On March 16 at 6 p.m., the bracket for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament was announced. The top four seeds were Duke University (Duke), the University of Arizona (Arizona), the University of Michigan (Michigan) and the University of Florida (Florida). Only two of these won their conference championships.
During the program, it was also announced that the last four making it into the tournament were Miami University, Ohio, (Miami), the University of Texas (Texas), North Carolina State University (NC State) and Southern Methodist University (SMU). Some fan favorites, like Auburn University and Oklahoma University, were a part of the first four teams left out of the tournament.
Despite controversy with SMU being the last to make the tournament, the deciding factor was “quality of wins and them [SMU] getting back to full strength,” committee chair Keith Gill stated in an interview.
Out of all the conferences, the Big 10 Conference (Big 10) has the most teams in tournament with nine. The Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big 12 Conference (Big 12) all have eight teams. The Big East Conference (Big East) and West Coast Conference have three teams, and the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Mid-American Conference (MAC) each have two. This year, there are more teams from different conferences, making the odds of winning bigger for anyone to win.
East Region:
After winning the ACC tournament, Duke will put on a tough performance for opponents to beat. However, Caleb Foster, a guard for Duke, has been declared out for the rest of the season on a fractured foot. With Foster missing on the court the team will definitely take a hit. Duke plays the first round against Siena University, Thursday, March 19 at 2:50 p.m.
University of Louisville’s (UofL) Pat Kelsey is looking for his first NCAA tournament win as they face the University of South Florida (South Florida) at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. Mikel Brown Jr. may not be up to play in the first round against South Florida given his lower back injury that has persisted all season.
St. John’s University is a team to keep an eye out for in the tournament. St. John’s is coming into the NCAA tournament with a 28-6 record and won the Big East tournament this past weekend by beating the University of Connecticut (UCONN) by 20 points. St. John’s first round match is against Northern Iowa on Friday, March 20 at 7:10 p.m.
UCONN went 29-5 this season with two of their losses coming from St. John’s. The team is a top 10 team nationally and spent the whole season in the top six of the AP-Poll. UCONN plays 15 Furman first round Friday, March 20 at 10:00 p.m.
South Region:
Florida, former national champions are trying to maintain their title. Even after losing in the semi-finals of the SEC tournament to Vanderbilt University (Vandy), Florida is not a team to be reckoned with. Florida is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in rebounding, and they have a top 10 offense that is fast paced. Florida’s first round game is Friday, March 20 at 9:25 p.m.
Seed 2 University of Houston and runner-up of the 2025 NCAA tournament are back to try and get to the finals again, but this time hope to end up on top. They had a record of 28-6 and finished second in the Big 12 tournament. They are known for their elite defensive skills and being a very physical opponent that rattles teams. Houston plays their first-round game on Thursday, March 19, at 10:10 p.m.
Vandy is an underdog team to most people. After defeating Florida in the semi-finals, everyone saw Vandy as a new team. Though they fell to the University of Arkansas in the SEC finals, they remain a strong team with a 26-8 record. Vandy is known for some highly efficient shooters, shooting 52.4% of the field goals against Florida. They are very good defensive team who keeps teams overall scores low. One can catch Vandy in action on Thursday, March 19 at 3:15 p.m.
The University of Nebraska is coming into this tournament, having never won a NCAA tournament game. Even though they have been a dominant team in the Big 10 all year, the first-round game will definitely have a lot of pressure surrounding them. The team finished with a 26-6 record, beating Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin (Wisconsin). Their first-round game is against Troy University, Thursday, March 19 at 12:10 p.m.
Midwest Region:
Michigan is entering the tournament with a 31-3 record. However, on Sunday, March 15 they lost the Big 10 championship game to Purdue University. They had a very dominant regular season, winning all their away games. However, injuries to Yaxel Lendeborg and L.J. Cason, will leave the team vulnerable in the tournament. Michigan plays in the first round against the winner of University of Maryland, Baltimore County vs. Howard University.
The University of Kentucky (Kentucky) plays Santa Clara University (Santa Clara) on Friday, March 20 at 12:15 p.m. Kentucky is a slight favorite to win, however they might struggle against Santa Clara’s length, as they have struggled all year against other lengthy and physical teams.
With a 27-7 record, Iowa State University (Iowa State) have a dangerous offense that can break down any team’s defense. Even with the rough patch they experienced in the middle of their season, they were able to solve it and finish the season strong. Iowa State play in the first round against Tennessee State University on Friday, March 20 at 2:50 p.m.
A team many people did not know whether or not would make the NCAA tournament is the Miami, Ohio. After going 32-0 in the regular season, they fell to University of Massachusetts in the MAC quarterfinals. However, their record-breaking season allowed them to get the first of the last four spots in the tournament. This means they play a round Wednesday, March 18 at 9:00 p.m. against Southern Methodist University (SMU). If they win, they play the first round Friday, March 20 at 4:15 p.m. against the University of Tennessee.
The University of Virginia have had a successful season with a 29-5 record and were runners up in the ACC tournament losing to Duke by only four points. This is a team no one should underestimate. This season they have wins over UofL, the University of North Carolina and the University of Miami (UMiami), Fla. Virginia plays in the first round on Friday, March 20 at 1:50 p.m. against Wright State University.
West Region:
The University of Arizona is the favorite to win the tournament. They hold a 32-2 record, with losses against Kansas and Texas, losing each by three points. Arizona is led by Jaden Bradley, a 6’3 guard, who was the Big 12 player of the year and Koa Beat, a 6′ 8 forward. Arizona plays Long Island University on Friday, March 20 at 1:35 p.m.
Brigham Young University (BYU) is a team not to overlook in this tournament. BYU’s, 6 ‘9 Freshman A.J. Dybantsa is the NCAA leading scorer, with 25.3 points per game. BYU accumulated a record of 23-11, with wins over Iowa State, Wisconsin and UMiami. BYU will be a tough contender from the Big 12 conference and plays the winner of NC State vs. Texas on Thursday, March 19 at 7:25 p.m.
The University of Arkansas (Arkansas) is going into the NCAA tournament with a 23-8 record. Arkansas has just won the SEC tournament and has one of the top offenses in the country. Leading Arkansas’s offense is SEC Player of the Year and SEC Tournament MVP Darius Acuff Jr. Arkansas plays Hawaii in the first round on Thursday, March 19 at 4:25 p.m.
Purdue University became a two seed after winning the Big 10 conference tournament against Michigan. They were originally a three seed and an 11 overall, but winning the conference championship gave them a two seed. Point guard Braden Smith was the Big 10 tournament Most Valuable Player, setting a record of 46 assists throughout the tournament and only 1 assist away from tying the NCAA assist career record. Purdue plays the first round against Queens University of Charlotte on Friday, March 20 at 7:35 p.m.
The tournament officially starts Tuesday, March 17 when the last four teams are in, with the first round starting on Thursday, March 19 at noon.
