‘Tis the season of buzzer-beaters, big bets and bracket-busting upsets. On March 16, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee released brackets for their annual March Madness tournaments. With 68 teams participating in the frenzy, here’s what to look out for in the coming weeks:
Men’s Tournament
Biggest Storylines: The men’s bracket created much controversy over last-minute “ins and outs.” University of North Carolina (11-seed) surprisingly secured a spot, becoming the talk of the tournament as many believed Indiana University to be the better candidate. The Hoosiers had big wins against teams like Michigan State University (2-seed) and Purdue University (4-seed), while UNC had many notable losses to Stanford University, University of Pittsburgh and Wake Forest University.
Another complaint of the tournament is that the Southeastern Conference earned 14 spots in the tournament out of their 16 total teams. Many viewers complained that a spot in the SEC basically guaranteed a ticket to the tournament.
Lastly, though they are in the 8-seed, University of Connecticut could go for a 3-peat run, defending their titles from both the 2023 and 2024 tournament.
Upset: Yale University (13-seed) has the biggest chance for an upset in the first round against Texas Tech University (4-seed). The Bulldogs have proven their fight in 2025 with offensive power, landing in the top 20 for both field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. While the Aggies have tough defense, Yale hits the top 25 of the country in both total rebounds and defensive boards, and could force the upset.
Cinderellas: Creighton University (9-seed) has taken the Big East by storm this year with their disciplined defense, only tallying a few fouls in each game. The Bluejays could go far if they keep feeding the ball to 7 ‘1 senior Ryan Kalkbrenner. It’s hard to call Gonzaga University and UConn Cinderellas, but both are 8-seeds with very winnable 1-seed matchups. The Huskies and Bulldogs are always a good bet to place in March, with veteran coaches with tournament experience.
Standout Player: A Red Storm is brewing this March, and R.J. Luis Jr. is at the eye. The St. John’s University junior was the Big East Player of the Year and the Big East tournament’s most outstanding player after taking the Big East Championship title for the Red Storm. Led by Coach Rick Pitino, St. John’s is currently steamrolling the competition behind Luis Jr.’s averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Final Four: St. John’s, Michigan State, Duke University, University of Houston
National Champion: St. John’s
Women’s Tournament
Biggest Storylines: Women’s basketball has gained recognition because of its pioneers, Diana Taurasi and Caitlin Clark, but this season UConn’s Paige Bueckers has kept their legacy going. This is Bueckers’s last chance for an NCAA title, and the question on everyone’s mind is who wants it more: Bueckers or her army of fans?
Another roll-over conversation from last year’s tournament is the Carolina dynasty. Fans of Clark were devastated after University of South Carolina beat University of Iowa to take their third national championship. This year, the Gamecocks are once again at the 1-seed, though their 4-year streak of being the 1-seed overall was broken with University of California Los Angeles taking the lead this year. Though they lost to UCLA twice, and once to UConn by a 29-point deficit, their experience in the tournament makes them the leading team to look out for.
Upset: University of South Florida is the toughest 12-seed out there. If they stay disciplined, and limit University of Tennessee’s scoring opportunities, they have a good chance of upsetting the 5-seed. Though Tennessee has always been a strong program, if South Florida matches up well in the paint, keeps their usual close score and occasionally kicks it out to the 3-point line to stretch the Tennessee defense, they could pull off a first-round win.
Cinderellas: It is historically hard to have a Cinderella for the women’s tournament, considering the majority of teams in the Final Four are within the top three seeds. However, 2025 could be the year that this pattern breaks. Florida State University (6-seed), for example, is a definite contender, with a dangerous offense led by the best offensive scorer, Ta’Niya Latson. The Seminoles are the second-best scoring team in the nation and have excellent defense in the paint.
Standout Players: Anyone that watches women’s college basketball knows these names: Bueckers and Juju Watkins. Bueckers leads the UConn Huskies in her senior season, hungry for her first national championship. Not only is she a 3-point machine, but Bueckers has the confidence and leadership qualities both on and off the court that could make for a National Champion. University of Southern California Big Ten Player of the Year, sophomore Juju Watkins, is also a standout this season, averaging 24.6 points per game, the highest in the league, and is currently on pace to beat Clark’s all-time scoring record set last year. Finally, Hannah Hidalgo leads the 3-seed Notre Dame University, and is dangerous defensively. Though the Fighting Irish took a tumble earlier in the season, if they can get back to the lockdown defense they put up back in December and January, this team will be tough to beat.
Final Four: UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, Notre Dame
National Champion: UConn