Men's NCAA Tournament 2025: Sunday's Elite Eight Winners and Losers

The four tickets to San Antonio are punched.

After watching top-seeded teams Florida and Duke win on Saturday night and advance to the Final Four, Houston and Auburn followed suit on Sunday. Houston put together a dominant effort in a victory over Tennessee, while Auburn held off Michigan State.

As a result, for the first time since 2008, the Elite Eight featured four victories from No. 1 programs.

Within the latest pair of results, B/R extracted a few winners and losers with the help of historical facts and notable on-court performances.

Loser: Tennessee's 1st Half

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Rick Barnes

For the second year in a row, Tennessee reached the Elite Eight—matching the program's best performance in the men's NCAA tourney. One unfortunate game should not diminish a strong year.

Also, the Vols endured a historically bad finish.

Tennessee made a single three-pointer in 15 attempts and ended the opening 20 minutes with a ghastly 6-of-28 overall shooting mark. Houston led 34-15 at the break, holding the Volunteers to the lowest-scoring first half by a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. Ever.

Sure, while you couldn't rule out a miracle, the first half shaped the outcome. Tennessee trimmed the lead to 10 points with about six minutes remaining but couldn't get within a single-digit deficit.

Once again, an outstanding defense wasn't enough for UT. Once again, the Vols will be searching for solutions about the offense in the offseason.

Winner: Houston Completes Rarity

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Within the Madness of March, chaos usually reigns. This particularly chalky year, however, led Houston down a seldom-seen path.

After defeating No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, the Cougars beat No. 8 Gonzaga. Then, they upended No. 4 Purdue and No. 2 Tennessee to reach the Final Four. Houston became the first program since 2017 North Carolina to navigate the most difficult seed path possible for a No. 1 team.

The reward? Home-state advantage on the biggest stage.

None of the teams headed to San Antonio have a particular long trip on the horizon, true, and the fan bases will travel well. Houston, nevertheless, is only about 200 miles from the Alamodome.

The program's drive for a first-ever national championship has been difficult and isn't about to get easier—but at least it will be local.

Loser: Michigan State's Perimeter Shooting

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If you were forced to summarize the main issue of Michigan State's season in one sequence, Sunday sure offered a good example.

During the first half, the Spartans were stuck in a drought. Auburn had netted 14 straight points, so MSU desperately needed to find a spark. In theory, a 40-second stretch with five offensive rebounds should've provided one.

Instead, the offense's limitations were on full display.

Michigan State corralled three boards among a missed layup from Jaden Akins, a three by Tre Holloman and two threes from Akins. Then, a misfired Holloman three preceded Coen Carr's errant tip and another missed three from Holloman.

Two possessions, seven shots, zero points.

Behind a stingy defense, MSU hung around into the second half. Largely because the Spartans connected on just four long-range attempts in the first 38 minutes, however, they could never really close the gap in Auburn's win.

Winner: Johni Broome's Major but Scary Day

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Heading into the matchup, there was a simple question: Did the Spartans have anyone who could contain Johni Broome?

Auburn's star forward scored on three straight possessions to begin the game, adding five points and two assists as the Tigers quickly built a 15-point advantage. Michigan State had no answers for Broome, who amassed 22 points and 12 rebounds by the midpoint of the second half.

But then, disaster seemingly struck.

Broome tried to block a shot, landing awkwardly on his left leg and right elbow. He ultimately walked to the locker room in clear discomfort, and it appeared the Tigers would be losing their All-American—perhaps for the season.

Instead, the fifth-year senior—reportedly after X-rays with negative results—returned to the floor. He grabbed a rebound, drained a key three-pointer and ignited Auburn's surge to a victory and ticket to San Antonio.