Some quick notes before the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament begins this week.
- The Duke Blue Devils earned a #1 seed in the East Region, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. This loaded group has six NBA prospects on Tankathon’s 2025 NBA Mock Draft that features Cooper Flagg (1st), Kon Knueppel (7th), Khaman Maluach (10th), Isaiah Evans (38th), Sion James (49th), and Tyrese Proctor (51st).
- If there’s two star freshmen who could take over games for their teams and go on a run, it’s Texas’ Tre Johnson and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears. The Longhorns will have to face Xavier in a 11-seed First Four matchup (winner gets Midwest Region first round matchup vs. #6 seed Illinois). As for the Sooners (9-seed), they’ll face 8-seeded UConn (back-to-back national champs) in the West Region’s first round.
- Yale beat #4 seeded Auburn in last year’s East Region first round as a 13-seed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they upset 4th seeded Texas A&M this season in the South (once again are a #13 seed). Returning key players like John Poulakidas, Bez Mbeng, and Nick Townsend all got better during 2024-25.
- Head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga squad has made nine straight Sweet 16s, but head into the 2025 tourney as a lower than usual 8-seed in the Midwest Region with a possible #1 seed matchup vs. Houston (first round opponent is 16th seeded SIUE) in the second round. The Zags open up vs. #9 seed Georgia.
- Get ready for the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament with FOCO. Check out their officially licensed college gear that includes t-shirts, overalls, footwear, and hats to fit right in with all the madness of March!
