The last time the legendary coach brought a team that far in the NCAA Tournament was also in 2019. In that year's Elite Eight, his Michigan State team also took down the No. 1 overall seed to punch a ticket to the Final Four — a memorable 68-67 upset of Zion Williamson-led Duke.

It appeared Auburn would've had to play the final 10 minutes of Sunday's Elite Eight game without Johni Broome. Instead, he played hero.

SportsLine expert Matt Severance has revealed his Michigan State vs. Auburn Tigers picks for the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Sunday

Auburn is moving on to the Elite 8! Auburn last played in the second weekend of the NCAA tournaments in 2019 and made the final four. If you believe in omens, Friday was a sign of another possible final-four run.

The Spartans of Michigan State (30-6) take the court Sunday against the Auburn Tigers (31-5) with a ticket to the Final Four on the line.

The Auburn Tigers will have to overcome a Hall of Famer's gameplan if they want to reach the Final Four for the second time in program history

Auburn is a 5.5-point favorite of Michigan State in today’s second game, and that’s the way to go for your qualifying wager. All you need is the Tigers to win the game by any margin to claim your bonus. The payout on your $5 wager won’t be big, but winning the $200 welcome bonus is what matters here.

Most schools don't have four scholarship players who play scout team minutes. Michigan State's own scout team is an X-factor in its March Madness run.