The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with a recap of the Michigan State-Auburn game.
The spirit squads for both schools were ready:
…as were their bands:
There was plenty of pageantry on display during the national anthem:
I saw Westwood One Radio color commentator Tom Crean (who yesterday celebrated the 23rd anniversary of his win over Kentucky as Marquette coach in the 2003 Elite 8):
…and Phoenix Suns’ billionaire owner Mat Ishbia (who won the 2000 NCAA title as a walk-on PG guard for the Spartans):
The 2 coaches had a quick handshake before going into battle:
Let’s tip it off with the final spot in the Final 4 at stake:
MICHIGAN STATE-AUBURN
Auburn All-American Johni Broome showed why he is the national POY favorite in the 1st 10 minutes, helping his team build a 23-8 lead with a spin/bank shot, a fadeaway jumper in the lane, a reverse layup, and a 3:
It felt like an Auburn home game because there was a LOT more orange than green in the crowd:
Michigan State made a nice little comeback thanks to a pair of threes by Jaxon Kohler and several baskets in the lane by Jase Richardson:
However, Miles Kelly/Tahaad Pettiford each responded with a 3 of their own:
Broome was simply unstoppable, putting up a double-double with 17 PTS/7-9 FG/11 REB in 18 minutes of action…but everyone else on both teams was quite stoppable as the Tigers went to the locker room with a 33-24 lead at halftime that had the Tiger fans going wild despite a rather ugly shooting display:
As you would expect from a Tom Izzo-coached team, the Spartans kept it close throughout the 2nd half. Kohler almost did so single-handedly with a double-double of his own: 17 PTS/11 REB, and after not even attempting a single 3 during in his 1st 3 NCAA tourney games this month he somehow made 3-4…while the rest of his team combined to make 4-19. Auburn SR Chad Baker-Mazara was able to convert a pair of long-range shots to help his team maintain the lead down the stretch:
Michigan State G Jaden Akins had a horrible 1st half (1-7 FG), but got it rolling after halftime with a lefty hook in the lane, a scoop, and knocked down 2 shots from behind the arc en route to a 13-PT performance in the 2nd stanza:
Broome went to the locker room midway though the 2nd half with an elbow injury, then returned to the bench a few minutes later while receiving an enormous ovation:
…then made a 3 on his 1st attempt after going back into the game and received an even louder cheer from the pro-Tiger crowd:
Auburn had some major problems at the FT line (11-20) and got outrebounded 41-39, but thanks to a cold shooting night by their opponent (34.4 FG%) Broome was able to sweep(!) the Spartans out of Atlanta with a 70-64 victory and give the Tigers a trip to San Antonio in the days ahead:
After the buzzer I went down to the court and took a bunch of photos during the postgame celebration, check back tomorrow for the best of the bunch and enjoy the sneak preview below. Sometimes you wait an entire weekend for that 1 perfect photo…and then you look up and see the best player in the sport holding the South Regional Champion trophy right in front of you #moneyshot!
