March Madness bracket hot takes, from upset picks to Final Four predictions
Bring on the madness.
We’re days away from our brackets being busted. In the meantime, we can harbor visions of correctly predicting that first-round upset no one saw coming, acing our Final Four picks and winning a bracket pool.
While you wait for tipoff, here are eight burning thoughts and predictions off this NCAA Tournament bracket.
SURVIVOR POOL Can your picks survive March Madness? Join Survivor Pool to find out.
Nobody got snubbed
The Tar Heels’ 1-12 record against Quad 1 opponents tells me they should feel fortunate to be competing in a play-in game and not left out of the bracket.
However, I’m also unconvinced a clearly better option existed. Indiana, Boise State and West Virginia possessed the best résumés of omitted teams.
∎ Indiana’s NET ranking of No. 54 came in 18 spots behind UNC.
∎ Boise State, trying to become the Mountain West’s fifth qualifier, lost 10 games, including a dreaded Quad 4 loss.
∎ West Virginia lost five of its final nine games.
Nobody truly got snubbed. This collection of bubble teams reiterated that the tournament need not expand beyond 68 teams.
LEFT OUT Six teams snubbed by the NCAA men's tournament
SEC will thrive, Big Ten will dive
The SEC proved itself as the nation’s most-elite conference throughout the season, and I expect that idea to hold up these next three weeks. The SEC's sheer volume positions it for success. The SEC qualified a record 14 teams. Eight of those qualifiers earned a No. 6 seed or better.
That sets up the SEC to swarm the Sweet 16, and, with four teams seeded either No. 1 or No. 2, the conference enjoys a strong chance of multiple Final Four qualifiers. However, I suspect the 1985 Big East will retain its record of three Final Four teams. I’m capping the SEC at two Final Four squads – which I think will be two more than the Big Ten.
The Big Ten came in second among conferences with eight bids, but Michigan State is the only Big Ten team ranked in the top 10 nationally by analytics guru Ken Pomeroy. The conference lacks for the SEC's scoring punch. I’m picking no Big Ten teams to the Final Four.
Toughest region: South
Auburn earned the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. Its prize: A potential second-round game against No. 8 Louisville, in Lexington, Kentucky. That’s not a prize. That’s a boobytrap. I rate Louisville, which won 27 games, as the tournament’s best No. 8 seed.
Elsewhere in Auburn’s South Region lurks No. 2 Michigan State, the Big Ten’s regular-season champion, and No. 5 Michigan, the Big Ten Tournament champion.
Also lurking in the South is No. 3 Iowa State, which lost to Auburn by just two points in November.
PRINTABLE BRACKET Here's your printable bracket for March Madness predictions, picks in 2025 NCAA Tournament
First-round upset special: No. 11 Drake beats No. 6 Missouri
This will be a trendy upset pick for a reason: Drake rates as one of the nation’s best mid-majors. The Bulldogs play lockdown defense. They beat tournament qualifier Vanderbilt in November.
First-year Drake coach Ben McCollum won four Division II national championships at Northwest Missouri State. Four of his players from his former school now start for him at Drake. That includes guard Bennett Stirtz, the best player on either roster in this matchup.
Missouri has lost four of its last five. Upset special!
First-round upset special, Part II: No. 13 Yale beats No. 4 Texas A&M
Here’s an opportunity for Yale to inflict more pain on the SEC after it upset Auburn last season. Yale and Texas A&M are premier rebounding teams. Expect a physical game.
Yale’s top player, John Poulakidas, poured in 28 points in last year’s upset of Auburn.
Texas A&M’s offense is prone to vanishing acts, and Yale could make the Aggies disappear in Round 1.
Player matchup I want to see involves Auburn's Johni Broome
If you like low-post battles, No. 1 Auburn versus No. 9 Creighton would be a dream matchup. Auburn’s Johni Broome rates as the nation’s best big man. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, the four-time Big East defensive player of the year, isn’t far behind on that list.
The Bluejays will face a difficult first-round test against Louisville. If they can survive that, an Auburn-Creighton matchup offers the possibility for brute and brilliance in the paint.
Final Four loaded with No. 1 seeds
I’m selecting three No. 1 seeds in my Final Four. Houston and Florida ranked among my national championship frontrunners for several weeks. They’re led by a balanced cast of veterans, and each team can win with either offense or defense.
I’ll take those two No. 1 seeds to the Final Four, along with another No. 1 seed, Duke. That Duke pick hinges on Cooper Flagg recovering from the ankle injury that knocked him out of the ACC Tournament.
In the South, I’m projecting chaos, from which No. 3 Iowa State emerges to disrupt the party of No. 1 seeds in San Antonio.
National championship pick: Houston beats Florida
Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars have lost just once – in overtime – since November. Houston is balanced on offense, elite on defense and armed with excellent perimeter shooters. Sampson has coached in two Final Fours. I predict he finally captures his first ring at age 69.
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament hot takes: Upset picks to Final Four predictions
-
March Madness upset pick for Final Four bracket: Experts pick Cinderella for 2025 NCAAs
Four experts pick their Cinderella upset team to ruin March Madness and make the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio to help you fill out your bracket.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
I picked every game in March Madness bracket. Here's who wins 2025 NCAA Tournament | Estes
Take a peek at my March Madness bracket predictions and picks for every NCAA Tournament game from the First Four to the Final Four.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Final Four predictions: Women's March Madness bracket picks for 2025 NCAA Tournament
Who will win 2025 NCAA bracket? Our best women’s March Madness, Final Four predictions and picks are in for every game.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
March Madness upset predictions 2025: Pick these early NCAA Tournament exits
Who will make early exits in 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket? Our best March Madness upset predictions are in.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
5 March Madness upset predictions, Cinderella picks for 2025 NCAA women’s tournament
Which games in the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament will bust your bracket? Our March Madness upset picks, predictions are in.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
March Madness expert picks: Bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament
Looking for help to sort out your NCAA men's tournament bracket? Our experts provide their predictions for the Final Four and who will win it all.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Can Tennessee basketball reach Final Four in March Madness bracket? Our prediction
Can Tennessee basketball reach NCAA bracket’s Final Four? Our 2025 March Madness predictions show how Vols can make run in tournament.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Can Oregon basketball reach Final Four in March Madness bracket? Our prediction
Can Oregon basketball reach NCAA bracket’s Final Four? Our 2025 March Madness predictions show how Ducks can make run in tournament.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Most likely upsets in women's March Madness? Bracket predictions for surprise teams
The women's NCAA Tournament is here. Here's a prediction at which teams could surprise the field with first-round March Madness upsets:Yahoo Sports - 1d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Twins’ Royce Lewis will miss start of season after hurting his hamstring
Lewis is coming off a 2024 season that saw him appear in just 82 games due to quadriceps and adductor issues.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Texans to pick up Derek Stingley's Jr.'s fifth-year option ahead of extension
The Houston Texans will have Derek Stingley Jr. under contract through 2029 after agreeing to pick up one final year on his rookie deal.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
MLB hyped up a video game-like replay view from the Tokyo Dome and fans justifiably hated it
The on-field replay did not go over how MLB expected.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
The Players Championship 2025 prize money: Full payout from the $25 million purse
Here's how the $25 million purse will be paid out this week at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Auburn basketball’s first round opponent revealed ahead of 2025 NCAA Tournament
Auburn basketball will face either Alabama State or St. Francis in March Madness to open its 2025 NCAA Tournament men’s bracket.Yahoo Sports - 1d
More in Sports
-
Broome, Flagg unanimous All-America selections
Johni Broome of Auburn and Cooper Flagg of Duke were unanimous first-team picks for The Associated Press men's college basketball All-America teams released Tuesday.ESPN - 10m -
NCAA Tournament 2025 bracket picks, upsets, plus Cinderella teams: Model simulates March Madness 10,000 times
SportsLine's college basketball model has called 24 first-round NCAA Tournament upsets by double-digit seedsCBS Sports - 15m -
2025 NCAA Tournament schedule: March Madness bracket, game dates, locations, tip times, TV channels
Check out the master schedule for the NCAA Tournament so you can watch all the March Madness 2025 actionCBS Sports - 15m -
NCAA bracket predictions: Model gives out surprising March Madness 2025 tournament picks
SportsLine's model nailed 13 of the teams in the Sweet 16 last season and simulated the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket 10,000 timesCBS Sports - 18m -
March Madness 2025 bracket: NCAA Tournament picks, predictions from acclaimed college basketball model
SportsLine's model has nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds and revealed its optimal NCAA Tournament bracket 2025CBS Sports - 20m