March Madness: Auburn rediscovering midseason form as world-beating bully
ATLANTA — Here's the thing about Auburn: every day, in every way, it's chaos personified. You think you've got the Tigers figured out and pinned down, and then they'll drop a Kick-Six or a Prayer at Jordan-Hare on you … or maybe they'll just go on a 34-8 run that debones your entire team. Give them room to move, and they might trip over their own feet … or they might just ruin your entire season.
Auburn stormed to the Elite Eight on Friday night, defeating Michigan 78-65 in a game that somehow felt much closer and yet not nearly as competitive as the score would indicate. After 30 minutes of chaotic basketball that veered from devastating to comical, the Tigers stopped screwing around with the Wolverines and just flat-out stomped them. Auburn rode the delirious wave of its thousands of fans in attendance, and made it very clear: When this team is on, there's not much that can switch them off.
With about a minute left in the NCAA tournament game, the outcome already assured, freshman Tahaad Pettiford dribbled upcourt with one hand and motioned for the Tigers faithful to get louder with the other. They obliged, filling State Farm Arena with rafter-raising 'It's great! To be! An Au-burn Tiger!' chants.
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There was a bit of poetic justice at work there with Pettiford handling the ball in the closing seconds, because he — along with Johni Broome and Denver Jones — hauled the Tigers to a statement victory. Auburn flipped a nine-point deficit into a lead in just two and a half minutes midway through the second half, a vicious and overwhelming surge that Michigan had no hope of countering.
No play summed up Auburn's victory quite like Pettiford's most spectacular shot, a falling fadeaway that somehow dropped through the net just as he hit the ground:
That basket put Auburn up 12 and was, effectively, the dagger that ended Michigan's season, not to mention vintage Pettiford — well, as 'vintage' as a freshman can be.
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'He gives a spark. He's a good person. He listens to us,' Broome said afterward. 'There's not too many freshmen who can take over a game like he can.'
Broome finished the game with 22 points and 17 rebounds — a triple-double, head coach Bruce Pearl laughed, when you factor in Broome's 12 missed shots. Jones added another 20 points, part of Auburn's incredible 34th 10-0 run on the season.
'I just felt the basket get bigger, and I just wanted to continue being aggressive,' Jones said. 'Coach is getting me more involved in the plays, and I'm just taking more advantage of it.'
Now comes a Sunday matchup with Michigan State, a fierce challenge both because of the long-term craftiness of Tom Izzo and the smothering defense of the Spartans. At stake: a Final Four berth.
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'[If] Michigan can turn us over 15 times, Michigan State can turn us over 25 times, OK? That's a concern, and these guys know it,' Pearl said. 'Give Michigan credit, they extended, they bothered us, and Michigan State's going to be even better at it. That's one of the best defensive teams in the country, and they're going to be very, very physical with us.'
Prior to this year, Auburn had only reached a No. 1 AP ranking once in program history: four years ago, when the team lost in the second round. And the Tigers have only had a No. 1 tournament seed once before this season: 1999, when they lost in the round of 16. Auburn has one Final Four berth: 2019, when it lost to eventual national champion Virginia.
So this year's Tigers aren't yet in new territory, but they're very close. And they're as prepared and talented as any Auburn team has ever been in the school's history. A national championship is well within reach … but there will be some chaotic and unexpected turns before Auburn cuts down nets, one way or another.
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