UNITED STATES—On Sunday, March 16, the craziness of March Madness officially kicked off with the Selection Committee of the NCAA picking the 68 teams that will be going to the big dance that will unfold over the next 3 weeks. Who would make the cut and who would not make the cut? That is the question that always unfolds each and every year.
No different in 2025, as a team like Indiana fails to make the cut, but a team like the UNC does make the cut. West Virginia which many expected to get a chance to the big dance didn’t. Other schools missing the cut included Ohio State and Boise State.
With that said, things kick off on Tuesday with the play in games between Alabama State and Saint Francis; American and Mount St. Mary’s; Texas and Xavier; San Diego State and North Carolina. None of those teams really stand out for me, so if they’re going up against the #1 overall seeds in the South, Midwest, West and East Region, I don’t see them making a dent in the tournament, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. The four #1 seeds are Auburn, Duke, the Houston Cougars and the Florida Gators. I do indeed love Florida and Duke, with a record as impressive as theirs they will indeed be a titan for anyone who goes up against them.
In the South region we have a ton of interesting matchups. We have #8 seeded Louisville duking it out against the #9 Crieghton Blue Jays. That is going to be a battle, and those eighth and ninth seeded games always tend to be because the teams are evenly aligned. #13 Yale may have won their division, but they are playing against #4 seeded Texas A&M. Yale might seem like the underdog, but people shouldn’t make that mistake.
The headscratcher is the ranking of Michigan which just caused all sorts of uproar after winning the Big Ten Championship game on Sunday and finding themselves as a #5 rank, as they battle the UC San Diego Tritans. Yes, just because you win your division the NCAA isn’t looking at that as being an automatic high-ranking seed. You get an automatic bid to the tourney, but no guarantee on success.
My Michigan State Spartans, who were bounced in a heartbreaker against Wisconsin, but the Spartans are a #2 seed and the team started the season very slow, but they have managed to prove to be a goliath and I truly hope this is the Spartans year to take it all. If not, I need to at least see them make it to the Final Four. There is even a chance that the Spartans could face off against their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite 8, and wouldn’t that be tons of fun. Other matchups include: #6 seeded Ole Miss vs. the winner of the San Diego St. and North Carolina game, #3 seeded Iowa S vs #14 Lipscomb and #7 Marquette vs. #10 New Mexico.
Let’s talk about the East Region. #1 seeded Duke is going to be difficult to dismantle people. I’m looking at this region and if there are any upsets it could be #5 seeded Oregon, #11 seeded VCU or #2 seeded Alabama that takes them out. VCU is the one to truly watch out for; they are dangerous and while many are thinking #6 seeded BYU will come out on top, I don’t think so. I just don’t see it. #12 seeded Liberty could give the Ducks a challenge, but I expect Oregon to soar if we’re being honest. #3 seeded Wisconsin’s performance in the Big Ten Championship game was a disappointment, but then again they may have just been exhausted. I expect them to take care of biz with #14 Montana Grizzlies.
We do have the matchups between #4 seeded Arizona and #13 Akron, while #8 seeded Mississippi St battles #9 Baylor. We also have #7 seeded Saint Mary’s vs #10 Vanderbilt, while Alabama should have a cakewalk against Robert Morris. I will admit the East Region is the one that I haven’t made a decision on precisely who makes it out of that region because there can be a ton of upsets literally.
Let’s turn our attention to the Midwest Region, where there aren’t a ton of standouts for me, but some possible upsets could be on the horizon. I definitely see Houston going all the way to the Elite 8. Who could upset them, perhaps Clemson who is #5 or the #13 High Point Panthers that has a lot of people on their side. High Point could be the Cinderella Team of March Madness. I feel like the battle between #8 Gonzaga vs #9 Georgia should be more exciting, but I don’t care. Clemson should have a cakewalk over #12 McNeese, but I think that could be a better battle than you think. Purdue might be a #4, but I think High Point is taking them out. I see #7 UCLA making it past the first round, but I think #2 seeded Tennessee is going to be a beast. I see Tennessee and Houston making the elite 8, where I want to give an edge to Tennessee, I just feel like the Vaults can pull it out.
Let’s wrap things up with the West Region. Yes, UConn were back-to-back NCAA Champions. I don’t see it happening for a three-peat in 2025. We have the #1 Florida Gators who should have an easy battle with #16 Norfolk St. Yes, I see UConn which is a #8 seed taking care of business against #9 Oklahoma. The team to watch is #4 Maryland. I truly think they could be a challenge for Florida and very dangerous in this bracket. They might be the big upset no one expects.
You have Rick Patino and St. John’s earning a #2 seed and they will face off against Omaha, and guess what Patino is indeed a legend and his ability to succeed with various teams in the NCAA Tournament says a lot, but I think Maryland is the biggest threat in this region. Yeah, you have #6 Missouri vs #11 Drake, #3 Texas Tech vs. #14 UCNW, #7 Kansas vs. #10 Arkansas, but none of those teams pop for me, but that doesn’t mean I could be surprised.
So in the South, I like Michigan State to go to the Final Four. In the Midwest I’m placing my money on Tennessee. In the East, I have to give it to Duke and in the West I am going with Maryland. I see Michigan State and Maryland duking it out, while Duke and Tennessee battle. In the end, I’m calling a Michigan State and Duke Championship game, and I like the Spartans. Yes, Duke has been a thorn in the Spartans life for quite some time and I expect it to be a battle of battles. Let the madness begin!
Written By Davy Jones
