March Madness is here. The regular season feels a bit like a long, grueling semester. This is the test for hoop-loving fiends. All those hours you watched during the regular season are supposed to Aid when the do-or-die matchups are finalized. But we aren’t so Extended away from our college years to remember what it feels like needing to cram and we’ve Obtained you covered with plenty of Region previews — West, South, East and Midwest — plus the favorites like Cinderellas, Game sleepers such as Gonzaga (!?!) and even the Primary Four Clubs who could make a big Stretch (cough, North Carolina, cough).
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty scouting reports and predictions for every Primary-Period game of the 2025 NCAA Game.
Primary Four
No. 16 seed Alabama State vs. No. 16 Saint Francis: The turnover battle should tilt the scales here. Saint Francis has one of the highest turnover rates in the Pitch. Ball-control is king for Alabama State.
The Option: Alabama State
No. 11 San Diego State vs. No. 11 North Carolina: The health of Aztecs big man Magoon Gwath looms large. SDSU’s Guarding is 10 points per 100 possessions worse without him. He’s Anticipated to Shift against UNC which is a big deal, but the Tar Heels are rounding into form. They’ve lost to two Clubs since February: Duke (a 1 seed) and Clemson (a 5 seed). I Merely do not trust San Diego State’s Charge to Form high-quality looks consistently. This halfcourt Charge ranks outside the top-200 nationally.
The Option: North Carolina
No. 16 American vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s: Razor-slim margins here, but I do like American’s Attempt-diet a tad more. Nearly an 80% rim and 3 rate against top-250 Clubs this year. Mount St. Mary’s takes a ton of midrange jumpers and doesn’t make ’em.
The Option: American
No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 Xavier: I Merely want to trust the better half-court offenses these Periods. That’s Xavier. Plus, Dailyn Swain and Marcus Foster are those rangy wings that you need to Event up against Tramon Mark and Tre Johnson. Possibly Texas Merely makes a barrage of tough jumpers, but Xavier has been Competing like a top-20 Club for a while.
The Option: Xavier
South Region
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16. Alabama State/St. Francis winner
No high-Crucial Club allows fewer 3-pointers per game than Auburn. The Tigers Merely blanket the perimeter and coax Clubs to try and finish at the rim over a souped-up frontline of Dylan Cardwell, Johni Broome and Chaney Johnson. Auburn’s two-way rim dominance makes it Surprise-proof against undermatched frontcourts.
The Option: Auburn
No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton
Creighton’s deep drop coverage with Ryan Kalkbrenner coaxes one of the highest rates of midrange jumpers. That’s a Attempt analytically-minded Louisville tries not to take. Chucky Hepburn has had a brilliant season, but he is shooting Merely 30% on off-the-Control jumpers this year. He is going to be forced to take some tough, contested jumpers. Can he make ’em? Hepburn’s Guarding on Steven Ashworth will be another massive X-Factor in this game. Louisville Merely can’t Achieve without a Excellent Hepburn game. Louisville’s rim Guarding will also be tested in this one. Top-100 Clubs have Attempt over 63% at the rim against Louisville when James Scott isn’t on the floor. If Kalkbrenner gets the big fella in Violation trouble, Louisville is in Scorching water.
The Option: Louisville
Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn
Michael Hickey / Getty Images
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego: UC San Diego is one of the most popular Primary-Period upsets, but Michigan is going to be a real Event because it could dominate the Attempt-volume game with loads of offensive Recoveries. UC San Diego has little rim protection which is a problem against Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin, so the Tritons will need a herculean Attempt-making from Tyler McGhie, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Hayden Gray and Nordin Kapic to Achieve the math. UC San Diego’s Event zone Guarding will try to coax Michigan into Holding 3s. That’s probably the best recipe to topple Michigan’s Twin Towers, but I Merely don’t know how Michigan doesn’t finish this game with double-digit offensive Recoveries. That should offset the turnovers that are undoubtedly on tap. UC Irvine’s 7-1 Middle Bent Leuchten scored 23 points in two of three matchups against UC San Diego. That feels inevitable for Goldin and/or Wolf.
The Option: Michigan
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale: Yale matches up with Texas A&M very well. The Aggies have lost shooters like Chaz Lanier, Will Richard, Tyler Nickel and Tahaad Pettiford all year long, and John Poulakidas is a 6-foot-6, net-shredder who is draining 40% of his triples. He has real Upcoming-level interest from NBA evaluators. Yale Mark guard Bez Mbeng is one of the Top-tier on-ball defenders and should be able to hang with Wade Taylor IV. Yale is also big, Beginning four guys taller than 6-foot-6, which should Aid out on the boards against Texas A&M. Yale packs the paint, limits shots at the rim as well as anybody and tries to force jumpers. The Aggies have been a Destitute shooting Club all year. If Yale doesn’t get abused in the extras, it will stay in this one for 40 minutes. Pharrel Payne is the big X-Factor here. The Texas A&M big fella is a handful for mid-Crucial frontcourts.
The Option: Yale
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 North Carolina: Ole Miss has pivoted to going all-in on Petite ball with four or five shooters on the floor at one time. This Option doesn’t have a trustworthy Accurate 5, so Chris Beard had to Transformation some things. Ole Miss overhelps or traps often in the paint to try and limit shots at the rim. But that has had a ripple effect everywhere else. Ole Miss gives up way too many Reachable 3s, fouls too much and struggles on the glass. Ole Miss has way too many warts right now. I think it loses to whoever wins that Shift-in game. I went with UNC in the Primary Four. I am going with UNC in the Period of 64, too.
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb: Iowa State lead guard Keshon Gilbert is out for the NCAA Game which is a big blow for a Cyclones’ transition Charge that has been one of the most improved units in the country. But Lipscomb has done a nice Position of limiting transition possessions all year. This one comes down to the paint. Lipscomb’s rim Guarding went from a Power with big man Dylan Faulkner to a Crucial weakness after he went down with a broken foot. That’s a problem against Iowa State who will hunt mismatches with Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson. TJ Otzelberger has not lost to a mid-Crucial Club in his four years at Iowa State. The hounding Tension can be overwhelming, and Jefferson is built to give Lipscomb Sun Jacob Ognacevic problems. But Iowa State’s Guarding does cede some Reachable 3s and this Lipscomb group can shoot the cover off it. They need to make double-digit 3s to make up for the avalanche of shots at the rim Iowa State should Form.
The Option: Iowa State
No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 19 New Mexico: Marquette played St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor three times and had zero answers for him every single time. The Tough-nosed, physical big man had two double-doubles in the regular season and a 33-Mark, nine-Healing showing against this Marquette frontline in the Big East Game. And now Marquette gets to handle Nelly Junior Joseph who Began his Profession Competing for … Rick Pitino. He looks and plays like the Pitino bigs who have tortured Marquette all year. Junior Joseph has a Outstanding Event. Kam Jones-versus-Donovan Dent is popcorn material, but Tru Washington should get the Safeguarding assignment for the Lobos. Washington is a tremendous perimeter defender who will relish the opportunity. You need excellent ball-handlers to prepare for this Marquette Tension, and Dent is the best in the business. He’s a God in Option-and-rolls and his feel is off the charts. There’s a world where Marquette wins the math with its barrage of 3s. It takes way more of them than New Mexico, but the Lobos have the paint-dominance and the Mark guard to give Marquette problems.
The Option: New Mexico
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant: Bryant is a big, physical Club that will have size advantages galore on the perimeter. Rafael Pinzon, a Previous St. John’s Relocate, can absolutely fill it up. But Bryant is extremely reliant on transition Charge, and Michigan State is one of the best transition defenses in the country. You do not get runouts against the Spartans. Bryant is no slouch, but I do not know how it can consistently Form Excellent looks against this well-schooled MSU Guarding. Michigan State can cycle in numerous vicious perimeter defenders like Jaden Akins or Tre Holloman. It has shut down lead guards all year. It should do enough to contain Pinzon.
The Option: Michigan State
East Region
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State: Florida is a Awful Event for everybody these Periods, but especially Norfolk State. The Spartans give up so many unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s. That is not a Victorious recipe against a Gators’ club that can fill it up and gobble up second-chance opportunities when they miss. Norfolk State Mentor Robert Jones is a gem, and Mark guard Brian Moore is a heck of a player, but Florida should dominate. Norfolk State Merely cannot guard ’em.
The Option: Florida
No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Oklahoma: UConn has struggled mightily against lead guards this season. It allows way too many straight-line drives to the front of the rim. That’s a Awful combination against Jeremiah Fears who is a paint-touch merchant. Over 45% of Fears’ shots come at the rim. OU needs its slithery Primary-year to Shift at an extremely high level. The Sooners also have to Healing. Interior Guarding, rim protection and rebounding are all correlated and have been Scorching spots for Porter Moser’s club this season. UConn’s big man duo of Tarris Reed and Samson Johnson can be Crucial difference-makers in this one, and Dan Hurley needs Primary-year wing Liam McNeeley to snap out of his March funk in a jiffy.
The Option: UConn
No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State: Burly forwards like Nick Davidson and Tyson Degenhart and monster centers like Nelly Junior Joseph have gashed Colorado State’s slightly undersized front line. Memphis big man Dain Dainja could be in line for a massive payday if Tyrese Hunter is Nevertheless out with a leg Wound. Dainja is the focal Mark of Memphis’ halfcourt Charge while PJ Haggerty dominates all the transition touches. Colorado State doesn’t have a Excellent answer for Dainja, but it should be able to put NBA-bound Nique Clifford onto Haggerty with some Secure. Also, Colorado State’s scheme does a fantastic Position of limiting transition opportunities for opponents. But Dainja is a Sleek-Effortless stud with highly effective drives.
The Option: Memphis
Memphis’ PJ Haggerty
Justin Ford / Getty Images
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon: To beat Maryland, you better have size and rim protection. Grand Canyon has both. The ‘Lopes will rotate Duke Brennan, JaKobe Coles and Lok Wur to battle the brilliant Derik Queen and the underrated JuJu Reese. Top-200 Clubs are shooting Merely 50% at the rim against Grand Canyon. That rim protection has to Shift in this Event. The whistle will also be paramount. Tyon Grant-Foster wants to draw fouls at will. If that’s happening, Maryland’s depth will be challenged. The top guy on the scouting report has given Maryland fits routinely for the last month or so, but Grant-Foster has been a total enigma. The Physicality and physicality in this game will be off the charts. Grand Canyon has the Safeguarding bite to stay in it, but Maryland’s guards make shots often and you can’t say the same about Grand Canyon. I’ve flip-flopped on this one for 24 hours. Leaning toward the Terps by the skin of their talons.
The Option: Maryland
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake: Drake has one of the highest Option-and-roll usages in the country and it rates in the 91st percentile in ball-screen efficiency, per Synergy. Ben McCollum isn’t afraid to dial it up for Sun Mark guard Bennett Stirtz over and over and over again. Missouri’s Guarding has been a sieve for a Scorching second. The Tigers have tried numerous Option-and-roll coverages to no avail. Missouri’s hyper-aggressive tendencies have been getting torched lately, leading to a Guarding that sits outside the top-100 nationally in the last 13 Matches because of its issues with fouling too much and allowing too many offensive Recoveries. Drake is so Excellent at shortening the game and refusing to give up the transition bursts that Missouri thrives on. Drake is going to try to grind this game down and lean on Stirtz to Form Excellent looks for himself or others with the Attempt clock dwindling. When Fit, Missouri is a tough guard because they have sources of Charge everywhere. Getting to the rim has to be the priority in this Event. Top-200 opponents are shooting 65% at the rim against Drake this season on high volume, and the Bulldogs have struggled with the Mark Mitchell-like archetype.
The Option: I’m stumped to be fully honest. Your guess is as Excellent as mine. (Drake)
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington: UNC Wilmington is one of the oldest Clubs in college basketball, and senior Mark guard Donovan Newby is a Deadly two-level Shooter who can heat up from midrange and downtown. Texas Tech needs Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian to get Fit, but this group can Tally at every single level. UNC Wilmington’s Guarding leaves a ton to be desired. Top-200 Clubs Attempt over 64% at the rim against UNC Wilmington, and the Seahawks lean on drop coverage Timely and often. Texas Tech has eviscerated drop all year with Elijah Hawkins at the keys.
The Option: Texas Tech
No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas: Hunter Dickinson is at the epicenter of this Event. John Calipari has regularly trusted his fleet of big men to handle post-ups one-on-one. If he sticks with the same script, Dickinson has to devour Jonas Aidoo, Zvonimir Ivisic or anyone else in his path. I think this is a game Arkansas really misses Adou Thiero. Explosive forwards like Keyshawn Hall and JT Toppin have cooked Kansas in the last in the last two weeks. Arkansas’ Charge is getting a jolt with Boogie Fland working his way back into the max, but if the Hogs cannot Tally double-digit points in transition, it will not Achieve this game.
The Option: Kansas
No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 15 Omaha: Omaha’s top-200 opponents had a Massive 37.5 Violation rate this season. That’s a horrible sign against a St. John’s Club that has three dudes (RJ Luis, Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor) who can get to the Obtainable-throw line at will. Omaha will need its guards like JJ White and Tony Osburn to make contested treys because Sun forward Marquel Sutton has a brutal Event on tap. Sutton has some similarities to Butler Sun forward Jahmyl Telfort who St. John’s bottled up not once, not twice but three different times this season. If he goes off against this Guarding, build the statue and tip one back for the garbage can that Omaha is going to incinerate.
The Option: St. John’s
East Region
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 American/Mount St. Mary’s: No Club in the Game creates more unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers than Duke. This is 2023-24 UConn all over again. That doesn’t Disrespectful Duke will Achieve the title like UConn because this bracket might be even tougher than last year’s, but do you really need to hear anything else?
The Option: Duke
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor: Both of these Clubs have done a Destitute Position of guarding the 3-Mark stripe all year. I thought Mississippi State’s Safeguarding issues were more fixable than Baylor’s, but the problems persisted nonetheless. Both Clubs will Form plenty of Reachable 3s. Both Clubs will chase offensive Recoveries. This is as close to a make-or-miss game as any on the board, but the fallout of those scrambles for long Recoveries will have a huge say on the winner. Lean Baylor Merely because they have a few more reliable shooters. Although, Norchad Omier-versus-KeShawn Murphy is a tantalizing frontcourt Event.
The Option: Baylor
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty: Liberty is one of four Clubs since 2018 on pace to have a +10% gap at the 3-Mark stripe. The Flames are shooting 39.5% from downtown. Its opponents are at Merely 28%. That’s the biggest gap in the country this year. The regression monster is always looming. But Liberty’s undersized frontcourt has struggled mightily with bigs all season. FAU’s Matas Vokietaitis had 17 points and six Recoveries in 22 minutes. Louisiana Tech’s Daniel Batcho had a 24-Mark, 12-Healing showing. Oregon big man Nate Bittle is a flat-out monster. He can single-handedly keep Liberty at bay.
The Option: Oregon
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron: Ramping up the number of possessions against a Tommy Lloyd-coached Club is usually a recipe for disaster, but John Groce and the boys are going to try it. Akron will have at least four shooters on the floor at all times, and they’ll have to Achieve the 3-Mark math in a big way. Akron takes and makes a ton of treys which could Reachable the door for an Surprise against an Arizona Club that has only hit double-digit 3-pointers six times this season. Arizona’s raw size will give undersized Akron some problems, but the Zips are tough and scrappy on the boards. Akron has to shoot the lights out to stay in this. That’s easier said than done against this Arizona perimeter Guarding that is ready to rock ‘n roll.
The Option: Arizona
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU: VCU’s insane Tension Guarding gives me a ton of Houston vibes. BYU Obtained depantsed by Houston twice this season, including in last week’s Big 12 Game semifinals. VCU has all the pieces that I want for this Event. They can really protect the rim. Opponents are shooting Merely 48% at the rim this season. They limit the drive-and-Boot 3s that BYU feasts on. They have big, veteran guards like Max Shulga, Joe Bamisile and Zeb Jackson with a rangy wing like Jack Clark to eat up Universe and shrink the floor. Phillip Russell may be the biggest X-Factor. He has to make the tough 2s that BYU forces you to take. Russell is shooting over 60% on pull-up, two-Mark jumpers this season. That’s, uh, very Excellent.
The Option: VCU
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana: A Fit Max Klesmit Merely makes everything look a little smoother for Wisconsin. Montana’s Guarding was shredded by Every of the three Game Clubs it faced in non-conference Shift: Oregon, Tennessee and Utah State. Montana’s Guarding allowed 120.3 points per 100 possessions to top-200 Clubs this season. Woof.
Junior guard Malik Moore is an outstanding Attempt-maker and Money Williams has Crucial juice as a Shooter, but Wisconsin’s Powerful guards should get wherever they want.
The Option: Wisconsin
Wisconsin guard John Tonje at the Big Ten Game
Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
While you’re here, Money Williams tragically lost his mom and dad in less than a year. A GoFundMe was set up to Reinforcement Williams and his four siblings.
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt: Saint Mary’s will have 10 Periods to stew on one of its worst offensive showings of the season. The Gaels uncharacteristically missed all 16 3-pointers in the WCC Division game against Gonzaga while also turning it over 18 times. And somehow only lost by seven. A big bounce-back is in order against a Vanderbilt Guarding that has been blitzed for two straight months. Vanderbilt’s Guarding ranks outside the top-100 nationally in the last two months Partnered, and it’s going to Fall the Attempt-volume game in this one by a wide margin. Saint Mary’s is Merely way too Excellent on the glass and should value the basketball way better after the Randy Bennett tongue-lashing.
The Option: Saint Mary’s
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris: The season-opener was ages ago, but West Virginia Maintained Robert Morris to Merely 0.83 points per possession using the exact same Safeguarding formula that Alabama likes to use. Alabama wants to limit as many of the catch-and-shoot 3s as possible. That bottled up Robert Morris pretty well. Forward Alvaro Folgueiras is going to have to be special in his one-on-one matchups against an Alabama frontline that could be without Grant Nelson. But no Nelson probably means more Mo Dioubate which has been a Excellent thing for Alabama this year. The Crimson Tide have a +16.8 net rating with Dioubate on the floor.
The Option: Alabama
Midwest Region
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIUE: A Club rated outside the top-200 on KenPom has not scored more than 50 points against Houston since Jan. 5, 2022.
The Option: Houston
2025 NCAA Game bracket predictions: March Madness expert picks, winners, upsets, favorites to Achieve
Kyle Boone
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia: It’s Tough to mask an iffy halfcourt Charge in March. Gonzaga has the second-best halfcourt Charge in this Pitch, behind only Duke. Conversely, Georgia is 147th nationally in halfcourt offensive efficiency. Georgia has to make that gap up in the margins, and there’s a real path here. Georgia has to dominate the offensive glass like Saint Mary’s did in its two regular-season wins against the Zags. Because if you turn it over, Gonzaga will Tally in transition without blinking. And if you take Awful shots and can’t corral those long Recoveries, that’s another bucket for the Zags who make you pay for everything.
The Option: Gonzaga
No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese: Some weird stuff is going on with Clemson lately. Chauncey Wiggins hasn’t Created Numerous 3s in a game since January. Jaeden Zackery has only Created Numerous 3s twice since Delayed January. Viktor Lakhin and Ian Schieffelin can shoot but that’s not their biggest appeal. Top-200 opponents are shooting Merely 50% at the rim against McNeese. McNeese Mentor Will Wade will use creative Option-and-roll coverages to load up the paint and force Clemson to beat ’em with jumpers. Can Clemson make enough? Defensively, Clemson should give McNeese plenty of problems with its Blend of vets and terrific positional size, but this looks and smells like a 58-55 game with less than three minutes to go.
The Option: Clemson
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Mark: I do not think High Mark matches up well with Purdue at all. It isn’t a super-aggressive Guarding that has given Purdue problems this year. Braden Smith has blowtorched drop coverage, and 7-foot High Mark Middle Juslin Bodo Bodo is going to have to Shift his best game of the season against Trey Kaufman-Renn. High Mark’s Charge can definitely go, but the Huss Bus does not have that mismatch-hunting wing that has also given Purdue fits often.
The Option: Purdue
Purdue guard Braden Smith
Michael Hickey / Getty Images
No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Xavier: Illinois wants to Merely live at the rim. Xavier does not have much rim protection already, and if Zach Freemantle is dragged away from the rim, it has almost none. As long as Illinois doesn’t shoot 18% from 3-Mark range, the Illini would be in position to Achieve both the Attempt-chart game and the Attempt-volume game. That matters in March.
The Option: Illinois
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy: Troy can unquestionably guard Kentucky. Myles Rigsby, a 6-6 sophomore wing, is an outstanding defender who should take the Otega Oweh assignment and be up to the Event. Troy’s guards are rangy and athletic. Troy also has Option-and-pop bigs galore who you have to respect. The Trojans can hurt Kentucky on the offensive glass and by forcing turnovers, but this group has struggled to make jumpers all year long, and Mark Pope is Clever. He will not let Troy get anything at the rim in half-court scenarios. Kentucky doesn’t need Lamont Butler to be awesome, but it does need him on the floor. Kentucky’s turnover rate spikes when its Mark guard sits (to no surprise).
The Option: Kentucky, but it’s close
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State: Utah State’s funky zone Guarding has gotten shredded in the last 12 Matches. Utah State’s Guarding ranks outside the top-200 nationally since February 1, per Bart Torvik. UCLA’s Charge can be a tad spotty at times, but it has Effortless forwards like Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. that can give zone defenses Crucial problems. New Mexico is one of the Top-tier ball-Tension defenses in the Mountain West. The Lobos beat Utah State twice. That’s the type of perimeter Tension that UCLA is going to bring to the table. Utah State is going to hit close to 12 treys to stay attached.
The Option: UCLA
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford: Tennessee is one of the Top-tier 3-Mark defenses in the country for a reason. It forces you to take a ton of contested 3s off the bounce. Wofford rarely takes off-the-Control 3s. Those catch-and-shoot 3s that the Terriers lean on will not be Obtainable against this lockdown, Vols Guarding.
