Michigan State excels on the offensive glass, holds its opponents to a paltry 28% shooting from deep (If you can’t shoot you better make sure the other team can’t either), gets to the charity stripe and masks its weakness by only taking the occasional 3. But Auburn is Auburn. The Tigers earned the No. 1 seed for a reason.

We have been a second-half team,” an emotional Tom Izzo said after the Michigan State Spartans’ Sweet 16 win over Ole Miss. The post 2025 NCAA Tournament: How Much Bonus Did Tom Izzo Get After Michigan State’s Elite 8 Exit?

The Spartans rallied in the second half to beat Mississippi and earn their first trip to the Elite Eight trip since 2019.

Tahaad Pettiford, Denver Jones and Johni Broome lead the top-seeded Tigers, who outscore the Wolverines 39-17 over the final 12½ minutes in a 78-65 win that sends them to the Elite Eight for only

Michigan State has now won eight games since the start of February after being down at halftime. Friday’s victory was Izzo’s 14th when trailing at the half in the NCAA Tournament, tying Mike Krzyzewski for the all-time record.

SportsLine's model revealed its college basketball predictions for Michigan Wolverines vs. Auburn Tigers on Friday in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

Broome took a hard fall on court and remained sitting on the floor in pain for several minutes. He eventually stood up with help and walked to the locker room with the aid of trainers.

The SportsLine Projection Model has revealed its Michigan State Spartans vs. Ole Miss Rebels picks for the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday