The Road to the Final Four comes to a conclusion on Sunday when the last two tickets to San Antonio are secured. There may not be a “Cinderella” left in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but the matchups are full of intriguing storylines and star power.
First up on the slate will be the Midwest Regional final from Indianapolis between No. 1 seed Houston and No. 2 seed Tennessee (2:20 p.m. ET, CBS). The Cougars escaped a potential upset scare in the Sweet 16 against Purdue earlier in the week when star guard Milos Uzan scored a game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds remaining to secure a 62-60 win. Houston is making its third trip to the Elite Eight since 2021.
Tennessee cruised to a 78-65 win over SEC foe Kentucky to advance to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. The Volunteers are the lone program in the Elite Eight field to never reach the Final Four.
The South Regional final also features a matchup of the top seeds. No. 1 seed Auburn faces No. 2 seed Michigan State (5:05 p.m. ET, CBS) in Atlanta with the final spot in the Final Four on the line. The Tigers are seeking their second Final Four appearance in program history. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo can reach the Final Four for the ninth time in his career with a win over the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines to know for Sunday’s Elite Eight matchups.
NCAA bracket 2025: Printable March Madness bracket, NCAA Tournament predictions, picks, Elite Eight, scores
Matt Norlander
Who will win every college basketball game, and which favorites should be on upset alert? Visit SportsLine now to get picks and predictions for every college basketball game, all from a model that simulates every game 10,000 times.
Can Tennessee get over the hump?
Tennessee will make its third Elite Eight appearance in program history on Sunday against Houston, with a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time. In 2010, Tennessee lost in the Elite Eight to Michigan State after former Spartans forward Raymar Morgan knocked down a game-winning free throw with two seconds left. Last spring, the Volunteers’ season ended at the hands of National Player of the Year Zach Edey and Purdue.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has been to the Final Four once — in 2003 when he was the head man at Texas. Tennessee has reached the NCAA Tournament 27 times in its program’s history, the fourth-most appearances without a berth to the Final Four among Division l teams.
To get over the hump, Tennessee will face a gritty Houston squad that ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Broome’s moment?
While the head of the snake of No. 1 overall seed Auburn is National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome, the Tigers are far from a one-trick pony. Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford stepped up down the stretch in his team’s win over Michigan 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 for Auburn to return to the Final Four starts with Broome. The Auburn big man looked like his usual self against Michigan by posting a double-double (22 points, 16 rebounds) after struggling in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Broome scored just 22 points total in wins over Alabama State and Creighton before having a dominant performance against Michigan’s unique two-big lineup.
Tom Izzo on verge of history
Izzo can become the fifth coach in college basketball history to reach the Final Four nine times with a win over Auburn. Izzo is in fifth place for the most Final Four appearances (eight) behind Roy Williams, Dean Smith, John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski. A win by MSU would tie Izzo for fourth-place all-time with Williams in the standings.
After Michigan State’s 2023-24 season ended with a loss to North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Izzo said he would “get back to a deeper run in this tournament, or I’m going to die trying.” With MSU just one win away from the final weekend of the college basketball season, Izzo’s prediction looks sound. The Spartans rallied from a 10-point deficit against Ole Miss behind another standout performance from freshman Jase Richardson, the son of former MSU star Jason Richardson.
Check out the full TV and streaming schedule for Sunday’s Elite Eight games below.
Sunday’s NCAA Tournament schedule
| 2:20 p.m. | (2) Tennessee vs. (1) Houston | CBS (watch live) |
| 5:05 p.m. | (2) Michigan State vs. (1) Auburn | CBS (watch live) |
Read the full article here