ATLANTA — Michigan State basketball saw its Final Four get swept away in 2025 March Madness.
By Johni Broome.
The Auburn star dominated the first half and delivered a Willis Reed-like return from a second-half arm injury, and Tom Izzo’s quest for a ninth Final Four fell short as the top-seeded Tigers knocked out the 2-seeded Spartans, 70-64, in the South region final of the NCAA tournament Sunday.
MSU ends it season 30-7, Izzo’s sixth 30-win season, but his third loss in the Elite Eight in 11 trips. The Spartans also fell one game shy of the Final Four in 2003 and 2014.
Broome, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, sat for a long stretch in the second half after getting hurt but returned and hit a critical 3-pointer. He finished with 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds to send the Tigers (32-5) into next week’s Final Four in San Antonio to face West region winner Florida (34-4) in Saturday’s all-SEC national semifinal. Duke and Houston will meet in the nightcap.
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MSU fought to the end. Jaden Akins hit three 3-pointers and Jaxon Kohler sunk his third of the game in the final 2:15, but Auburn’s cushion proved enough to send the Spartans home after another dreadful shooting performance, going 7-for-23 from 3-point range (30.4%) and 34.4% overall (22-for-64).
Kohler was the bright spot for MSU with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Akins scored 15 points but was just 6-for-17 overall and 3-for-10 from 3-point range, while Tre Holloman was 0-for-10 and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Jase Richardson scored 11 points but was just 4-for-13.
Izzo is 59-26 all-time in the NCAA tournament in a record 27 consecutive appearances with the Spartans. MSU last made the Final Four in 2019.
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MSU had no answer for Johni Broome
Immediately, it was clear the Spartans had few answers defensively for Broome, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound fifth-year senior who transferred to Auburn from Morehead State before the 2022-23 season.
He took control from the outset, scoring the Tigers’ first six points in the paint with physical post moves that left Kohler struggling.
Kohler hit a critical 3-pointer, then Jase Richardson converted a three-point play off a drive and found Coen Carr on a backdoor dunk to give MSU an 8-6 lead. But it was fleeting.
Miles Kelly hit two quick buckets to give Auburn back the lead, and Richardson was called for a questionable foul. Then Carson Cooper committed a turnover that led to a trailing 3-pointer for Kelly. When Broome stepped back and delivered another 3 over Kohler, it was a 17-point Tigers burst and MSU found itself down 23-8 with 10:27 before half.
The Spartans chipped into it with a 7-0 run, including five straight points and some key defensive plays from Frankie Fidler, and cut it to 27-22 with Kohler’s second 3-pointer with 3:22 left in the half. But Broome ended it with a hook shot over Cooper, then scored the Tigers’ final four points to take a 33-24 lead into the locker room.
Broome had 17 points and 11 rebounds at the break, while MSU missed around the rim and from deep repeatedly.
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Michigan State’s Final Four hope dashed by Auburn
The Spartans came out of halftime in attack mode, with varying degrees of success. A Kohler hook shot and a Jeremy Fears Jr. layup pulled them back within five in the first 1:36.
But Richardson got tripped up trying to race out to defend Chad Baker-Mazur, and the Auburn senior drained a 3-pointer to spark another 7-2 run to give the Tigers breathing room.
MSU trailed by nine when Broome was called for his first foul, and the star got hurt when his arm got caught up on Cooper around the perimeter. He went to the bench with 12:54 to play to seek treatment.
But a Tahaad Pettiford 3-pointer off outstanding ball movement pushed the lead back to 12 for Auburn. The Spartans couldn’t take advantage of Broome’s absence, and he returned with 10:56 to play.
His return was brief, as he once again got hurt 19 seconds later and left for the locker room. MSU tried again to narrow the gap at the free-throw line but kept giving up buckets, including a massive Baker-Mazur 3-pointer with 6:28 to play to make it an 11-point Auburn lead.
Broome returned to the bench to a huge ovation with 5:29 left and then immediately checked into the game to a thunderous roar from the Tigers fans who made the 90-minute drive to Atlanta.
It got even louder when Broome, his right arm heavily wrapped, drilled a 3-pointer and snagged a one-armed rebound after a Holloman miss slipped through Kohler’s hands.
As did the Spartans’ hope for another Final Four run.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
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