Get to know the men's basketball teams headed to Milwaukee for March Madness
The 2025 NCAA tournament features first- and second-round games at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee this year, with contests taking place Friday and Sunday. Here's a bit about each of the teams who will be on hand, including four teams (North Carolina, San Diego State, Xavier and Texas) that must meet in Dayton for "First Four" games before reaching Milwaukee.
IOWA STATE
- Seed: 3
- Record: 24-9
- Conference: Big 12
- Mascot: Cyclones
- Coach: TJ Otzelberger (fourth year)
- Leading scorer: Curtis Jones, 17.1 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Joshua Jefferson, 7.4 rpg
Otzelberger, a graduate of St. Thomas More High School in Milwaukee, has built a formidable program in the Cyclones, who are no stranger to playing NCAA tournament games in Milwaukee. In 2022, Iowa State upset Wisconsin in the second round at Fiserv Forum, and Racine St. Catherine's alumnus Tyrese Hunter helped his team upset LSU in the first round.
Hunter is gone, but there are plenty of Wisconsin connections, including Pewaukee alumnus Milan Momcilovic, who averages 11.4 points per game this year, though he missed a chunk of the season with a hand injury. The 6-foot-8 sophomore has NBA upside, shooting better than 40% from 3-point range. He's also reached double figures in eight of his last nine games.
But he's one of five Cyclones in double-digit scoring, joining Jones, Keshon Gilbert (13.4), Jefferson (13.0) and Tamin Lipsey (10.8). The team's leading scorer Jones (the Big 12 sixth man of the year) has come off the bench in 22 of his 30 games this season but still earned first-team all-conference.
The coaching staff features former Dominican High School (Whitefish Bay) star J.R. Blount as a top assistant, and former Milwaukee Vincent and Iowa State standout Diante Garrett as an assistant, as well
SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?
LIPSCOMB
- Seed: 14
- Record: 25-9
- Conference: Atlantic Sun
- Mascot: Bisons
- Coach: Lennie Acuff (sixth season)
- Leading scorer: Jacob Ognacevic, 20.1 ppg
- Leading rebound: Ognacevic, 8.1 rpg
There's a lot of Wisconsin ties coming to Milwaukee from this school in Nashville, starting with the Atlantic Sun player of the year: Sheboygan Lutheran graduate Ognacevic. Hailing from the same school as Sam Dekker, it would be something if Ognacevic made waves in the NCAA tournament 10 years after Dekker and the 2015 Badgers reached the national championship game.
Ognacevic adds 1.4 assists per game, as well, a magnificent year after he missed all of last season with injury. Big man Grant Asman, a reserve, hails from Kimberly, and reserve guard Ross Candelino redshirted with the Wisconsin program last year.
Lipscomb is a team that'll take a lot of 3-pointers and also happens to be among the best shooting teams in the country, especially at the free-throw line, part of what helps the program score nearly 80 points per game. It heads into the tournament winner of 11 of 12.
Yes, by the way, their mascot is Bisons with an "s" on the end.
OLE MISS
- Seed: 6
- Record: 22-11
- Conference: Southeastern
- Mascot: Rebels
- Coach: Chris Beard (second season)
- Leading scorer: Sean Pedulla, 14.9 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Malik Dia, 5.7 rpg
Ole Miss appeared in the national rankings for the vast majority of the season, hovering between 16-25, but the Rebels fell on hard times late in the year, losing five of the last eight. In fairness, that stretch included losses to Auburn twice (ranked No. 1 and No. 3 at the time) as well as Florida (No. 5), plus a win over No. 4 Tennessee. This is the magic of the SEC this year; a team with a 10-8 record in conference is still a no-doubt tournament qualifier, marking the first trip for the program since 2019.
This is a team with wins over Louisville, Alabama, Kentucky and Gonzaga, with only one loss outside Quad 1 (a home loss to a ranked Mississippi State team). Pedulla runs the show, leading the team in assists (3.6 per game) in addition to his scoring total, all while easily leading the team with 32.8 minutes per game.
Beard coached Texas in Milwaukee the last time Fiserv Forum hosted NCAA games in 2022.
NORTH CAROLINA
- Seed: 11
- Record: 22-13
- Conference: Atlantic Coast
- Mascot: Tar Heels
- Coach: Hubert Davis (fourth season)
- Leading scorer: RJ Davis, 17.0 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Ven Allen-Lubin, 5.6 rpg
What a wild journey it has been for Hubert Davis since taking over for legendary coach Roy Williams. In his first season, his team shocked Duke in the Final Four and lost narrowly to Kansas in the title game. In Year 2, the Tar Heels were ranked No. 1 in the nation at one point and missed the tournament. In Year 3, it was a regular-season title in the ACC and a trip to the Sweet 16. In Year 4, it's a sweat-it-out bubble case.
But they're here, narrowly, led by returning All-American R.J. Davis, who bumped down to second-team all-conference in the ACC after winning the league's player of the year honor last year. Scoring more than 80 points per game, North Carolina also gets big contributions from Ian Jackson (12.4 ppg) and Seth Trimble (11.6), a native of Menomonee Falls whose older brother J.P. Tokoto played in the NCAA tournament with North Carolina and faced the Badgers in the Sweet 16 in 2014.
Trimble also brings in a ton of rebounds (5.1) for a 6-3 guard. The junior initially indicated he was heading into the transfer portal before the season but then returned to Chapel Hill, and he's seen a massive bump in minutes from 17.1 last year to 28.8 this season.
UNC has gone 1-8 against ranked teams this year, with a 76-74 win over UCLA in December as the lone outlier. UNC must beat San Diego State in Dayton in a "First Four" game to reach Milwaukee.
SAN DIEGO STATE
- Seed: 11
- Record: 21-9
- Conference: Mountain West
- Mascot: Aztecs
- Coach: Brian Dutcher (eighth season)
- Leading scorer: Nick Boyd, 13.4 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Magoon Gwath, 5.2 rpg
By the skin of its teeth, San Diego State reached the NCAA tournament for fifth straight season and sixth time in the eight seasons under coach Brian Dutcher, who led the program to the national title game two years ago and back to the Sweet 16 last year. This year's team helped itself with early wins against Creighton and especially Houston, a 73-70 overtime victory over one of the best programs in the field. But a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West, including a first-round conference tournament exit at the hands of Boise State, had the Aztecs squarely on the bubble.
The 7-0 sophomore Gwath is certainly a presence to know, with 2.6 blocks per game among the top five in the nation. He won the Mountain West's defensive player of the year nod, as well as the league's rookie of the year, with 8.5 points per game accompanying his 5.2 boards. He's a pretty big reason why the Aztecs rank top-five nationally in opponent field-goal percentage.
Boyd, oddly enough, was on the Florida Atlantic team that faced San Diego State in the Final Four two years ago, tasked with defending Lamont Butler in the final moments when Butler rose up for the buzzer beater to send the Aztecs to the championship game. Two years later, Boyd now leads the team in scoring and adds 4.0 assists per game.
San Diego State and North Carolina will meet in Dayton in a "First Four" game before getting to Milwaukee.
KENTUCKY
- Seed: 3
- Record: 22-11
- Conference: Southeastern
- Mascot: Wildcats
- Coach: Mark Pope (first year)
- Leading scorer: Otega Oweh, 16.2 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Amari Williams, 8.5 rpg
John Calipari's departure didn't signal that steep of a decline for the Wildcats, who don't rely on the bonus-baby freshmen this time around and instead lean on a lineup filled with senior newcomers to forge one of the nation's three best offensive attacks.
That includes a bevy of double-digit scorers, including Jaxson Robinson (13.0 ppg), Lamont Butler (11.5), Koby Brea (11.5), Williams (11.0) and Andrew Carr (10.5). But there's a catch; Robinson is out for the season with a wrist injury and Kerr Kriisa, another anticipated contributor, is also done for the year after foot surgery. Butler didn't play in the Wildcats' last tournament game, and leading scorer Oweh left that game to get stitches.
But the Wildcats still finished the regular season strong, going 7-4 to close the year with three of those losses against the No. 1 team in the country (Auburn) and No. 4 and 5 (Alabama), plus a win at No. 15 Missouri. UK twice defeated top-10 finisher Tennessee and logged wins over No. 6 Florida, No. 6 Duke, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 14 Mississippi State and No. 7 Gonzaga.
The Wildcats also have some puzzling losses, namely to the likes of Clemson, Georgia, Vanderbilt and against old coach Calipari and Arkansas. Still, as a team that scores 85.8 points per game, they're bound to turn an NCAA game into a track meet.
TROY
Seed: 14Record: 23-10Conference: Sun BeltMascot: TrojansCoach: Scott Cross (sixth season)Leading scorer: Tayton Conerway, 14.3 ppgLeading rebounder: Thomas Dowd, 6.8 rpg
The Trojans have been a consistent 20-game winner over the past four seasons but never broke through in the league tournament until this season, with a trio of convincing wins en route to the Sun Belt championship. Located in Alabama, the school shared the conference regular-season crown with three other teams but got hot late in the season and prevailed in the big games to reach the tournament for the first time since 2017. The squad played Arkansas, Houston and Oregon in the preseason but didn't land any victories against the bigger schools.
The 6-3 senior Conerway, the Sun Belt player of the year, is one of the three best players in the nation at racking up steals, with 2.94 per game. As a team, Troy is one of the 15 best in Division I with 9.4 thefts per contest. This is the same conference that produced James Madison, which upset Wisconsin in the first round of last year's tournament.
ILLINOIS
- Seed: 6
- Record: 21-12
- Conference: Big Ten
- Mascot: Fighting Illini
- Coach: Brad Underwood (eighth season)
- Leading scorer: Kasparas Jakucionis, 15.0 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Tomislav Ivisic, 7.7 rpg
Illinois has quietly been one of the more reliable Big Ten programs in the NCAA tournament in recent years, making each of the past four tournaments (and it would have been five straight were it not for COVID-19), with a 4-3 record in those tournaments. After a run to last year's regional final, this year's team retooled quickly, backed by a 7-1 freshman center from Montenegro (Ivisic) and a 6-6 freshman guard from Lithuania who played his high school ball in Spain (Jakucionis).
Jakucionis will be one of the biggest names in the forthcoming NBA draft, possibly a top-three pick. He's a 33% shooter from deep who also hands out 4.6 assists per game, helping Illinois operate with one of the highest-scoring offenses in NCAA Division I (83.8 points per game). The Illini also have former Milwaukee Washington standout Tre White, who scores 10.7 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, though he's in his third power-conference program in as many years after stops at USC and Louisville.
The Illini finished strong with wins over Michigan and Purdue to close down the year, but they've also experienced some deeply lopsided losses, including to Wisconsin and Duke late in the season. The Illini also fell to Maryland in the Big Ten tournament, 88-65.
XAVIER
- Seed: 11
- Record: 21-11
- Conference: Big East
- Mascot: Musketeers
- Coach: Sean Miller (third season)
- Leading scorer: Zach Freemantle, 17.4 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Freemantle, 7.1 rpg
As Marquette saw first-hand in the Big East tournament, the 6-9 veteran Freemantle may have the stats, but Ryan Conwell (16.2 ppg, 2.5 apg) is just as much a force on the offensive end. He's played for South Florida and Indiana State and started 91 career games, with a career 3-point percentage of 39% (and 41% this year). In general, this is a team that will get hot from deep, with a 38.5% mark as a team ranking among the top 20 schools in the nation. Dante Maddox (41%), Marcus Foster (39%) and especially Conwell will all take ample shots from deep.
The Musketeers got white-hot late in the season, winning seven straight and eight of nine heading into that loss against Marquette, a game Xavier led by double digits in the second half. But their late-season success hasn't come against any elite teams in the Big East, with only Creighton figuring into the tournament picture.
Xavier will face Texas in the "First Four" in Dayton and will have to win to reach the Milwaukee games.
TEXAS
- Seed: 11
- Record: 19-15
- Conference: Southeastern
- Mascot: Longhorns
- Coach: Rodney Terry (third season)
- Leading scorer: Tre Johnson, 19.8 ppg
- Leading rebounder: Arthur Kaluma, 7.6 rpg
It's now three NCAA tournaments in three seasons for Terry, who leads a program that Chris Beard took to Milwaukee in the 2022 NCAA tournament. This year's team starts with Tre Johnson, the SEC freshman of the year who's averaging nearly 20 points per game. The 6-6 guard is a likely NBA draft lottery pick, shooting 39% from 3-point range and also handing out 2.8 assists per game. There's some variance here; he did, after all, go 0 for 14 from the field in a loss to Oklahoma to close the regular season.
Wins in the SEC tournament have helped to propel Texas into the tournament, including a double-overtime triumph over Texas A&M. You need no other indication of just how strong this conference is than seeing a team that finished 13th, at 6-12 in league play, making the field. Not only that, but the Longhorns didn't beat any ranked teams outside of conference, playing only one team (No. 25 UConn) that fit the bill.
Former Creighton and Kansas State player Kaluma is next on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game, followed by Oregon State transfer Jordan Pope and Arkansas transfer Tramon Mark. It's an entire new lineup of top-four scorers, with last year's big four gone.
Texas was among the last teams into the tournament and will have to beat Xavier in Dayton to reach Milwaukee.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These are the teams coming to Milwaukee for the NCAA tournament
Topics
-
Where are the local DMV teams heading in March Madness?
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) – As usual, the local college basketball teams in the DMV are well represented in March Madness. Here’s a look at where the teams we cover are heading in the posteason. ...Yahoo Sports - 6h -
Did West Virginia make March Madness? Mountaineers miss out on 2025 men's NCAA Tournament
Did West Virginia basketball get into March Madness on Sunday during the NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday bracket reveal show? Here's what to know:Yahoo Sports - 11h -
Oregon basketball vs. Liberty in men's NCAA Tournament: March Madness 'never gets old'
It’s Oregon basketball vs. Liberty in March Madness to open its NCAA Tournament men’s bracket. Here’s what Oregon said about the first-round game.Yahoo Sports - 7h -
What to know about March Madness if you don’t follow college basketball
The college basketball season is winding down, which means March Madness is upon us. The annual men's and women's National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments are among the most closely ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
March Madness men's tournament analysis: Teams and players to watch
Here's a look at the players to watch, potential Cinderella teams and matchup analysis for each region of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Igor Milicic Jr. is better than he's playing. Tennessee basketball needs him in March Madness
Tennessee basketball is pushing to get the best from Igor Milicic Jr. as it heads into March Madness against Wofford on Thursday in Lexington.Yahoo Sports - 2h -
Here's everything you need to know about Selection Sunday and March Madness
The best time in college basketball is here: March Madness.NBC News - 1d -
Marquette basketball’s March Madness opponent is New Mexico to open 2025 NCAA tournament bracket
It’s Marquette basketball vs. New Mexico in March Madness to open its 2025 NCAA tournament men’s bracket. Here’s what to know about the first-round game in Cleveland.Yahoo Sports - 13h -
Drake basketball’s March Madness opponent is Missouri to open 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket
It’s Drake basketball vs. Missouri in March Madness to open its 2025 NCAA Tournament men’s bracket. Here’s what to know about the first-round game in Wichita.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
March Madness 2025: Printable bracket for men's and women's basketball tournaments
After months of waiting, March Madness is finally here.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
These are March Madness bracketology's 9 most polarizing teams
On Selection Sunday, these teams could be the hardest to select and seed based on the metrics used for March Madness and the men's NCAA Tournament.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
March Madness men's basketball tournament bracket set
Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke, Houston and Florida joining the Tigers on the No. 1 line in the March Madness bracket.CBS News - 9h -
Who is coming to Providence for March Madness? Here is everything you need to know
Which teams are coming to Providence for March Madness? Here's everything you need to know.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
March Madness: Scouting Michigan State men's basketball vs Bryant in NCAA tournament
March Madness: Scouting Michigan State men's basketball vs Bryant in NCAA tournament.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Excitement builds in businesses as they prepare for March Madness in Seattle
Eight teams, thousands of fans and millions of dollars will be coming to Seattle as the Emerald City plays host to the first and second rounds of the March Madness NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.Yahoo Sports - 4h -
Pat Kelsey gets contract extension for leading Louisville basketball to March Madness
Pat Kelsey earned an automatic one-year contract extension for leading Louisville basketball to the NCAA Tournament in Year 1. Here's what to know.Yahoo Sports - 13h -
What to know about March Madness if you don’t follow college basketball
The college basketball season is winding down, which means March Madness is upon usABC News - 1d -
Did Indiana make March Madness? Hoosiers miss out on 2025 NCAA Tournament
Did Indiana basketball get into March Madness on Sunday during the NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday bracket reveal show? Here's what to know:Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Where Big Ten teams landed in 2025 March Madness bracket
Eight Big Ten teams were invited to the 2025 men's NCAA basketball tournament.Yahoo Sports - 11h -
Memphis basketball March Madness predictions: Projecting where Tigers could land
The Memphis basketball team's March Madness picture is coming into focus. Or, is it?Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Colorado State slams Boise State to win first Mountain West title since 2003
The Colorado State men's basketball team is heading back to the NCAA Tournament after the Rams secured March Madness with the Mountain West title.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
March Madness: Facts to help you fill out your men's bracket
We've got plenty of historical facts and trends to get you ready for March Madness.ESPN - 7h -
2025 NCAA Tournament bracket: Ranking every team playing in March Madness from No. 1 to 68
From best to worst, Matt Norlander lays out the need-to-knows about all 68 teams in this year's men's NCAA TournamentCBS Sports - 8h -
How to Watch March Madness 2025
Here’s how you can tune in to watch the men’s and women’s teams fight to win the 2025 NCAA Division I Basketball championship.Wired - 5d -
Horns are in! Texas Longhorns men's basketball makes March Madness 2025
Wins over Vanderbilt and Texas A&M were enough to punch the NCAA Tournament ticket for the Texas Longhorns. UT will play Xavier in March Madness 2025.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Men's March Madness bracket live updates: Selection Sunday show
Follow along as the men's NCAA tournament bracket gets unveiled.Yahoo Sports - 14h -
NCAA Tournament snubs: West Virginia, Boise State lead teams left out of March Madness
Instead of deservingly playing in the NCAA men's tournament, these teams will only be able to watch March Madness.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
When does selection Sunday start? Where to watch NCAA March Madness 2025
Get your brackets ready. Selection Sunday for the men's and women's college basketball tournaments is today, March 16. Here's how and when to watch.Yahoo Sports - 18h -
Indiana women’s basketball March Madness predictions: Where Hoosiers could land in NCAA bracket
Where could Indiana women's basketball be headed in the NCAA Tournament? Take a look at our March Madness predictionsYahoo Sports - 1d -
When is Selection Sunday? March Madness schedule, date for NCAA bracket reveal
What time is Selection Sunday? What to know for men's March Madness bracket reveal for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including time, how to watch.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Printable bracket and more for March Madness 2025
Whether you're cheering for your favorite team or making a bracket for fun, here's what you need to know about March Madness 2025.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
When is First Four for March Madness? Schedule, dates, location for men's play-in games
When is the First Four for the 2025 March Madness bracket? What to know about NCAA Tournament play-in games, including times, dates and history.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Vermont women's basketball will face NC State to open March Madness: Bracket update
It's UVM women's basketball vs. NC State in March Madness to open the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Here’s what to know about the first-round game in RaleighYahoo Sports - 10h -
Milwaukee Fiserv Forum tickets in 2025 NCAA tournament: Prices, how to buy
Want to buy tickets to Fiserv Forum for the 2025 NCAA tournament in Milwaukee? Here’s how, including prices for March Madness.Yahoo Sports - 11h -
Drake women’s basketball excluded from March Madness bracket. What’s next?
The Bulldogs were left out of the March Madness bracket on Selection Sunday. Here’s what’s next for the team.Yahoo Sports - 10h -
Duke women’s basketball to face Lehigh to open March Madness in 2025 NCAA Tournament
Duke women's basketball just won its first ACC tournament championship in 12 years, and now the Blue Devils head into March Madness as a No. 2 seed.Yahoo Sports - 10h -
Five bold predictions to help your bracket win March Madness NCAA Tournament pools
If you want to build a winning March Madness bracket, follow these 5 tenets of men's college basketball starting with Duke.Yahoo Sports - 17h -
Where UNCW basketball stands in March Madness bracket predictions on Selection Sunday
Where does the UNCW Seahawks basketball team fall in March Madness bracketology and predictions on Selection Sunday? The 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed tonight at a watch party at ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
NCAA tournament selection metrics used to build March Madness bracket, explained
The men's NCAA Tournament selection committee team sheets have seven metrics for building March Madness bracket. Here's a breakdown of each one.Yahoo Sports - 3d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Antonio says he came 'close to dying' in car crash that left the West Ham striker with shattered leg
West Ham striker Michail Antonio is “100%” confident he will play again as he recovers from a car crash that left him with a “completely shattered” leg and a realization “how close I was to ...Yahoo Sports - 8m -
Antonio says he came 'close to dying' in car crash that left the West Ham striker with shattered leg
West Ham striker Michail Antonio is “100%” confident he will play again as he recovers from a car crash that left him with a “completely shattered” leg and a realization “how close I was to ...Yahoo Sports - 8m -
Updating LSU women's basketball's national title odds after NCAA Selection Sunday
Here's where LSU women's basketball stands in the latest national championship odds following the March Madness bracket revealYahoo Sports - 11m -
Updating LSU women's basketball's national title odds after NCAA Selection Sunday
Here's where LSU women's basketball stands in the latest national championship odds following the March Madness bracket revealYahoo Sports - 11m -
New Bears DE Dayo Odeyingbo discusses playing opposite Montez Sweat
New Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo is excited to learn from Montez Sweat.Yahoo Sports - 11m
More in Sports
-
Antonio says he came 'close to dying' in car crash that left the West Ham striker with shattered leg
West Ham striker Michail Antonio is “100%” confident he will play again as he recovers from a car crash that left him with a “completely shattered” leg and a realization “how close I was to ...Yahoo Sports - 8m -
Antonio says he came 'close to dying' in car crash that left the West Ham striker with shattered leg
West Ham striker Michail Antonio is “100%” confident he will play again as he recovers from a car crash that left him with a “completely shattered” leg and a realization “how close I was to ...Yahoo Sports - 8m -
Updating LSU women's basketball's national title odds after NCAA Selection Sunday
Here's where LSU women's basketball stands in the latest national championship odds following the March Madness bracket revealYahoo Sports - 11m -
Updating LSU women's basketball's national title odds after NCAA Selection Sunday
Here's where LSU women's basketball stands in the latest national championship odds following the March Madness bracket revealYahoo Sports - 11m -
New Bears DE Dayo Odeyingbo discusses playing opposite Montez Sweat
New Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo is excited to learn from Montez Sweat.Yahoo Sports - 11m