Charles Barkley admits Tom Izzo worries him for Auburn vs. Michigan State in Elite Eight

Charles Barkley is riding with his alma mater, Auburn, on Sunday but he admittedly has concerns. On Sunday, Barkley explained why he’s worried about Auburn facing Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo in the Elite Eight.

“I said it before the tournament, the two coaches that scared me, who have lesser talent, I said Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino,” Barkley said. “In my opinion, they can win with lesser talent. Izzo worries me. I think Auburn’s got the better team, but Coach Izzo has earned — like, everybody knows this dude.

“That team is taking his personality. I think it’s really important. We can’t play like we did in the first half last game. We had 10 turnovers. We can’t have 10 turnovers in a half and think we’re going to beat Michigan State.”

It won’t be easy to avoid making mistakes against the Spartans. Michigan State is a pesky bunch and looked dangerous in their 73-70 win over Ole Miss on Friday.

In the win, Michigan State held Ole Miss to just 40.6% shooting from the field. Led by their fearless leader, the Spartans never let their foot off the gas and will keep fighting until the final bell rings.

Alas, they aren’t the only ones with a surplus of passion. Auburn fought back from a 9-point deficit in the second half to defeat Michigan 78-65 in the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday.

Auburn is no stranger to getting in wars and has emerged victorious more often than not this season. The Tigers are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and entered the postseason with more Quad 1 victories than any other team in the country. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is excited for the challenge.

“Michigan State has elite athletes in the backcourt,” Pearl said. “Therefore, like my athletes, they guard. They can score in multiple ways. Then his front lines are always big, strong, physical, play really hard. Sometimes better than others, but that’s been the makeup.

“It will be interesting to see whether it’s not as big a factor tomorrow because of how good their athletes are. I’m obviously challenging my guards and challenging our athletes, but I think from that standpoint it’s an interesting matchup.”

On Sunday, Auburn and Michigan State will square off at 5:05 p.m. ET. The game will air live on CBS. The winner will advance to the Final Four.