Auburn is headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2019 and just the second time in program history after a 70-64 victory over Michigan State in Atlanta on Sunday.
We saw how Bruce Pearl and the Tigers and their fans reacted inside State Farm Arena, but we want to see your reaction while watching the CBS broadcast live.
Did you lose your mind? Did you shed a few tears? Were you with a group? Did you watch by yourself? We want to see the entire spectrum of emotions as Auburn moved within two wins of its first basketball national championship.
Please send your videos to [email protected], and we may share for the rest of the world to see.
After three seasons of spring football, the Birmingham Stallions had a 32-4 overall record and three league championships. But the opening game of the Stallions’ fourth season looked a long way from that success as the DC Defenders registered eight sacks in an 18-11 United Football League victory on Sunday.
And the sacks wrote the ending to the story at Audi Field in Washington.
When the Stallions got the football for the final time at their 44-yard line with 1:50 to play and no timeouts after a 53-yard field goal by DC’s Matt McCrane, the Birmingham offense had 10 net yards to show for the second half. And while quarterback Alex McGough went 0-of-3 passing and was sacked once on the next six snaps, he also had two scrambles that totaled 45 yards to put the Stallions at the DC 19 with 43 seconds to play.
But back-to-back sacks by defensive end Andre Mintze and defensive tackle Joe Wallace ended the game.
In the second half, McGough didn’t complete any of his eight passes, threw one interception and got sacked seven times. McGough went 10-of-15 for 89 yards with one touchdown in the first half, when the Defenders registered one sack.
DC’s sacks took 73 yards off Birmingham’s offensive total as the Stallions finished with 16 passing yards and 122 rushing yards. McGough accounted for 84 of the rushing yards on eight carries.
Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was sacked once on Sunday. He completed 17-of-37 passes for 211 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
After getting a 53-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis on its second possession, Birmingham took an 11-6 lead with 14:14 left in the first half. McGough connected with running back C.J. Marable on a 12-yard touchdown pass, then hit wide receiver Marlon Williams for a 2-point conversion.
The Defenders retook the lead with eight seconds left in the first half by going 75 yards in nine plays for a touchdown. Ta’amu’s 35-yard completion to wide receiver Jaydon Mickens moved DC to the Birmingham 14-yard line, and a roughing-the-passer penalty on linebacker Kyahva Tezino on an incompletion on the next snap put the Defenders on the Stallions 2.
Ta’amu connected on a third-and-goal throw to wide receiver Chris Rowland for a 4-yard touchdown and a 12-11 lead just before time expired in the first half.
The Defenders played one week after head coach Reggie Barlow resigned to become the football coach at Tennessee State. Quarterbacks coach Shannon Harris served as the interim coach for DC.
The Stallions play the Michigan Panthers at 7 p.m. Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX will televise the game.
Birmingham Stallions running back C.J. Marable slips a tackle to score a touchdown during a United Football League game against the DC Defenders on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at Audi Field in Washington.(Photo by Samuel Corum/UFL/Getty Images)
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Auburn men’s basketball is officially back in the Final Four, scoring a 70-64 win over Michigan State in the Elite Eight.
The Tigers join Duke, Houston and Florida as the teams who will battle for a national championship in San Antonio next weekend. It’s Auburn’s second ever Final Four appearance, the first coming in 2019.
Auburn will face Florida in the first national semifinal, with the game set to tip off at 5:09 p.m. from the Alamodome in San Antonio. Duke and Houston will square off in the following game, with that matchup set to tip off at 7:49.
Both will be televised on CBS with Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore making up the commentary team.
“I told Bruce,” Freeze told WKRG Sports Director Simone Eli on Sunday. “… I just said, ‘Man, what you all are doing for our university. You are in the middle of the fight right now and the battle. You don’t recognize the notoriety and just the brand Auburn and what you and your team are doing to help all of us.”
Freeze has been a big supporter of the the team throughout its NCAA Tournament run.
“It helps us all in recruiting,” he told Eli. “It helps us all raise money, helps us in the NIL space. You look in there and Charles Barkley is talking about Auburn. Right now over and over each night.
“I don’t think you can measure it. It’s just so big.”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
Four tickets to the Final Four have been stamped, and Auburn basketball grabs the last one as the Tigers head to college basketball’s biggest stage for the first time since 2019.
After a 25-point performance from leading scorer Johni Broome, Auburn defeated Michigan State 70-64 to clinch its second Final Four berth in program history.
This was Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s first loss to an SEC opponent in the NCAA tournament, after entering the game 10-0 against the conference during March Madness.
Here’s how the Tigers made their way to the Final Four:
John Broome’s first half double-double
National Player of the Year frontrunner, Broome, did not hold back against the Spartans in the first half as the Tigers held a nine-point lead at the break.
Johni Broome scored the Tigers first six points, finishing the half with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Tigers jumped out to an early 15-point lead after going on a 17-0 run at the start of the half. Michigan State gained momentum sparking a 7-0 run of its own to cut its deficit back to single digits.
Both teams combined for six made 3-pointers in the first half, shooting under 25% from beyond the arc. Auburn’s defense held Michigan State to eight made field goals entering the break.
Tight battle in the trenches
With the outside shots not falling for either teams, the second half was a physical war in the frontcourt. The Tigers led with 34 points in the paint behind the efforts of Broome.
Jaxon Kohler was the hot man for the Spartans leading with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while matched up against Broome. Jaden Akins added 15 points as the Spartans scored 30 points from inside the paint.
Rebounding totals were close as Michigan state led in that category 41-39. However, the Tigers forced nine turnovers on the Spartans and finished with five blocks and four steals as a team on the defensive end.
Full team effort as Auburn heads to San Antonio
Broome exited the game with 10:35 left in the second half after suffering a right elbow injury. He eventually returned at the 5:29 mark of the game, draining his second 3-pointer in the process.
The Tigers role players stepped up bigtime as Tahaad Pettiford and Miles Kelly combined for 18 points for the Tigers.
Chad Baker-Mazara hit some big shots finishing with six points and Chaney Johnson added eight points off the bench.
Auburn advances to the Final Four and will meet the No. 1 seed Florida Gators next weekend, for a shot to play in the national championship game.
Auburn men’s basketball’s All-American forward, Johni Broome, left the Tigers’ Elite Eight game versus Michigan State with an apparent injury.
The injury happened as Broome was contesting a shot and he put his arm down to break his fall. His right arm seemed to bend awkwardly, and he immediately went down. Broome also seemed to land awkwardly on his left leg as he went down.
Broome left the game right away after the injury, heading straight to the locker room at the 10:37 mark of the second half. At the time of his exit, he had 22 points and 12 rebounds, leading all players in the game.
After the following timeout, the CBS broadcast said there is a “slight chance” Broome can return, but that Broome told head coach Bruce Pearl “no” when asked if he was okay walking off the court.
Broome returned to the game at the 5:29 mark of the second half with extra tape wrapped around his right arm. The CBS broadcast said Broome was x-rayed while in the locker room, but the x-rays came back negative.
On Sunday at 5:28 p.m. the National Weather Service issued a flood warning valid from Monday 12 a.m. until Tuesday 3:50 a.m. for Baldwin County.
The weather service says, “Minor flooding is forecast for Styx River near Elsanor.”
“At 12.0 feet, residents downstream at Seminole Landing should be alert to possible flooding. At 14.0 feet, moderate Flood Stage. Water approaches houses on Donovan Circle in the Seminole Landing community. At 16.0 feet, water begins to flood Donovan Circle in the Seminole Landing community,” explains the weather service.
Understanding the differences between advisories, watches, and warnings
Flash flood warning: Take action!
A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring. If you are in a flood-prone area, move immediately to high ground. A flash flood is a sudden violent flood that can take from minutes to hours to develop. It is even possible to experience a flash flood in areas not immediately receiving rain.
Flood warning: Take action!
A flood warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring.
Flood advisory: Be aware:
A flood advisory is released when flooding is not expected to reach a severity level necessitating a warning. Nonetheless, it can still cause considerable inconvenience and, without exercising caution, potentially lead to situations that threaten life and/or property.
Flood watch: Be prepared:
A flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding. It doesn’t guarantee that flooding will occur, but it signifies that the possibility exists.
Be flood-ready: Expert guidance from the weather service for your safety
Floods can pose a significant threat, especially if you live in a flood-prone area or find yourself camping in a low-lying region. To ensure your safety, the weather service offers essential flood safety guidelines:
Move to higher ground:
If you reside in a flood-prone region or are camping in low-lying terrain, the first step to safety is relocating to higher ground.
Follow evacuation orders:
If local authorities issue an evacuation order, heed it promptly. Prior to leaving, secure your home by locking it.
Disconnect utilities and appliances:
If time permits, disconnect your utilities and appliances. This precaution minimizes electrical hazards during flooding.
Steer clear of flooded basements and submerged areas:
Avoid basements or rooms submerged in water with electrical outlets or cords. Preventing electrical accidents is crucial.
Swift evacuation for your safety:
If you notice sparks or hear buzzing, crackling, snapping, or popping noises, evacuate immediately. Avoid any water that may be charged with electricity.
Stay away from floodwaters:
Never attempt to walk through floodwaters. Even just 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.
Seek higher ground when trapped:
Should you become trapped by moving water, reach the highest point possible and dial 911 to contact emergency services.
During heavy rainfall, there is a risk of flooding, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Remember to never drive through water on the road, even if it seems shallow. According to the weather service, as little as 12 inches of rapidly flowing water can carry away most cars. Stay safe by being prepared and informed.
Navigating rainy roads: Safety tips for wet weather
When heavy rain pours, the risk of flooding and treacherous roads rises. Here’s your guide from the weather service to staying safe during downpours:
Beware of swollen waterways:
During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk.
Maintain safe driving distances:
The two-second rule for following distance is your ally in heavy rain. Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.
Reduce speed and drive cautiously:
On wet roads, reducing your speed is crucial. Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
Choose your lane wisely:
Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
Visibility matters:
Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by activating your headlights. Be particularly vigilant for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.
Watch out for slippery roads:
The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period.
Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:
Don’t follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.
Mind your windshield wipers:
Heavy rain can overload the wiper blades. When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up. It is best to stop at rest areas or other protected areas.
If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.
In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
“The White Lotus” has gotten political during Season 3, with one viral scene that featured Kate (Leslie Bibb) declining to say whether she voted for Donald Trump or not, shocking her friends Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and Laurie (Carrie Coon).
But the interaction originally had a more loaded political context, shares Coon.
The star recently told Harper’s Bazaar that a detail about her character’s personal life was cut after the election. The season was written and filmed before Trump was re-elected President.
“You originally found out that her daughter was actually non-binary, maybe trans, and going by they/them,” Coon said.
“You see Laurie struggling to explain it to her friends, struggling to use they/them pronouns, struggling with the language, which was all interesting.”
“It was only a short scene, but for me, it did make the question of whether Kate voted for Trump so much more provocative and personally offensive to Laurie, considering who her child is in the world,” Coon added.
According to the actor, Trump’s re-election made series creator Mike White hesitate about including that character detail in the final cut.
“The season was written before the election. And considering the way the Trump administration has weaponized the cultural war against transgender people even more since then, when the time came to cut the episode down, Mike felt that the scene was so small and the topic so big that it wasn’t the right way to engage in that conversation,” Coon continued.
Coon also said that White handles his characters with nuance: “They’re not just one thing.”
“His father wrote a very influential book about what it was like to come out as a gay man himself in the evangelical church as an adult, which a lot of young men have read and was a very meaningful text for them in their own journeys,” Coon said.
“So Mike doesn’t shy away from challenging cultural conversations, and I really appreciate that about his work.”
Bibb also commented on the Trump-focused “White Lotus” scene in an interview with Variety. “When we were filming it, it actually felt like it was going to be irrelevant,” Bibb said. “It’s randomly current.”
South Carolina’s coaching staff knew who they wanted to get the ball with seconds left.
When Chloe Kitts found out it was her, she came to the court with different ideas.
“So I walked out there and I was like, ‘Pao, can you get the ball? Can you get the ball,‘” she asked Te-Hina Paopao. “And Pao was like, ‘Girl what? Go get the ball.‘”
Even with an inner battle, the Birmingham Regional MVP provided another MVP moment when it mattered.
Kitts’ pair of free throws with five seconds left in an Elite Eight matchup against Duke sealed a 54-50 victory and sent the Gamecocks to their fifth straight Final Four appearance.
The MVP finished with 14 points against the Blue Devils, 8 coming in the fourth quarter of the matchup; she scored all of the final 6 points of the game for South Carolina, including a clutch layup with 1:47 left to play.
But, her late appearance at the charity stripe was the moment she thought about the most.
“I got the ball and I went to the line and I was just taking a deep breath,” she recalled. “I told myself that my coach wanted me to have the ball at the end of the game because she knew I could make my free throws, and I told myself that I’m really good at basketball and I made both of them.”
The late plays that the coaching staff trusted Kitts with were a culmination of work over the last few years, with Staley priding the junior for how she’s matured during her time at South Carolina.
“She’s grown in every aspect of her life,” the coach said. “Mentally, physically, emotionally, we have grown-up conversations and I can’t believe it sometimes because of how she came in. Now she’s really thought-provoking; she is really asking all the right things.
“Whether she makes you laugh at something that she says or she says something off the wall, it’s her. She is comfortable in her skin. That’s what I want for my players, to get to know who they are, don’t care about what anybody else thinks of them and just continue to move on. But she is growing, right?”
This marked the second tournament honors for Kitts, who also claimed SEC tournament MVP after totaling 50 points and 23 rebounds across the Gamecocks’ three SEC tournament games; she shot an elite 23-for-31 (74.1%) from the field during that stretch.
She started at South Carolina after joining the program in December of the 2022-23 season, leaving high school early to start playing.
“It feels amazing because I feel like I worked so hard,” Kitts said. “My process is different and everyone’s process is different and I’m just so thankful to be in that position at the end of the game to go to the Final Four.”
The performance was met by a rowdy crowd in Birmingham, which Kitts stayed to talk to and pose for some pictures following the Elite Eight victory on Sunday.
Ahead of a Final Four matchup against Texas or TCU, Kitts said that she aims to keep bringing moments on and off the court for the fans that mean so much to her.
“Those little boys and little girls look up to us,” she said. “Just watching coach throughout my years here go and really try and say hi and take a picture with everyone, made me feel like I need to do that more”
Antisemitism is real, and it is terrifying. As Jewish people living in Alabama, we have both experienced it firsthand: being told we should die; being accused of controlling the media, the banks, and the weather; even being physically assaulted just for being Jewish. True antisemitism must be condemned and fought.
But in recent months, we have seen something deeply troubling: accusations of antisemitism being weaponized to silence criticism of Israel’s political decisions and to punish those who stand up for Palestinians. That does not serve to protect Jewish people. Instead, it suppresses necessary political discourse.
A growing number of people — including students and everyday community members — are speaking out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Many do so, not out of hatred for Israel, but out of a deep concern for Palestinian lives. Yet, they are being painted as antisemitic, pro-Hamas, or anti-Jew. Some are even facing life-altering consequences for their speech.
We do not know why the University of Alabama doctoral student, Alireza Doroudi, who has not been charged with a crime or even connected with a protest movement, was detained this week. But in recent weeks, we have seen former and current students across America like Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Yunseo Chung detained for their involvement in speaking up for Palestinians. The official reason given for their detentions is that they were “spreading antisemitism in a way that is contrary to the foreign policy of the U.S.”
Over the same few weeks, we have also seen institutions of higher education lose hundreds of millions of federal dollars in research funding because of alleged failures to protect Jewish students from antisemitism, usually in response to student demonstrations of solidarity with the people of Gaza, and against Israeli politics.
This should alarm all of us. The federal government has no business deporting people, or defunding universities, based on its objections to their viewpoints. These anti-Constitutional, un-American actions are purportedly being undertaken in the name of protecting people like us on college campuses. And so, we are compelled to speak out.
Judaism is a religion. Israel is a country. The two are not interchangeable. Contrary to the working definition of antisemitism adopted both federally and here in Alabama, criticizing and protesting the political choices of Israel’s government — choices that have led to the deaths of approximately 50,000 Palestinians in the past year and a half — is not inherently antisemitic. We would not claim that criticizing U.S. foreign policy, even stridently, makes someone anti-
American. Despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments to the contrary, “raising a ruckus” is a proud American tradition, protected by the First Amendment.
For Jews, talking about all this can be challenging. Many American Jews, including us, come from families traumatized by generations of persecution and genocide. We grew up at the knees of elders who told us about their experiences being terrorized and forced to leave homes in Europe, and who often wove undying gratitude for Israel as a safe place for Jews into the telling. This can make the complexity of Middle East politics hard to talk about, even as we see Palestinians in Gaza demonstrating against Hamas and Israelis in Tel Aviv protesting Israel’s government.
But the fact is that American Jews’ opinions on Israel and its government are diverse and nuanced. While research shows most identify as Zionists and feel a strong connection to Israel, a significant number also express concerns about its policies towards Palestinians. Under the definition of antisemitism being used by the current administration, some of these views might be considered antisemitic. When a definition of antisemitism includes features that would mark many American Jews as antisemites, the problem is the definition, not the Jews.
If Americans truly care about protecting Jewish people, we must ensure the term “antisemitism” retains its meaning. We must call out real hatred when it occurs, but we must also reject attempts to manipulate fear for political ends. Deporting people and defunding education because of political views is not just an attack on free speech, it is a betrayal of the very values this country claims to uphold. As Martin Niemmöller warned in his famous poem, “First They Came,” when freedoms are eroded for one group, they are at risk for all of us. As Jews, we will not stand for anyone to be “come for” in our name.
Nuance is hard. Especially right now when each new day brings an onslaught of painful, complicated news stories. But American Jews, and all Americans, must demand — and demonstrate — clarity, nuance, and integrity in these conversations. The stakes are too high to allow fear mongering to dictate our national discourse or erode anyone’s right to speak freely.
Allison Berkowitz is an assistant professor at the University of North Alabama in Florence, and Leah Nelson, an independent researcher in Montgomery.