ATLANTA, Ga. — Michigan State senior guard Jaden Akins played his final game in a Spartan uniform on Sunday when he and his team were bested by the No. 1 overall seed Auburn in the Elite Eight.

Akins went into the season tasked with a hefty responsibility to lead a program that was desperately in need of finding a resurgence, and to say the least, he effectively did so.

The senior finished his collegiate career with a 15-point outing on Sunday, drilling three 3-pointers in the final minutes as he valiantly tried to will his team to a late comeback.

Akins addressed the media after the loss. You can watch some of his availability below:

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo spoke to reporters from the podium. Below is a transcript of his opening statement:

Izzo: “For the 30th year, I’m not sure I’ve ever been prouder of a team. There’s so much coach-speak and things that go on in programs all over, but these guys gave me everything they had. I drained them of everything. 

“They should take a week off. There’s nothing left in them. That’s kind of the way it was in the locker room. It was a tear-jerking locker room because they knew they spilled it all, and yet we thought we started out poorly, which we’ve had that little bit of a problem lately.

“We just couldn’t recover from that 17-0 run. It wasn’t through lack of effort. It wasn’t through lack of anything except we played a good team. 

“[Johni] Broome hurt us early. We made some adjustments, did a little better job on him after he hit those first, I think, 6 or 8 points. I thought we missed some good shots in there, but maybe some of it was their defense too. 

“All in all, you don’t get defined — unfortunately, your last game wears with you. I’m asking these guys that, if it does, make sure that you do something about it in your life. For Jaden, he’s not done playing basketball either. 

“All in all, the most unbelievable year I’ve had, the most connected year I’ve had. I just appreciate what these guys did for myself, our program, our university, and our community.”

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A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for all of Southeast Michigan until 10 p.m. Sunday.

A severe thunderstorm watch is issued when atmospheric conditions are ideal for thunderstorms capable of winds of 58 mph or greater and quarter-sized hail or greater. This means to watch out for changing weather conditions and the potential for a warning.

A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a storm can produce dangerously high winds or large hail. Tornadoes can also develop even when there is a severe thunderstorm warning. You should always shelter during a severe storm.

A tornado warning means that a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar, or there is strong indication that a funnel will touch down. This means that there is imminent danger to the warned area. Get indoors and shelter immediately!

A 4Warn Weather Alert has also been declared for Southeast Michigan for the risk of severe thunderstorms.

The Storm Prediction Center upgraded Southeast Michigan to an enhanced (level 3 of 5) risk on Sunday, which means that there is a “high confidence” of scattered to numerous severe storms with “damaging winds, severe hail, and/or tornado tornadoes.”

Where should you take cover?

Home

Go to the basement or lowest level of your home. If there is not a basement, get into an interior room or closet. Avoid being near windows.

Mobile Home

If you have enough time before a severe thunderstorm or possible tornado arrives, go to a nearby sturdy building and wait out the storm.

Driving

It is not safe to try to ride out or outrun a tornado in your vehicle. Get inside the nearest building.

Outside

Find the nearest building to go inside. If you cannot get to the building in time, try to find a ditch, lie flat, and cover your head.

The risk of severe thunderstorms should exit by 10 p.m.

Showers and thunderstorms will still be possible after that time, but the threat for severe weather will have ended.

Behind the cold front, temperatures will fall into the 50s overnight. The temperatures will continue falling on Monday. After morning rain showers, it will be mostly cloudy.

Have multiple ways to get alerts, including a NOAA Weather Radio and the 4Warn Weather app.

• Michigan State will play Auburn in the NCAA tournament South region final on Sunday in Atlanta.
• The winner of the game will advance to the Final Four in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

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.

THE PICKS: Michigan State vs Auburn predictions in March Madness for Elite 8 game

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%.

BIG TEN’S BEST: With Final Four in sight again, sole spotlight on Tom Izzo, Michigan State in Elite Eight

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.

SHAWN WINDSOR: A tidal wave of talent for Auburn

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.

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