2025 March Madness scores, takeaways: Auburn rallies, Houston wins thriller as chalk reigns in Sweet 16

All four No. 1 seeds will be present in the Elite Eight after the Tigers and Cougars survived respective scares on Friday

The second weekend of the NCAA Tournament continued Friday with four thrilling games that shrunk the Sweet 16 field down to the Elite Eight. 

No. 1 seed Houston survived an upset bid over No. 4 seed Purdue after star guard Milos Uzan made a game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds remaining. No. 2 seed Tennessee got redemption against No. 3 seed Kentucky with a 78-65 statement win behind a double-double (18 points, 10 assists) from star guard Zakai Zeigler. The Volunteers dropped both meetings in the regular season against the Wildcats, but in the end, they won the game that mattered most. 

Tennessee will face Houston in the first Elite Eight game of the day on Sunday as the program seeks its first trip to the Final Four. The Volunteers lost in the Elite Eight last spring to eventual national runner-up Purdue.

No. 1 overall seed Auburn survived a test from No. 5 seed Michigan to advance as the program seeks its second Final Four appearance. After trailing by as many as nine points in the second half, Auburn defeated Michigan 78-65 behind big performances from Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford. No. 2 seed Michigan State trailed by as many as 10 points with less than 4 minutes to play in the first half but rallied for a 73-70 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss. 

The Spartans will face Auburn in the Elite Eight on Sunday.

All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule | LIVE bracket

Sweet 16 scores on Friday

• (2) Michigan State 73, (6) Ole Miss 70 | Highlights
• (2) Tennessee 78, (3) Kentucky 65 | Highlights
• (1) Auburn 78, (5) Michigan 65 | Highlights
• (1) Houston 62, (4) Purdue 60 Highlights

CBS Sports was with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every Sweet 16 game on Friday. Read on below for the biggest takeaways from the regional semifinal games on Friday. 

[Mar 29, 2025 at 12:48 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Chalk reigns supreme in the Sweet 16

The combined seed total of the Elite Eight teams is 13. The highest remaining seed in the field is No. 3 seed Texas Tech, who will face No. 1 seed Florida in the first game of the day on Saturday. All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight with No. 1 seeds Auburn and Houston earning resilient wins over Michigan and Purdue, respectively. Sure, there isn't a "Cinderella" in the Elite Eight this year, but every matchup will be must-see TV this weekend. If you love watching the best teams in college basketball play, this tournament is a dream come true.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 12:48 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Tahaad Pettiford is one of the most electric players in college basketball

Auburn freshman Tahaad Pettiford stepped up down the stretch in No. 1 seed Auburn's 78-65 win over No. 5 seed Michigan. The Tigers' 6th man finished with 15 of his 20 points in the second half and made some crucial shots in the final minutes while star big man Johni Broome went to the bench because of foul trouble. Pettiford has started just one game for the Tigers this season, but it's clear that he is one of their most important players. The way he can get to the rim and his shotmaking make him one of the most fun players in the sport.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 12:48 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Kentucky's run comes to an end 

Year 1 of the Mark Pope era at Kentucky concluded on Friday with a 78-65 loss to Tennessee in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats won both previous matchups against the Volunteers in the regular season but couldn't win the game that mattered the most. This could be considered the "least talented" roster Pope will have at the school during his tenure -- not because the roster was bad or anything but because Kentucky should have a substantial amount of talent enter the program via high school recruiting or the transfer portal in the coming year(s). Kentucky was making a run without star guard Jaxson Robinson in the lineup and guard Lamont Butler playing banged up with a shoulder injury. Better days are on the horizon for the Wildcats, but overall, this season was successful.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 12:44 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Houston wins a thriller

FINAL: (1) Houston 62, (4) Purdue 60

Houston is moving onto the Elite Eight for the third time since 2021 after securing a dramatic 62-60 win over No. 4 seed Purdue. Houston guard Milos Uzan scored a game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds remaining, less than 30 seconds after Purdue forward Camden Heide drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game with 29 seconds left. Uzan finished with 22 points.

Houston hadn't scored in over three and a half minutes before that shot.

One of the biggest storylines in this game was Houston, the top seed in the region, having to play a de facto road game against Purdue due to the location of the Sweet 16. It didn't matter. Houston will face No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The winner goes to the Final Four in San Antonio.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 12:15 am ET · David Cobb]

Incredible showing from Auburn

FINAL: Auburn 78, Michigan 65

No. 1 overall seed Auburn used a 20-2 second half run to claw out of a nine-point hole and seize command of a high-paced Sweet 16 thriller. Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones sparked the rally with huge second-half performances and finished with 20 points apiece. Johni Broome finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds as the Tigers surged into an Elite Eight showdown with No. 2 seed Michigan State on Sunday. There was a lid on the basket for Auburn until midway through the second half when Pettiford and Jones began making it rain from the outside.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 12:07 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Houston back in front

MID 2H: (1) Houston 46, (4) Purdue 41

After trailing 31-29 at halftime, Houston has shown signs of life during the first nine minutes of the second half. The Cougars stretched their lead to as many as eight behind seven points from Emanuel Sharp. There is still a long way to go in this one, but this is a good sign for the No. 1 seed in the region.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 11:47 pm ET · David Cobb]

Auburn strikes back

7:38 2H: Auburn 57, Michigan 50

Auburn has returned to life in a major way, using an 18-2 run over the last 4:33 to seize control. Michigan's season-long turnover issues are beginning to reappear, and the lid is finally off the basket from 3-point range. Denver Jones is cooking with 16 points on 4 of 7 shooting from deep, and the Tigers have completely flipped the vibes in front of a pro-Auburn crowd in Atlanta. Danny Wolf is carrying a huge load for the Wolverines, but he's not getting much help. Does Michigan have one last push?

[Mar 28, 2025 at 11:31 pm ET · David Cobb]

Auburn is on the ropes

11:57 2H: Michigan 48, Auburn 42

Danny Wolf just went to the bench for a brief breather entering the under-12 media timeout. But the Wolverines' 7-footer is going blow for blow with Auburn star Johni Broome. Wolf has 20 points, including nine already in the second half. Broome has 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Tigers can't buy a 3-pointer, though, as they are 4 of 22 from deep. Auburn has also committed 14 turnovers, which is above their season average. In short, the No. 1 overall seed is not playing close to its capacity and trails as a result. Can Bruce Pearl light a fire under his team down the stretch?

[Mar 28, 2025 at 11:22 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

No. 1 Houston on upset alert

HALF: (4) Purdue 31, (1) Houston 29

We have reached halftime from Indianapolis and No. 4 seed Purdue leads No. 1 seed Houston 31-29. One of the biggest storylines coming into this game was that this would be a de facto home game for Purdue; the Boilermakers' campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, which is 65 miles from Indianapolis. For context, Houston is over 1,000 miles away from Indianapolis.

Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer has a team-high 12 points at the break. The difference in this game has been Purdue's defense. The Boilermakers held Houston to 9 of 30 (30%) from the floor in the first 20 minutes.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 10:50 pm ET · David Cobb]

Chaotic half in Atlanta

HALF: (1) Auburn 30, (5) Michigan 29

The teams combined for 18 turnovers and shot just 6 of 25 from 3-point range but nonetheless played an entertaining, up-tempo first half. Johni Broome already has a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds for Auburn, while Danny Wolf leads Michigan with 11. No one is going to claim that was a well-played half, but it was high-octane basketball. A 9-2 edge in second-chance points helped the Tigers overcome an abysmal 32.4% shooting mark to emerge with a narrow lead.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 10:48 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Houston leads Purdue early

MID 1H: (1) Houston 15, (4) Purdue 12

No. 1 seed Houston is in front of No. 4 seed Purdue 15-12 midway through the first half in Indianapolis. Houston star Milos Uzan scored nine of his team's first 15 points, while Purdue star Fletcher Loyer has eight of his team's first 12. The difference during the first 10 minutes is 3-point shooting. Houston has already knocked down three triples. The Cougars finished the season as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 10:21 pm ET · David Cobb]

Fun start to Auburn-Michigan

11:54 1H Auburn 13, Michigan 13

Auburn and Michigan are off to a fast — if not particularly efficient — start. Shots aren't falling, but the teams are running, and Johni Broome is doing his thing. The Auburn star and National Player of the Year candidate already has seven points and four rebounds as he seeks to counter the incredible performance produced by POTY challenge Cooper Flagg of Duke last night.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 10:05 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

Houston vs. Purdue scouting report

Aggressive, athletic defenses have been a kryptonite at times for Purdue's buzzsaw offense this year. That did not hold up against McNeese in the Round of 32, but it could rear its ugly head against Houston. The Cougars have an outstanding defensive scheme and elite personnel with JoJo Tugler on the backline and Milos Uzan on the perimeter. They will be more than ready to hound All-American point guard Braden Smith.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, the playmaker, looms large in this one. You need bigs who can pass and shooters who can shoot (duh) to knock off Houston's trapping defense. Kaufman-Renn's decision-making in the middle of the floor is the way for Purdue to stay alive in this matchup. He has to knock down his patented little runner/push shot or find open shooters quickly before Houston's swarming defense can recover. 

Full scouting report and pick 👇

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Isaac Trotter

[Mar 28, 2025 at 10:00 pm ET · Dennis Dodd]

What Kelvin Sampson has overcome

Time heals all infractions, it seems. The transgressions that altered Kelvin Sampson's career and life are so distant they seem almost laughable now. In an age when NIL marketing agents run amok and the going rate for top football and basketball prospects is $1 million, wrongdoing not only has been redefined, the concept has almost been eliminated.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is winning after his career was derailed for NCAA violations that are now allowed

Dennis Dodd

[Mar 28, 2025 at 9:56 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tennessee makes second straight Elite Eight

FINAL: (2) Tennessee 78, (3) Kentucky 65

Tennessee is headed to the Elite Eight for a second straight season after dominating Kentucky 78-65 in the third meeting this season between the SEC rivals. Kentucky used 12 made 3-pointers to prevail in the first two meetings but never got in rhythm offensively on Friday against Tennessee's swarming defense. The Volunteers owned the offensive glass with a 19-5 edge in second-chance points and got big nights from a trio of guards, as Jordan Gainey, Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler combined for 51 points. Zeigler had a double-double with a team-high 18 points and 10 assists. Tennessee will play either No. 1 seed Houston or No. 4 seed Purdue on Sunday as the program seeks to make its first-ever Final Four appearance.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 9:30 pm ET · David Cobb]

Chaz Lanier gets going for Tennessee

7:49 2H: Tennessee 65, Kentucky 48

Tennessee star guard Chaz Lanier got off to a slow start, but he's recovered nicely in the second half as the Volunteers are rebuffing Kentucky's efforts to rally. Lanier has nine points in the second half, and Zakai Zeigler is up to seven assists. Kentucky is shooting 50% from the floor in the second half but can't make any headway because it can't get the stops. The Volunteers now have a 19-4 edge in second-chance points.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 9:30 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

Auburn vs. Michigan scouting report

Oh, this one is the good stuff. Michigan guard Tre Donaldson, an Auburn transfer, gets to lace 'em up against his old ballclub with the right to go to the Elite Eight on the line. He's going to be tuned up and itching to put his fingerprints all over this one.

The Twin Towers battle of Auburn's Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell against Michigan's Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf is going to draw most of the mainstream attention. Michigan simply cannot afford Goldin to get in foul trouble because its defense drops off the map when he sits against top-100 teams. 

Full scouting report and pick 👇

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Isaac Trotter

[Mar 28, 2025 at 9:28 pm ET · David Cobb]

Michigan State survives in thriller

FINAL: Michigan State 73, Ole Miss 70

No. 2 seed Michigan State rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit for a thrilling 73-70 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss on Friday night in Atlanta. Freshman star Jase Richardson led the Spartans with 20 points to counter a big performance from Ole Miss guard Sean Pedulla, who finished with 24. The Rebels were seeking their first-ever Elite Eight appearance and built their lead to 29-19 in the first half behind an early barrage of second-chance points. However, the Spartans eventually leveled out, as Richardson came alive late in the half and helped the Spartans cut their deficit to 33-31 entering the break. MSU then began to impose its will on the inside in the second half as it used a 26-12 second half edge in paint points to take control. Michigan State will play either No. 1 seed Auburn or rival No. 5 seed Michigan on Sunday with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 9:01 pm ET · David Cobb]

Down to the wire in Atlanta

6:39 2H: Ole Miss 53, Michigan State 53

Michigan State has hit 5 of its past 6 from the field to rally back from nine down. Michigan State actually retook the lead briefly before Sean Pedulla tied it up with a big 3-pointer. Jase Richardson is up to 18 points, and it feels like the Pedulla vs. Richardson guard battle could be good down the stretch. The Rebels have used a ton of emotion and energy to get them to this point. Is there enough more of that to carry them down the stretch?

[Mar 28, 2025 at 8:44 pm ET · David Cobb]

Michigan State in trouble

11:40 2H: (6) Ole Miss 48, (2) Michigan State 41

Michigan State is off to an 0 for 4 start rom 3-point range in the second half as Ole Miss has pushed its lead back to seven points. Malik Dia is back in his back for the Rebels with his first 3-pointer of the night for the Rebels. Look for a heavy dose of Jase Richardson down the stretch from the Spartans. The freshman phenom has 14 points already on just six shots. He and Coen Carr have been the only sources of consistent offense for Michigan State.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 8:35 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tennessee dominating Kentucky

HALF: (2) Tennessee 43, (3) Kentucky 28

Otega Oweh came alive in the final couple minutes of the first half to keep Kentucky from getting run off the floor. A Colin Chandler 3-pointer just before the final horn also helped. But the Wildcats struggled on the glass as Tennessee used 13-4 edge in second-chance points to build a lead that grew as high as 19. Zakai Zeigler appears to be in full command for the Volunteers, who have received scoring contributions from each of their eight rotation players. Zeigler has 13 points and four assists.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 8:04 pm ET · David Cobb]

Kentucky starts slow

9:36 1H: (2) Tennessee 21, (3) Kentucky 13

Kentucky is off to a slow start on the glass as Tennessee owns a 6-1 edge in offensive rebounds leading to a 9-2 advantage in second-chance points. The Volunteers have attempted 18 shots as opposed to just 12 for the Wildcats. Lamont Butler looks comfortable as can be amid his shoulder injury for UK and has five early points. However, he also has two fouls. Zakai Zeigler leads Tennessee with seven amid a 1 of 5 start for star marksman Chaz Lanier.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 8:01 pm ET · David Cobb]

Jase Richardson comes alive

HALF: (2) Ole Miss 33, (6) Michigan State 31

Michigan State freshman phenom Jase Richardson came alive as the second half progressed to help the Spartans claw back following a slow start. The left-handed guard finished the half 3-of-4 shooting from deep to lead all scorers with 10 points. Not only did typical starting center Szymon Zapala not start for Michigan State, but he didn't play at all in the first half as the Spartans went small. Reserve big Xavier Booker also did not play as Tom Izzo and the Spartans tried to counter an undersized Ole Miss group.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 7:35 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

Tennessee vs. Kentucky scouting report

Kentucky beat Tennessee twice this year, and it also happened to be the only two times Rick Barnes' club allowed an opponent to shoot 50% or better from downtown. The same opponent making half its 3s twice had never happened before in Barnes' 10-year run atop the Tennessee program.

Surely, that won't happen a third (!) time for one of the elite 3-point defenses in college basketball, right? Tennessee is going to be up in Kentucky's shorts for 40 minutes. Nothing will come easy in the halfcourt, and the Vols might make Andrew Carr and Amari Williams try to beat them with backdowns or top-of-the-key drives.

Full scouting report and pick 👇

March Madness rolls on with loaded Sweet 16: Picks, scouting reports for eight NCAA Tournament tilts

Isaac Trotter

[Mar 28, 2025 at 7:31 pm ET · David Cobb]

Pedulla hot early for Ole Miss

11:09 1H (6) Ole Miss 15, (2) Michigan State 10

Sean Pedulla is hot early for Ole Miss. The Virginia Tech transfer leads all scorers with eight and is 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Mississippi State entered this game as one of the nation's best rebounding teams and seemingly with a clear edge on the glass. But it's the Rebels who have a 5-0 edge in second-chance points, courtesy of a 4-0 lead in offensive rebounds. The decision to go small has backfired early on Tom Izzo.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 7:07 pm ET · David Cobb]

Coen Carr starting for Michigan State

Michigan State Tom Izzo has already started with the chess game. He's putting forward Coen Carr into the starting lineup for the first time in his career, presumably to counter the smaller Ole Miss lineup. Carr is an Atlanta native, so this is a special place for him to get the nod, especially given the stakes. He is supplanting Szymon Zapala, who will come off the bench. Tipoff is on deck with a spot in the Elite Eight at stake.

[Mar 28, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

Michigan State vs. Ole Miss

This is a bit of an awkward matchup for both sides because Ole Miss basically forces every team to go small. The Rebels can spread teams out when Chris Beard pivots to his small-ball lineup of Sean Pedulla, JuJu Murray, Matthew Murrell, Dre Davis and Jaemyn Brakefield. For the most part this year, teams have been scared to go small against Michigan State because of how good the Spartans are on the glass. Ole Miss' resolve on the glass will be tested in a real way, but  Beard should have a great plan in place. 

Full scouting report and pick 👇

March Madness rolls on with loaded Sweet 16: Picks, scouting reports for eight NCAA Tournament tilts

Isaac Trotter

[Mar 28, 2025 at 6:45 pm ET · Chris Hummer]

Built by the transfer portal

The 2025 NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 has arrived, and while the third round may lack a true Cinderella for the first time since 2007, one constant remains: the transfer portal is shaping college basketball like never before. According to the dynamos at CBS Sports research, transfers from D-1 schools have accounted for over half of the scoring in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Over half! 

Transfers have accounted for 53% of the points in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. These Sweet 16 teams have the most

Chris Hummer

[Mar 28, 2025 at 6:30 pm ET · Chris Bengel]

Why Midwest games are Lucas Oil

Lucas Oil Stadium -- which traditionally serves as the home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts -- will welcome college basketball and about 35,000 fans this weekend with matchups from the Midwest Region taking place. It will be the only of the four regional bouts taking place inside a football stadium, which will offer different sight lines for players and fans. 

Why Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium is the only football stadium hosting a March Madness Regional in 2025

Chris Bengel

[Mar 28, 2025 at 6:00 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

Ranking the Sweet 16 coaches

It takes great talent and a heap of tenacity to advance into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament -- and a touch of some coaching magic, too. Alabama wouldn't be here without Nate Oats' run-and-fun style. Arkansas wouldn't be in its position without John Calipari recruiting an athletic team and freeing them to play loose in the biggest moments. That goes ditto for Arizona (Tommy Lloyd) and Houston (Kelvin Sampson).

Which coaches, though — and let me cut right to the chase here — are the best? Not the most accomplished. Not the one whose team has the best résumé. Not the coach whose accrued the most Quad 1 wins. Just, subjectively, which is the best? I set about to answer that question below accounting for expectations, consistency, character and of course, performance. 

March Madness 2025: Ranking every coach in the Sweet 16 as NCAA Tournament rolls on to regional semifinals

Kyle Boone