartans with a double-double that included three 3-pointers.

The outcome eliminated the last Big Ten team from the bracket, ensuring the league will go without a national champion for a 24th consecutive season.

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Michigan State's last chance

3:37 2H: Auburn 62, Michigan State 50

Auburn hasn't led by fewer than eight since the 17:13 mark. Michigan State's utter lack of perimeter firepower is proving a hindrance vs. a team with Auburn's firepower. Can the Spartans mount one final charge? If Tom Izzo is going to make his ninth Final Four, it's go time. Jase Richardson has been held in check during the second half. But he — or someone else in green — will have to get going.

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Johni Broome returns

5:29 2H: Auburn 57, Michigan State 48

Johni Broome returned to the game at the 5:29 mark after he was off the floor for roughly five minutes of game time. CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson reported that X-rays were negative, paving the way for Auburn's star to return as the Tigers try and withstand Michigan State and punch their ticket to the Final Four.

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Broome's injury looms large

7:30 2H: Auburn 52, Michigan State 42

Auburn star Johni Broome's status looms large as this Elite Eight battle goes down the stretch with Michigan State refusing to go quietly. With Broome's status uncertain the rest of the way, the Tigers will have to withstand a Spartans team that has been lurking throughout the second half. Jaxon Kohler has given MSU a big lift here in the second half with 8 of his 14 points coming after the break.

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Johni Broome goes to locker room

Mid 2H: Auburn 50, Michigan State 40

Johni Broome was favoring his right shoulder a few minutes ago and is now grabbing at his right elbow after taking an awkward fall. The National Player of the Year candidate has been the best player on the floor in this game with 22 points, 12 rebounds and a block on 9 of 12 shooting. He exited the game and will receive from attention from the trainers after leaving the floor and heading into the tunnel.

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Broome is balling

11:52 2H: Auburn 50, Michigan State 38

Tahaad Pettiford just hit a 3-pointer to give Auburn a double-digit lead yet again. But the star for Auburn has been its firs-team All-American and National Player of the Year candidate. Johni Broome's dunk through traffic here was the embodiment of how dominant he's been in this game. The Spartans have no answer. Broome is up to 22 points and 12 rebounds. Michigan State has been a second half team this season. Can the Spartans dig deep for another rally?

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Dylan Cardwell doing things

15:54 2H: Auburn 40, Michigan State 32

Auburn's "second" big, Dylan Cardwell, is doing things for the Tigers early in the second half. He rejected a Jase Richardson fallaway on one end and then finished in transition on the other end to put the Tigers ahead 40-30. He's also got a couple of boards already in the second half.

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Second half keys

Michigan State must come up with an answer for Johni Broome in the second half. The Spartans have plenty of bigs to throw at him, but none of them have been effective at dislodging him underneath the basket. Auburn also did a phenomenal job taking care of the basketball in the first half with just two turnovers, which helped keep Michigan State from running in transition. More of that in the second half will go a long way toward keeping the Spartans from making a rally.

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Johni Broome owns first half

HALF: Auburn 33, Michigan State 24

Auburn star Johni Broome put up a double-double in the first half with 17 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting. He pulled down three offensive rebounds as the Tigers hung tough on the glass with the board-hungry Spartans. The Spartans are shooting just 26.7% and would be down even more if not for some tough made 2-pointers. Jase Richardson has nine to lead Michigan State.

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Both teams cooling off

3:28 1H: Auburn 27, Michigan State 19

Both teams have cooled off following a first half largely defined by runs. Johni Broome was the early star for Auburn, and Jase Richardson has been the star for Michigan State. Will be interesting to see if Tahaad Pettiford and/or Denver Jones can get going to close the half for Auburn. They are a combined 1 for 6 with three points. Both are capable of heating up in a hurry, and quick spurt from either could swing the momentum back in Auburn's favor entering the break.

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Michigan State claps back

6:39 1H: Auburn 23, Michigan State 15

Michigan State took quite a punch from Auburn and then clapped back with a 7-0 run of its own. Frankie Fidler hit a big 3-pointer off the bench, and then Jase Richardson got to the basket and finished over Johni Broome. After a scintillating stretch, Auburn has missed its last five shots. The Spartans are still just 5 of 21 from the floor but have settled in a bit defensively.

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Auburn in overdrive

10:27 1H: (1) Auburn, 23, (2) Michigan State 8

Get out of the way, because Auburn is rolling down the tracks in Atlanta at a torrential pace. Johni Broome's 3-pointer made it a 17-0 run and forced a timeout from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans are just 3 of 16 from the floor and 1 of 9 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Tigers are 10 of 16 from the floor, and Broome already has 11 points. He is looking like a player that won't concede the National Player of the Year race, and Auburn is looking a team that wants to keep playing.

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Johni Broome cooking early

14:26 1H: Auburn 10, Michigan State 8

Johni Broome is making his presence felt early. He scored Auburn's first six points with a 3-for-3 start from the field. Miles Kelly is also in his bag to start with four. Michigan State went back to Szymon Zapala in the starting lineup, but it didn't take long for Coen Carr to get in off the bench. The athletic forward has already dunked the ball. Fun matchup between electric freshman guards here in Tahaad Pettiford for Auburn and Jase Richardson for Auburn. Pettiford has been quiet early, but Richardson converted an and-1.

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Johni Broome remains in Player of the Year race

Auburn star center Johni Broome has a chance to make a statement in the National Player of the Year race today as the Tigers take on Michigan State following a good but not great performance from his top challenger, Cooper Flagg, in Duke's Elite Eight win on Saturday. This was an insightful quote from teammate Dylan Cardwell on how Broome has progressed as a player in the 2024-25 season:

"Johni is just a great competitor. It's just been cool to see him take the pressure and the weight of Auburn basketball and put it on his shoulders and just kind of be there for us and have these huge care for the season. He's a hard worker, but I just want to commend him for his mental strength to bear the way that he does bear. Obviously have the National Player of the Year race going on but also the National Championship and wanting this team to win. That's the biggest difference for him, his jump from last year to this year is he's kind of been able to sacrifice more and take on more of the mental strain for the team."

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How Auburn got here

Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford stepped up down the stretch in No. 1 seed Auburn's 78-65 win over No. 5 seed Michigan. The Tigers' 6th man finished with 15 of his 20 points in the second half and made some crucial shots in the final minutes while star big man Johni Broome went to the bench because of foul trouble. Pettiford has started just one game for the Tigers this season, but it's clear that he is one of their most important players. The way he can get to the rim and his shotmaking make him one of the most fun players in the sport.

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How Michigan State got here

ATLANTA -- Tom Izzo looked ready to explode.

The fiery 70-year old Michigan State head coach stalked the sidelines, increasingly despondent as Ole Miss' lead grew bigger and bigger. After Ole Miss built a 10-point lead with less than four minutes remaining in the first half, with almost nothing going right for Michigan State, Izzo collapsed in his seat and put his head into his hands in such a theatrical way you would have thought his dog just died.

That's how much this means to a living legend of a coach who has watched many of his peers exit the sport in recent years, from Coach K to Jay Wright to Roy Williams. He badly, desperately, wants one more Final Four run with this team that has wrung every last ounce of talent just to make it this far.

Sensing the importance of the moment, Izzo called timeout and, in his words, "asked them what the hell they're doing."

Tom Izzo saw his Spartans slipping away; his next call kept Michigan State's March Madness dream alive

John Talty

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Auburn vs. Michigan State prediction

If Tahaad Pettiford is as electric and unstoppable as he appeared at times against Michigan, then maybe it's just Auburn's year. But the bet here is that Tom Izzo and Michigan State have more ways to disrupt the rhythm of the Tigers' surging freshman star.

The Spartans had their own struggles with Ole Miss and their own freshman reliance with Jase Richardson, but rallying from second-half deficits has been a hallmark of Michigan State during its run to a Big Ten regular-season title. It's less about luck and more about the Spartans' physical style wearing down opponents and a Hall of Fame coach making the right in-game adjustments.

I think the underdog is live to win outright, so I'll take the points. Pick: Michigan State +5.5

2025 March Madness predictions: NCAA bracket expert picks against the spread, Elite Eight odds for Sunday

Chip Patterson

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Auburn vs. Michigan State scouting report

Auburn and Michigan State quietly walk into every game with the same goal defensively: no 3-pointers. Michigan State gives up barely any unguarded catch-and-shoot treys. Auburn rarely gives up any 3s in general. This game will be won or lost in the paint. Michigan State has played solo coverage against some great big men this year, namely Oregon's Nate Bittle and Michigan's Vlad Goldin. Auburn star Johni Broome should get plenty of one-on-one coverage.

Full scouting report and pick 👇

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Isaac Trotter