The road to the Final Four will reach conclusions on Sunday when the last two tickets for San Antonio were secured. While “Cinderella” may not remain in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the matchup is full of interesting storylines and star power.
First on the slate is the Midwest Regional Final between 1st seed Houston and 2nd seed Tennessee (2:20pm ET, CBS) from Indianapolis. The Cougars escaped the horrors of Sweet 16’s potential upset over Purdue early in the week when Star Guard Milos Uzan recorded a game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds remaining in the game to secure a 62-60 victory with 0.9 seconds remaining. Houston is on its third trip to the Elite 8 since 2021.
Tennessee has made its second consecutive season to the Elite 8 in a 78-65 victory over section foe Kentucky. Volunteers are the only program of Elite Eight Field and do not reach the Final Four.
The South Regional Final also features a match between the top seed. No. 1 seed Auburn faces Atlanta’s No. 2 seed Michigan State (ET, CBS at 5:05pm) with the Final Four final spot coming fourth in the line. The Tigers are seeking a second Final Four appearance in the program’s history. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo won the NCAA Tournament with No. 1 seed and will reach the 9th Final Four in his career.
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines to learn about the 8 elite matchups on Sunday.
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Matt Nolander
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Can Tennessee overcome the hump?
Tennessee will have their first chance to reach the Final Four with its third Elite 8 appearance in program history with Houston on Sunday. In 2010, Tennessee lost to Michigan State in the Elite 8 after former Spartan forward Raymer Morgan knocked down a free throw that won the game with two seconds left. Last spring, volunteer season ended with the hands of National Player of the Year Zac Edith and Purdue.
Tennessee coach Rick Burns went to the Final Four once in 2003, when he was Texas principal. Tennessee has reached the NCAA Tournament 27 times in the history of the program. This was the fourth in the Division L team without appearing in the Final Four.
To get past the Hump, Tennessee faces a gritty Houston team ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency tailored to each Kenpom.
Bloom’s moment?
The No. 1 seed Auburn snake head is National Player of the Year nominee Johnny Bloom, but the Tigers are far from a one-trick pony. Auburn freshman Tahard Pettiford resigned from stretching in the Michigan team’s victory by scoring 15 of his 20 points in the second half. Auburn guard Denver Jones also contributed 20 points in the victory.
However, the main key where Auburn returns to his final four starts with Bloom. After struggling in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, posting a double double (22 points, 16 rebounds), Auburn’s big man looked like his usual self against Michigan. Bloom scored just 22 points in his victory at Alabama and Clayton before making a dominant performance against Michigan’s unique two-big lineup.
Tom Izzo on the verge of history
Izzo could become the fifth coach in college basketball history, winning over Auburn to reach the 9th final innings of four. Izzo placed fifth in the Final Four appearances (8) after Roy Williams, Dean Smith, John Wooden and Mike Kruzhevski. MSU’s victory will tie Izzo in fourth place with Williams in the rankings.
After Michigan’s 2023-24 season was defeated by North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Izzo said “I’ll either go back to a deeper run in this tournament or I’ll die.” With MSU just one win since the final weekend of the college basketball season, Izzo’s predictions look healthy. The Spartans came from a 10-point deficit against Ole Miss, behind another outstanding performance by freshman Jace Richardson, son of former MSU star Jason Richardson.
Check out the full TV and streaming schedule for Sunday Elite 8 games below.
Sunday NCAA Tournament Schedule
2:20 pm (2) Tennessee vs. (1) Houston
CBS (watch live) 5:05pm (2) Michigan vs. (1) Auburn
CBS (watch live)
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