Charles Barkley 'disturbed and disgusted by Auburn first half Sweet 16 performance vs. Michigan
The No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers were in a battle with the Michigan Wolverines in their Sweet 16 matchup in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. And one of the most prominent Auburn alums is Charles Barkley. Barkley was furious with his team’s performance in the first half, saying he was ‘disturbed and disgusted’ by their turnover-prone first half.
“You gotta value the basketball kids, you gotta value the basketball. The most important thing in basketball is the basketball,” Barkley explained. The Tigers had 10 turnovers in the first half, allowing Michigan to score six points off turnovers. They also didn’t shoot particularly well, connecting on just 3 of 16 shots from deep.
It’s hard to tell what exactly woke the Tigers up after halftime, but they came out firing on all cylinders, putting the game out of reach. And they certainly made Charles Barkley and the rest of their fan base quite happy.
Auburn managed to pull away from the Michigan Wolverines in the second half, outscoring them 42-23 after halftime. It all started with an initial 10-0 run, where the Tigers delivered a stunning blow from which the Wolverines could not recover. Auburn won 78-65.
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Johni Broome played incredible for Auburn, pumping in 22 points and 16 rebounds. The Tigers’ Denver Jones was also electrifying, pouring in 20 points and grabbing four rebounds. And Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford was once again sensational, pumping in 20 points and dishing out three assists. The Tigers march on to face Michigan State for a chance to punch their tickets to the Final Four.
According to FanDuel, Auburn is a 5.5-point favorite against Michigan State. Additionally, the Tigers boast -230 odds on the money line. Michigan State has +188 odds on the money line. The over/under for the game is set at 149.5 points. Vegas seems to think this one is going to be lower scoring than some of the other Elite Eight matchups.