The madness is finally here. Each year the NCAA Tournament brings joy, heartbreak, unforgettable moments and so much more, and it’s finally time for this year’s tournament to get underway.
We’re just a day away from the Round of 64 tipping off, meaning that it's the perfect time to preview all the action. From the one seeds to potential Cinderellas, from controversial selections to odds-on favorites, and from the First Four to the Final Four, this tournament is poised to have it all.
There’s a plethora of great games in the Round of 64, as there are both highly contested 8/9 and 7/10 games, but the 5/12 and 6/11 matchups are always ones to circle on your bracket, and it’s no different this year.
At the top of the bracket, this year’s combination of one, two and three seeds are an extremely elite group of teams, meaning that there are a ton of tournament favorites, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be upsets.
Whether it’s mid-majors or lower-seeded power conference squads, this bracket has a ton of teams that could make some noise from a six seed and beyond, and that’s what March Madness is all about. You can view a full live bracket here, courtesy of the NCAA, which will update throughout the tournament.
So, without further ado, here’s a preview of what to expect from this year’s NCAA Tournament:
ROUND OF 64 SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 20 (First Round/Round of 64)
(8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton, 12:15 p.m. | CBS
(4) Purdue vs. (13) High Point, 12:40 p.m. | truTV
(3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Montana, 1:30 p.m. | TNT
(1) Houston vs. (16) SIU Edwardsville, 2 p.m. | TBS
(1) Auburn vs. (16) Saint Francis/Alabama St., 2:50 p.m. | CBS
(5) Clemson vs. (12) McNeese, 3:15 p.m. | truTV
(6) BYU vs. (11) VCU, 4:05 p.m. | TNT
(8) Gonzaga vs. (9) Georgia, 4:35 p.m. | TBS
(2) Tennessee vs. (15) Wofford, 6:50 p.m. | TNT
(7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. | CBS
(4) Texas A&M vs. (13) Yale, 7:25 p.m. | TBS
(6) Missouri vs. (11) Drake, 7:35 p.m. | truTV
(7) UCLA vs. (10) Utah State, 9:25 p.m. | TNT
(2) St. John's vs. (15) Omaha, 9:45 p.m. | CBS
(5) Michigan vs. (12) UC San Diego, 10 p.m. | TBS
(3) Texas Tech vs. (14) UNC Wilmington, 10:10 p.m. | truTV
Friday, March 21 (First Round/Round of 64)
(8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Baylor, 12:15 p.m. | CBS
(2) Alabama vs. (15) Robert Morris, 12:40 p.m. | truTV
(3) Iowa State vs. (14) Lipscomb, 1:30 p.m. | TNT
(5) Memphis vs. (12) Colorado State, 2 p.m. | TBS
(1) Duke vs. (16) Mount St. Mary's/American, 2:50 p.m. | CBS
(7) Saint Mary's vs. (10) Vanderbilt, 3:15 p.m. | truTV
(6) Ole Miss vs. (11) North Carolina/San Diego State, 4:05 p.m. | TNT
(4) Maryland vs. (13) Grand Canyon, 4:35 p.m. | TBS
(1) Florida vs. (16) Norfolk State, 6:50 p.m. | TNT
(3) Kentucky vs. (14) Troy, 7:10 p.m. | CBS
(7) Marquette vs. (10) New Mexico, 7:25 p.m. | TBS
(4) Arizona vs. (13) Akron, 7:35 p.m. | truTV
(8) UConn vs. (9) Oklahoma, 9:25 p.m. | TNT
(6) Illinois vs. (11) Xavier/Texas, 9:45 p.m. | TNT
(2) Michigan State vs. (15) Bryant, 10 p.m. | TBS
(5) Oregon vs. (12) Liberty, 10:10 p.m. | truTV
OPENERS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON
South Region: (8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton, Thursday 12:15 p.m. | CBS
My first game of note happens to be the first game of the first round, and for good reason. This matchup features two teams poised to make deep runs, but only one will advance to the Round of 32. Louisville comes in as the higher seeded team, and by most accounts, an underseeded team, making the Cardinals the favorite here. Despite that, Creighton presents a real challenge, especially in the paint with Ryan Kalkbrenner, but Louisville comes in with 21 wins in its last 23 games, which is why many believe the Cards deserved a better seed. But, at the end of the day, Louisville got an 8 seed and will have to battle with the 9th seeded BlueJays, making this first round opener the first game to really keep your eyes on.
East Region: (6) BYU vs. (11) VCU, Thursday 4:05 p.m. | TNT
The next game to watch takes us to a 6/11 game, this one with a lot of intrigue because of how both of these squads have played of late. VCU went 18-3 to finish out the season, including both the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament championships, while BYU closed out its season winning 9-of-10. The Cougars boast an explosive offense with Richie Saunders at the forefront, scoring over 80 points a game as a team. VCU, though, has a very solid defense and allows just 62.4 points per game, making the offense between BYU’s offense and VCU’s defense. With the winner looking to make a lengthy stay in the tournament, this one will be a clash between two different styles of play with a ton on the line.
West Region: (7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas, Thursday 7:10 p.m. | CBS
With Bill Self and John Calipari manning the sidelines in this one, it has all the making of an instant classic. Both squads have disappointed this year, but they both have a chance to pick up a tournament win, as it should be a very evenly matched matchup. Kansas has a ton of experience, as Hunter Dickinson, DaJuan Harris and K.J. Adams will play in their last tournament, but the Jayhawks come in below a top-four seed for the first time since 2000. While Arkansas hasn’t disappointed quite as much as the preseason No. 1 team, a 10-seed surely wasn’t on Coach Cal’s bingo card. The Razorbacks come in as winners in five of their last seven, as the Hogs have an extremely balanced attack that features Jonas Aidoo, Johnell Davis, Adou Thiero, Zvonimir Ivisic and others. With a projected next round matchup against other legendary coach Rick Pitino, watch out for this one later on on Thursday.
West Region: (6) Missouri vs. (11) Drake, Thursday 7:35 p.m. | truTV
In another 6/11 game between contrasting styles, Mizzou will face off against Ben McCollum and his Drake Bulldogs, one of only six 30-win teams entering the tournament. The Tigers enter the contest losing 5-of-7, as they closed out the SEC gauntlet on a bad note, but are still a highly talented team. Mark Mitchell, Galeb Grill and Tamar Bates lead the way for Missouri, while Drake has an exciting team, many of whom came over with McCollum from D-II Northwest Missouri State. Bennett Stirtz leads Drake in scoring in the Bulldogs’ slow-paced offense, as they bring a completely different style than what Mizzou will present, making this matchup a very trendy upset pick, as it should come down to the wire.
West Region: (5) Memphis vs. (12) Colorado State, Friday 2 p.m. | TBS
Yet another game to watch comes out of the west region, as two conference tournament champions will clash, but the No. 12 seed Colorado State is actually the favorite. The Rams had an up-and-down start to the season, but have won ten straight coming into the tournament and are one of, if not the hottest team in the country. Memphis has won 16-of-17 and eight straight, making this one a battle between two of the nation’s longest active win streaks. The Tigers will be without Tyrese Hunter, one of their best scorers who brought a ton of experience with him to Memphis, but P.J. Haggerty, the American Athletic player of the year, has really taken over for Penny Hardaway in a terrific way. Colorado State’s Nique Clifford leads the Rams in points, rebounds and assists, making him an X-factor in order for his team to pull off an “upset” that may not be much of an upset at all.
South Region: (7) Marquette vs. (10) New Mexico, 7:25 p.m. | TBS
Another game featuring a power conference vs. mid-major team is one to keep tabs on, as both squads lost in their conference tournament semifinals, but both had very successful seasons. Marquette started out hot, but as of late have been struggling, losing 5-of-12 to close out the season. Kam Jones has been great all season long, but he’s by far the main scoring threat, meaning that if the Lobos can contain him, they have a great shot to escape with the win. New Mexico features Donovan Dent, who is similar to Jones as the Lobos clear No. 1 scoring option. These two are sure to make this an exciting one, as the Lobos look to pull off the upset, while Marquette looks to win a tournament game for the third straight year.
DOES THE SHOE FIT?
Every NCAA Tournament has its fair share of Cinderellas, and that’s what makes the madness so special. This year should be no different, as there are several teams that have a case to make surprise runs deep into tournament play, so here’s a few squads who might be able to be this year’s team to watch.
South Region: No. 12 UC San Diego Tritons
From the south region, the Tritons of UC San Diego could make a run to the Sweet 16 and beyond. UCSD started out the season 2-2, but finished winning 28 of 30 games, closing out the season at 30-4. The Tritons won both the Big West regular season and tournament titles, doing so with a balanced attack that limited turnovers on offense and forced turnovers on defense. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones leads the charge with 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, while Tyler McGhile is right behind him and averages over 15 PPG as well. UCSD is ranked 36th in KenPom and has top-40 metrics across the board, making it an incredibly dangerous No. 12 seed. The Tritons will open against No. 5 seed Michigan and, should they advance, will play No. 4 Texas A&M or No. 13 Yale. No. 1 overall seed Auburn is projected to be the matchup in the Sweet 16, making a run beyond that a daunting task, but with the numbers surrounding UCSD, look out for the Tritons to make some noise in this tournament.
Midwest Region: No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs
You don’t usually think, at least not recently, of Gonzaga as a Cinderella, but as a No. 8 seed, the Zags aren’t projected to make it past the second round. The Zags have made the Sweet 16 nine straight times, but this year they’ll need to make a surprise run to get there based on their seeding. Gonzaga didn’t win the WCC regular season title for the third straight year, but won the conference tournament championship and finished 25-8, possibly signaling that Mark Few’s team is getting how at the right time. Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard are a dynamic one-two punch that has all the tournament experience you could ask for. Gonzaga has incredible metrics, ranking in both the top-10 in Kenpom and the NET, calling its eight-seed into question, but it makes a deep run entirely possible. The Bulldogs will open with No. 9 Georgia in the Midwest region before its projected matchup with No. 1 Houston. Should the Zags beat the Cougs, I like their odds to make a Cinderella-type run this year.
Midwest Region: No. 12 McNeese Cowboys
Another No. 12 seed with Cinderella potential is McNeese, a team who is a popular upset pick for the second year in a row. The Cowboys have won both the Southland regular season and tournament titles for the second year running, boosting Will Wade’s chance at getting a higher profile job, but it gives this year’s McNeese team the winning experience needed to go on a run. The Cowboys have won 23 of 24 coming into the tournament and have been one of the most dominant teams in the country. They’re led by Alyn Breed with 17,5 points a game, but five Cowboys average double-figures, making them an extremely balanced group. NcNeese ranks 59th in Kenpom and is in the mid-60s in most metrics, giving it a worse profile than UCSD, but still a very talented mid-major squad. Will Wade and co. open up their tournament run against Wade’s alma mater No. 5 Clemson, and then would face No. 4 Purdue or No. 13 High Point in the second round. With all this in mind, McNeese could be a very dangerous team out of the Midwest region.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
While Cinderella teams are always fun, the NCAA Tournament is won year in and year out by a team that was elite all year long. This year, there’s only four squads that fit into that category for me, and those are the four No. 1 seeds, so let’s break down why each may be cutting down the nets in San Antonio.
South Region: No. 1 Auburn Tigers
Auburn was the consensus No. 1 team for the vast majority of the season, which is why it’s the No. 1 overall seed, but the Tigers have lost three of their last four games coming into the tournament. Don’t let that fool you though, as Auburn is still a 28-5 team with an incredibly talented and experienced roster. Johni Broome leads the way as a National Player of the Year candidate and averages 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds a game, while Chad Baker-Mazara scores 12.6 points on average. Miles Kelly, Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones are all significant contributors as well, making the Tigers an extremely deep team, and one that is impressive on both sides of the ball. They’re second in offensive efficiency and 12th in defensive efficiency according to KenPom, fitting the build of a national championship team, but Auburn’s road will be tough. After facing the winner of the 16-seed play-in game between St. Francis (PA) and Alabama State, the Tigers will face either No. 8 Louisville or No. 9 Creighton in what will be an incredibly tough draw. Beyond this, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Iowa State and No. 4 Texas A&M are all in Auburn’s region, so it will be a tough road, but Auburn is more than capable. With its experience and size, coupled with elite coaching from Bruce Pearl, don’t be shocked if the No. 1 team for the majority of the regular season ends up being the No. 1 team in this tournament.
East Region: No. 1 Duke Blue Devils
Just like Auburn, Duke has spent time as the No. 1 team in the country, but the Blue Devils ended up with the No. 2 overall seed when the bracket was released. Unlike the Tigers, Duke is led by two freshmen, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, both of whom are incredibly impactful, but Flagg in particular has made quite the impact on college basketball as a whole. The phenom averages 18.9 points and 7.t rebounds per game and is a National Player of the Year candidate. Unfortunately for him and the Blue Devils, he missed Duke’s ACC Tournament games due to an ankle injury, one that could keep him out for the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This doesn’t mean Duke isn’t a prime contender though, as it won the ACC Tourney without Flagg, and its metrics are off the charts. The Blue Devils rank third in offensive efficiency, fourth in defensive efficiency and first in overall efficiency. With these kinds of numbers, plus their 31-3 overall record, the title is for the taking, but the road is never easy. Duke will face either No. 16 American or No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s in the Round of 64, followed by either No. 8 Mississippi State or No. 9 Baylor in the Round of 32. After this, Duke could have matchups against No. 4 Arizona, No. 5 Oregon, No. 2 Alabama or No. 3 Wisconsin. If Duke can get Flagg back on the court, a sixth national title could be headed the Blue Devils’ way.
Midwest Region: No. 1 Houston Cougars
Another squad poised to make a run to San Antonio is a team who is a No. 1 seed for the third straight season, that being the Houston Cougars. Houston is elite once again and won the Big 12 regular season title for the second time in as many years in the league, but this time around won the tournament championship as well. The Cougs come in winners of 26 of their last 27, with dominance being the norm lately for Kelvin Sampson’s squad. As usual, they are a defensive powerhouse, but this season the offense is much improved, leading some to believe that this may be the year where UH can go all the way. Houston ranks second overall in defensive efficiency per KenPom, ranking 10th in offensive efficiency, which is good for third overall in team efficiency. L.J. Cryer leads the way averaging 15.2 points per game, but Emmanuel Sharp and J’Wan Roberts are also key guys who have done through the tournament as a No. 1 seed before. Any Kelvin Sampson-led team has a chance to do something special in the tournament, but this year’s group has the offensive potential that could really get UH to the promised land. Its road features No. 16 SIU Edwardsville in the Round of 64, either No. 8 Gonzaga or No. 9 Georgia in the Round of 32, making its second round game particularly tough, but if the Cougars can get past that, they have a great shot at making a run. With all the talent and new-found offensive prowess, this could be the year Houston finally cuts down the nets.
West Region: No. 1 Florida Gators
To round out the group of championship contenders, the No. 4 overall seed Florida Gators have as good of a shot as the first three, and come into the tournament on fire. The Gators have won 12 of 13 in the gauntlet of the SEC, finished 30-4 overall and won the conference tournament, giving them all the momentum needed to go on a run to the Final Four, but Florida’s whole body of work points to that as well. UF ranks first in offensive efficiency and ninth in defensive efficiency, giving it the second-best overall efficiency according to KenPom. On the floor, Walter Clayton Jr. has been fantastic and averages 17.5 points a game. Alijiah Martin averages 14.5 and Will Richard puts up 13.6 points a game to round out Todd Golden’s big three. Alex Condon is also a very impactful player who is the primary post player, as Florida can both shoot it and play inside. With this elite group of players, Florida is destined to make a run, though Golden’s lack of tournament wins could point otherwise. If the Gators can break this trend and start off by beating No. 16 Norfolk State and then either No. 8 UConn or No. 9 Oklahoma, look for Florida to make a trip to San Antonio where it could possibly win its third title in the 2000s.
TO WRAP UP
Every NCAA Tournament is special, and this year’s Big Dance has all the makings of one of the best in recent memory. With a ton of lower seeds destined to make runs, plus an elite group of championship contenders, the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament should be one for the books.
I’ll have updates throughout the tournament, as both recaps and previews of the next round will be posted to The Hoosier Network throughout this year’s tournament.
