NCAA Tournament 2025: Bracket Breakdown and Championship Contenders
The NCAA tournament field has been revealed, which means it’s time to start filling out your brackets. With a season full of surprises—like Rick Pitino’s dominance in New York—and disappointments—such as West Virginia missing the cut—men’s college basketball has delivered plenty of drama heading into March Madness.
Now comes the challenge: picking the perfect bracket.
To make the best picks, consider recent injuries, teams gaining momentum, and those that have struggled down the stretch. Here’s what you need to know about the top teams in the field and their potential paths to a championship.
Auburn Tigers (No. 1 Seed – South Region)
Tournament Ceiling: National Championship
Auburn enters the tournament with a 28-5 record, overcoming one of the toughest schedules in the country. Despite a shaky 4-3 finish, including back-to-back losses to close the regular season, the Tigers remain a legitimate title contender. They boast six wins over top-15 KenPom teams and rank among the nation’s best in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to Synergy Sports.
Johni Broome, a National Player of the Year candidate, has been dominant with averages of 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford (11.6 PPG, 39% from three) adds a dynamic scoring threat, while Auburn’s deep 10-man rotation is loaded with veteran experience—Chad Baker-Mazara, for example, is 25 years old, making him older than some NBA players.
With Bruce Pearl at the helm, Auburn has the depth, talent, and experience to chase the program’s first-ever national championship.
Duke Blue Devils (No. 1 Seed – East Region)
Tournament Ceiling: National Championship
Head coach Jon Scheyer has built one of the youngest yet most talented teams in the nation. Led by Wooden Award frontrunner Cooper Flagg, Duke has the firepower to make a deep run—assuming Flagg fully recovers from the ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils may also be without defensive anchor Maliq Brown, who is nursing a shoulder injury.
Flagg is the centerpiece of this squad, a versatile force on both ends of the floor. Duke starts three freshmen—Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach—but their youth hasn’t stopped them from dominating. The team ranks fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom and closed the regular season on a 19-1 run after Flagg turned 18 in December.
Duke also boasts a key win over Auburn, further cementing its status as a title contender. If Flagg and Brown return to full strength, the Blue Devils could be cutting down the nets once again, a decade after their last championship under Mike Krzyzewski.
With the tournament field set, expect a thrilling March Madness as these top contenders and dark-horse teams battle for college basketball’s ultimate prize.