Freshman Tahaad Pettiford and senior Denver Jones turned in dazzling performances when it mattered most, rallying top-seeded Auburn to a 78-65 victory over Michigan in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn basketball played its Sweet 16 win over 5-seed Michigan less than two hours from campus. That wasn't lost on the Tigers.

In 1999, Jones was voted NL Most Valuable Player. An eight-time All-Star, he won the NL batting title in 2008. Jones was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He’s currently a hitting consultant with the Braves.

SportsLine's model revealed its college basketball predictions for Michigan Wolverines vs. Auburn Tigers on Friday in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

The Auburn Tigers took down the Big Ten Champions, the Michigan Wolverines, in the Sweet 16, 78-65. It was a tight bout heading into halftime with Auburn barely hanging onto the lead, 30-29. However,

Michigan's Goldin was fouled after a layup attempt, but he missed both attempts. Broome helped Auburn retake the lead with 34 seconds left in the first half, while Goldin missed the last attempt before halftime. It was a 30-29 Tigers lead going into the locker room.

Auburn went on a 20-2 run after that moment, spurred by big buckets from Johni Broome, Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford. It eventually led to Auburn outscoring Michigan 48-36 in the second half, pulling away with a 13-point victory.

Houston, Michigan State and Auburn came up clutch, while Tennessee was a bully from the start in Sweet 16 action Friday night.

Michigan basketball or Auburn? Who you got? Three Free Press sports writers have some thoughts on the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 in Atlanta.