Bruce Pearl sees basketball as a simple game. As he prepares Auburn for its NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup with Michigan State, Pearl thinks his team’s fate is dependent on its ability to execute the basics of basketball.
While center Johni Broome has been the star of the team all season long, freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford has taken over for the Tigers in the postseason. When asked about Pettiford’s impact, Pearl said Auburn’s success has been driven by Pettiford’s ability to “bang shots.”
“At the end of the day, you gotta make shots; you gotta bang shots,” Pearl said on ESPN’s College Gameday. “Look at Florida at the end of that game yesterday. Todd’s team was down, and they had to bang shots. That’s what Tahaad Pettiford is able to do for us… He loves his teammates and he desperately does not want to let them down. He knows if he can see it, he can make it.”
“You got to bang shots.”
Auburn HC Bruce Pearl spoke on how important Tahaad Pettiford’s shotmaking has been
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— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) March 30, 2025
Pettiford averaged 11.8 points per game in the regular season but has taken his game to the next level in the NCAA Tournament. In Auburn’s three March Madness games, he leads the team with 19.7 points per game. His heroic offensive outburst was on full display against Michigan when he engineered the Tigers’ second-half comeback with a 20-point performance.
Pearl also praised senior guard Denver Jones’ ability to score down the stretch. Jones also lit up Michigan with 20 points on 4-for-7 from deep.
Bruce Pearl leads Auburn into Michigan State clash
After another gritty win, Auburn advances in the NCAA Tournament to face Michigan State in the Elite Eight. The Spartans will be the Tigers’ second consecutive Big 10 opponent and third of the year overall.
The win over Michigan bumped Auburn to 31-5 on the year, the most wins in the basketball program’s history. Another win over Michigan State would take the Tigers to the Final Four for the first time since 2019. The 2018-2019 season that saw Pearl lead his team to an improbable Final Four run is widely viewed as the best season in school history.
Michigan State is also coming off a comeback win in its Sweet Sixteen matchup. The Spartans needed to rally late in the game to top Ole Miss 73-70. Freshman Jase Richardson led the team with 20 points and six rebounds. As they have done all year, Tom Izzo’s team relied on its suffocating defense to complete the comeback, limiting the Rebels to 40 percent from the field.
While Broome will certainly be a big factor, the backcourt matchup will be telling of the game’s outcome. Michigan State’s Richardson and Jaden Akins will have their work cut out for them against Pettiford, Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara.
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