Michigan
Michigan State basketball vs Auburn score prediction: Elite 8 March Madness pick is in
MSU basketball: Video analysis of the Spartans’ win over Mississippi
Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch, Detroit Free Press beat writer Chris Solari and columnist Shawn Windsor analyze MSU’s win over Ole Miss.
Scouting Michigan State basketball vs. Auburn
Breaking down Sunday’s South region final between No. 2-seed Michigan State basketball and 1-seed Auburn:
Matchup: Michigan State (30-6) vs. Auburn (31-5).
Fast facts: 5:05 p.m. Sunday; State Farm Arena, Atlanta.
TV: CBS.
At stake: Winner advances to the Final Four in San Antonio to face West region winner (1-seed Florida or 3-seed Texas Tech) in national semifinals on April 5.
About MSU
Location: East Lansing.
Coach: Tom Izzo (30 seasons at MSU, 737-301 career).
School NCAA tournament record: 76-36 in 37 appearances.
Past 10 games: 9-1.
Scoring leaders: Jaden Akins, 12.8 points per game, Jase Richardson 12.2, Tre Holloman 9.3.
Rebounding leaders: Jaxon Kohler 7.4 rebounds per game, Carson Cooper 5.3, Szymon Zapala 4.
Assist leaders: Jeremy Fears Jr. 5.5 assists per game, Holloman 3.8, Richardson 1.9.
3-point leaders: Richardson 42%, Fears 34.2%, Holloman 34%, Kohler 34%.
The buzz: After entering the season unranked and with tepid outside expectations, the Spartans blew away league competition to win Izzo’s record-tying 11th Big Ten regular-season championship. MSU is in its 11th Elite Eight under Izzo after putting together three hard-fought victories to get there — eventually pulling away from pesky 15-seed Bryant by 25 points in the opening round, then grinding out an eight-point win over 10-seed New Mexico in Cleveland. No game, however, might have been more grueling than the Spartans’ Sweet 16 win Friday night in Atlanta, as the Spartans didn’t get their first lead until more than 32 minutes in against Mississippi before getting enough stops and some key baskets and free throws for a 73-70 victory over the 6-seeded Rebels. It came with more strong play from Richardson, who scored 20 points for the sixth time his freshman season. However, MSU continues to see an uptick in production from sophomore forward Coen Carr, who had 15 points in his starting debut, and another strong floor game from redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (four points, six assists).
The Spartans went 19-for-22 on free throws after struggling down the stretch and in the first two rounds, drawing 20 fouls and making all 10 of their attempts at the line in the final 7:50. They are 19th nationally at 77.8% by averaging 17.5 free throws (13th) while attempting 22.5 per game (32nd). MSU also held Ole Miss to 9-for-27 from 3-point range, and Izzo’s defense holds opponents to just 28% from the arc, which is second in the nation. Expect a fresh Zapala, after sitting out the tough matchup against the quicker, undersized Rebels, to log more minutes against Auburn after the Spartans were outrebounded (33-29) on Friday.
About Auburn
Location: Auburn, Alabama.
Coach: Bruce Pearl (231-124 in 11 seasons at Auburn, 693-269 in 30 seasons overall).
School NCAA tournament record: 22-12 in 13 appearances.
Past 10 games: 7-3.
Scoring leaders: Johni Broome 18.5 points per game, Chad Baker-Mazara 12.3, Tahaad Pettiford 11.8, Miles Kelly 11.5, Denver Jones 11.
Rebounding leaders: Broome 10.8 rebounds per game, Dylan Cardwell 4.9, Chaney Johnson 4.9.
Assist leaders: Pettiford 2.9 assists per game, Broome 2.9, Baker-Mazara 2.6, Jones 2.6.
3-point leaders: Jones 42.4%, Kelly 38.6%, Baker-Mazara 37.9%, Pettiford 37.6%.
The buzz: Despite stumbling into the tournament in losing three of its last four (to NCAA squads Texas A&M, Alabama and Tennessee), the Tigers still earned the overall No. 1 seed and blew through 16-seed Alabama State by 20 and 9-seed Creighton by 12 in Lexington, Kentucky, before eliminating 5-seed Michigan on Friday night, 78-65. Broome, a 6-10 senior forward, had 16 rebounds against the Wolverines, including nine on the offensive glass, but went just 9-for-21 in getting his 22 points as Auburn shot just 39.4% overall and went 8-for-28 from 3-point range. According to kenpom.com, the Tigers have the nation’s third-most efficient offense and eighth-most efficient defense, with their 83.6 points scored 12th nationally and their 29.6% 3-point defense 11th-best. Auburn’s 9.4 turnovers per game ranks 12th in the country, but U-M forced Pearl’s team into 15 on Friday. Pettiford is the catalyst of the Tigers’ offense, a 6-1 freshman from New Jersey who was a McDonald’s All-American a year ago and whose attacking style and slight frame is a little reminiscent of former MSU combo guard Tyson Walker. Containing his quickness off the dribble, play-making ability and left-handed outside shooting will be equally as critical for the Spartans’ defense Sunday as it is to mix-and-match big bodies against Broome. Meantime, the Tigers’ complementary players all can score and present another long-armed defensive problem for MSU’s perimeter players.
Chris Solari’s March Madness prediction for Michigan State basketball vs. Auburn
Don’t be fooled by the offensive capabilities of these two teams, both Izzo and Pearl know the key in this will be defending each other at an elite level. For the Spartans, that means alternating their bigs on Broome and their guards on Pettiford to keep them confused and force the rest of the Tigers’ eight-man rotation to play above their averages. Auburn can get sloppy, but MSU also must continue to play through their own mistakes and keep it close into the second half, where Izzo’s adjustments and his players’ sheer will to win send the Spartans back to his ninth Final Four, and first since 2019. The pick: MSU 68, Auburn 66.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

Michigan
How MSU’s deer vaccine capsules could curb black-legged ticks in Michigan

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Black-legged ticks have been increasing across Michigan this summer, raising concerns about tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.
—> Michigan health officials alarmed by surge in Lyme disease cases
Researchers at Michigan State University say the large white-tailed deer population plays a key role in spreading these ticks.
To address the problem, MSU scientists are testing food capsules containing biomarkers to see if deer will eat them.
Each capsule currently includes corn, alfalfa, molasses, and a biomarker that helps track how many deer consume the capsules.
If successful, the capsules will eventually contain a vaccine to help deer build immunity to ticks, similar to how dogs are vaccinated.
The goal is to reduce the number of ticks on deer, which could lower the risk of tick-borne diseases for people spending time outdoors.
MSU professors describe this as an innovative method that could be a game-changer for controlling black-legged ticks and Lyme disease in Michigan. The capsules are being introduced in selected parks and land preserves in the Mid-Michigan area as part of the early phase of this research.
In the future, the team plans to add a drug or vaccine to the capsules to eliminate ticks on deer, aiming to stop the problem at its source.
—> 4 ways to protect yourself from ticks in Michigan, and 4 things to do after you’re outside
Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Michigan
Trump administration renews push to fire Fed governor from Michigan ahead of key vote

President Donald Trump’s administration renewed its request Sunday for a federal appeals court to let him fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors, a move the president is seeking ahead of the central bank’s vote on interest rates.
The Trump administration filed a response just ahead of a 3 p.m. Eastern deadline Sunday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, arguing that Cook’s legal arguments for why she should stay on the job were meritless. Lawyers for Cook argued in a Saturday filing that the Trump administration has not shown sufficient cause to fire her, and stressed the risks to the economy and country if the president were allowed to fire a Fed governor without proper cause.
Sunday’s filing is the latest step in an unprecedented effort by the White House to shape the historically independent Fed. Cook’s firing marks the first time in the central bank’s 112-year history that a president has tried to fire a governor.
“The public and the executive share an interest in ensuring the integrity of the Federal Reserve,” Trump’s lawyers argued in Sunday’s filing. “And that requires respecting the president’s statutory authority to remove governors ‘for cause’ when such cause arises.”
Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has accused Cook of signing separate documents in which she allegedly said that both the Atlanta property and a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, also purchased in June 2021, were both “primary residences.” Pulte submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department, which has opened an investigation.
Trump relied on those allegations to fire Cook “for cause.”
Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, referred to the condominium as a “vacation home” in a loan estimate, a characterization that could undermine claims by the Trump administration that she committed mortgage fraud. Documents obtained by The Associated Press also showed that on a second form submitted by Cook to gain a security clearance, she described the property as a “second home.”
Cook sued the Trump administration to block her firing and a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
The administration appealed and asked for an emergency ruling just before the Fed is set to meet this week and decide whether to reduce its key interest rate. Most economists expect they will cut the rate by a quarter point.
Michigan
Michigan football vs. Central Michigan: Live updates, score, injuries

It’s an in-state matchup on Saturday, Sept. 13, as Michigan football (1-1) takes on the Central Michigan Chippewas (1-1) for the Wolverines’ second home game of the season.
After a loss on the road at Oklahoma last week in which Michigan struggled to generate offense, the Wolverines — and particularly freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood — are looking to sharpen their offensive skills against a weaker Chippewas.
They’ll have to do so without coach Sherrone Moore, however. The coach is serving the first of a two-game suspension sanctioned by the school for his role in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal. In the interim, Biff Poggi will lead the Wolverines.
Michigan’s task will be to hone its skills on both sides of the ball, but with an emphasis on offense. The Wolverines struggled to run the ball last week and Underwood had difficulty connecting with receivers downfield as well. Central Michigan provides a perfect opportunity for Michigan to build its offensive cohesiveness before beginning Big Ten play.
Follow along below for live updates.
Michigan football vs. Central Michigan early availability report
Michigan – Out: QB Davis Warren (knee), OT Andrew Babalola (knee). Probable: DB Rod Moore (knee), DB Shamari Earls (undisclosed), DB Caleb Anderson (undisclosed). Questionable: TE Marlin Klein (right foot/ankle), DB Zeke Berry (lower body), RB John Volker (undisclosed), LB Jaydon Hood (undisclosed), RB Bryson Kuzdzal (undisclosed), RB Donovan Johnson (undisclosed), edge Devon Baxter, DT Ike Iwunnah (undisclosed), WR C.J. Charleston (undisclosed). Doubtful: OL Gio-EL Hadi (left ankle/foot)
Central Michigan – Missed Week 2: TE Rory Callahan, OL John Iannuzzi.
Matchup: No. 22 Michigan (1-1) vs. Central Michigan (1-1)
Kickoff: Noon Saturday, Sept. 13; Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor.
TV/radio: Big Ten Network; WCSX-FM (94.7).Looking for a free mini puzzle? Play the USA TODAY Quick Cross now.
Line: Wolverines by 27½.
Michigan football schedule 2025
Week 1: W, 34-17 vs New Mexico.
Week 2: L, 13-24 at Oklahoma
Week 3: vs Central Michigan, Saturday Sept. 13, noon ET (Big Ten Network).
Week 4: at Nebraska, Saturday Sept. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS).
Week 5: BYE.
Week 6: vs Wisconsin, Saturday Oct. 4, 12 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.
Week 7: at USC, Saturday Oct. 11, time TBD.
Week 8: vs Washington, Saturday Oct. 18, time TBD.
Week 9: at Michigan State, Saturday Oct. 25, time TBD.
Week 10: vs Purdue, Sautrday Nov. 1, time TBD.
Week 11: BYE.
Week 12: at Northwestern, Saturday Nov. 15, time TBD.
Week 13: at Maryland, Saturday Nov. 22, time TBD.
Week 14: vs Ohio State, Saturday Nov. 29, noon ET (Fox).
Contact Matthew Auchincloss at mauchincloss@freepress.com.
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