Michigan
Auburn’s Pearl not buying Izzo, MSU as underdogs
ATLANTA — As the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, Auburn is, not surprisingly, a minus-4.5-point favorite against Michigan State in their Elite Eight matchup Sunday, according to ESPN BET.
But Auburn coach Bruce Pearl doesn’t believe the odds tell the true story of the game, suggesting Michigan State and its historically successful program should be the real favorite.
“Most of our guys are guys that were mid-majors or junior college or Division II,” Pearl said Saturday. “I’m not going to let Michigan State play the underdog card even though we’re a No. 1 seed and they’re a No. 2 seed. No, they’re Michigan State. They’re Kansas. They’re Duke. They’re North Carolina and we’re Auburn.
“We know our place. We know what we’re trying to go up against, and we know the uphill battle that it is when you play against a Hall of Fame coach and, obviously, a legendary program.”
Pearl also cited the number of McDonald’s All-Americans on their respective rosters as a factor in his position on the Spartans. Michigan State’s Xavier Booker and Jeremy Fears Jr. both played in the 2023 installment of the game, while Tahaad Pettiford is the only McDonald’s All-American on Auburn. He also noted Tom Izzo’s perfect record (10-0) against SEC teams in the NCAA tournament.
Izzo, however, doesn’t seem to agree. He said he and Pearl have been friends for years but he never gets caught up in the odds because anything can happen to a team, regardless of its seeding.
“I’ve been through so many of these, I’ve been a 2-seed that’s been beaten by a 15-seed,” Izzo said. “I’ve been a 1-seed that hasn’t gotten out of the first weekend, so I don’t buy any of that stuff, but if it makes them feel better, I’ll be the favorite. I’m cool with that. Whatever they want me to be, I’ll be.”
This season, Pearl’s team was ranked No. 1 for nearly three months after a 90-day stretch that featured just one loss. Pearl earned SEC coach of the year honors, Johni Broome was named SEC player of the year and three other Auburn players were honored by the league, too.
For Michigan State, Jase Richardson has matured into a projected lottery pick in ESPN’s latest 2025 NBA mock draft, but the Spartans did not have a player on the all-Big Ten first or second teams this season.
Still, Izzo said his focus is not on any comparison between the two programs because his team matters most at this stage.
“The game will be won by the players, not the bettors, not the media, not even the coaches,” Izzo added. “The game will be won by the players who play the game.”
Pearl and Izzo have history against one another.
Pearl cited his recent wins over Big Ten teams as the result of the collective edge in “athleticism” the SEC has had over the Big Ten in recent years. But the last time he faced Izzo in the Elite Eight, he left with a loss. He said he still blames himself for Tennessee’s 70-69 loss to Michigan State in 2010 because of the way he handled the final seconds of the game. On Sunday, he said he’ll have the same concerns he had about Michigan State 15 years ago.
“They’ve always been as athletic as anybody in the backcourt,” Pearl said. “Michigan State has elite athletes in the backcourt. Therefore, like my athletes, they guard. They can score in multiple ways. Then, his front lines are always big, strong, physical. They play really hard.”
Izzo didn’t recall every detail from that 2010 Elite Eight game against Tennessee that capped his 5-seed Michigan State team’s run to the Final Four that year. He said he’s only focused on his current group, which will have its hands full against Auburn, one of the most experienced teams in the field.
“In fact, [Pearl’s] team is very mature,” Izzo said. “I won’t say old. I prefer that people call me mature instead of old, so I’ll do the same thing for their 23- and 24-year-olds.”
Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
For much of April, showers and melting snow has swamped Michigan, flooding homes, businesses, cottages, roadways; threatening and destroying infrastructure, including dams, and forcing what is likely hundreds of Michiganders to evacuate.
The unusual weather put the entire state under a flood watch.
It’s not over.
To help, the state’s Emergency Operations Center — which was activated on April 10, along with the governor’s state of emergency declaration — created a digital map identifying shelters and damaged areas.
There also is a livestream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
As of Monday morning, the water level at the dam had dropped slightly, and was less than 8 inches below the top, which is still a threat to both the community in the event of a spillover — or structural failure.
The map, which the emergency center is calling a dashboard, shows warming and cooling centers and where people can get food. It tracks where the tornadoes touched down, and the roadways that are under water, were eroded away and are completely washed out.
The emergency center also is providing more information on its website on how to ask for help, what state and federal assistance might be available, and how to get emergency email alerts from the State Police.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
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