The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket is set!
Auburn, Duke, Houston and Florida earned the No. 1 seeds in the bracket, while Michigan State, Alabama, Tennessee and St. John's make up the 2-line.
Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kentucky and Wisconsin earned No. 3 seeds, while Maryland, Texas A&M, Arizona and Purdue make up the No. 4 seeds.
The last four teams to get into the Big Dance were Texas, Xavier, San Diego State and North Carolina, while the first four out were West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State.
Which teams saw their bubbles pop on Selection Sunday and which teams were among the final squads to get into the tournament?
Here's the answer!
The Last Four In: Texas, Xavier, San Diego State and North Carolina
The First Four Out: West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State
NCAA Tournament: West Region
1. Florida (30-4)
16. Norfolk State (24-10
8. UConn (23-10)
9. Oklahoma (20-13)
5. Memphis (29-5)
12. Colorado State (25-9)
4. Maryland (25-8)
13. Grand Canyon (26-7)
6. Missouri (22-11)
11. Drake (30-3)
3. Texas Tech (25-8)
14. UNCW (27-7)
7. Kansas (21-12)
10. Arkansas (20-13)
2. St. John's (30-4)
15. Omaha (22-12)
Analysis from FOX Sports' John Fanta:
This is the region of death. Seriously, this is as wild a region as I can remember in terms of coaches, storylines, brands and really difficult teams to face in my time covering college basketball.
First off, the fact that the committee is giving us Kansas against Arkansas in a Bill Self vs. John Calipari matchup is ridiculous. But then you couple that with St. John’s being in the same pod and another Hall of Famer in Rick Pitino leading the 30-4 Johnnies, and it’s absolute absurdity!
We could see Red Storm big man Zuby Ejiofor face his former school. What he’s become since transferring to St. John's is pretty special.
Florida, who is playing as well as anybody in America and won the SEC Tournament on Sunday, could get back-to-back reigning national champion UConn next weekend. The Huskies have been inconsistent, but it’s still not an easy draw for the Gators. I think either Maryland or Memphis could give the Gators issues too.
Watch out for Drake to be a potential Sweet 16 team as an 11-seed. The Bulldogs could Missouri and then either Texas Tech or UNCW.
The Red Raiders are positioned well to make the second weekend, but an upset has to come from somewhere (it is madness!), so watch out for Ben McCollum’s squad.
Finally, watch out for red-hot Colorado State against Memphis in a first-round matchup. But the best first round game in maybe the whole bracket is Kansas vs. Arkansas.
NCAA Tournament: Midwest Region
1. Houston (30-4)
16. SIU Edwardsville (22-11)
8. Gonzaga (25-8)
9. Georgia (20-12
5. Clemson (27-6)
12. McNeese (27-6)
4. Purdue (22-11)
13. High Point (29-5)
6. Illinois (21-12)
11. Texas/Xavier
3. Kentucky (22-11)
14. Troy (23-10
7. UCLA (22-10)
10. Utah State (26-7)
2. Tennessee (27-7)
15. Wofford (19-15)
Analysis from FOX Sports' John Fanta:
The instant takeaway is that we could see Houston and Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. If you had told me that in the preseason, I would have called you nuts.
The other big observation: Texas and Xavier are in. The Longhorns did enough in the stacked SEC, while the Musketeers, despite having only one Quad 1 win, won at Marquette and notched victories over UConn and Creighton to slide in.
Two upset candidates: McNeese and High Point facing Clemson and Purdue, respectively.
Ian Martinez and Utah State meeting UCLA should be a fun 7 vs. 10 game.
The potential of an Illinois-Kentucky second-round game is fascinating, but overall, I love Houston’s draw.
NCAA Tournament: East Region
1. Duke (31-3)
16. American/Mount St. Mary's
8. Mississippi State (21-13)
9. Baylor (19-14)
5. Oregon (24-9)
12. Liberty (28-6)
4. Arizona (22-12)
13. Akron (28-6)
6. BYU (24-9)
11. VCU (28-6)
3. Wisconsin (26-9)
14. Montana (25-9)
7. Saint Mary's (28-5)
10. Vanderbilt (20-12)
2. Alabama (25-8)
15. Robert Morris (26-8)
Analysis from FOX Sports' John Fanta:
Duke, the No. 1 seed in the East region, has a cruise-control path to Newark with the Blue Devils getting Mississippi State or Baylor in the second round.
This is a great region for offense, with Alabama, Wisconsin, Arizona, Oregon and BYU.
For the Crimson Tide, who got rolled by Florida in the SEC Tournament, I still think this is a decent path. They’ll get Saint Mary’s or Vanderbilt in the second round, two teams they should beat regardless of who it is.
We could get a vintage Pac-12 game in the second round with Oregon and Arizona, but I think one of them could very well get picked off. Keep an eye on the Akron Zips, who are led by two stud guards in Nate and Tavari Johnson, to potentially pull off an upset.
Oregon draws Liberty, a stifling defensive team with a matchup problem in 6-foot-7 wing Zach Cleveland, who averages 11/6/5 per game.
My dark horse in the region: BYU, who could make the Elite Eight and enters the tournament having won nine of its last 10 games.
NCAA Tournament: South Region
1. Auburn (28-5)
16. Alabama State/Saint Francis
8. Louisville (27-7)
9. Creighton (24-10)
5. Michigan (25-9)
12. UC San Diego (30-4)
4. Texas A&M (22-10)
13. Yale (22-7)
6. Ole Miss (22-11)
11. San Diego State/North Carolina
3. Iowa State (24-9)
14. Lipscomb (25-9(
7. Marquette (23-10)
10. New Mexico (26-7)
2. Michigan State (27-6)
15. Bryant (23-11)
Analysis from FOX Sports' John Fanta:
What instantly stands out is that North Carolina, carrying just one Quad 1 win, is in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels did not rack up much of anything of quality in the ACC, and yet they are one of the last four in. They’ll get a physical San Diego State team in Dayton.
I love the Friday matchup between Marquette and New Mexico in Cleveland when Kam Jones and the Golden Eagles square off with Donovan Dent and the Lobos.
I believe Auburn has a cakewalk to the Elite Eight because I’ll say it right now: Michigan or Texas A&M are losing in the first round. The Wolverines have to meet a very dangerous 30-4 UC San Diego team, while the Aggies get a Yale team that knocked off Auburn last year in the tournament. James Jones has a stud in John Poulakidis.
Louisville is dancing for the first time since 2019 and I’m fascinated by Chucky Hepburn vs. Steven Ashworth when the Cardinals meet Creighton in Lexington. Can they contain big man Ryan Kalkbrenner?
And then there’s Michigan State, who I think are in prime position to make the Sweet 16. On this side of the bracket, the Spartans could get Iowa State or Ole Miss. I like the Spartans to make at least the second weekend.
The countdown is on! The wait is almost over! It's time to break out the printer and your pencils. Selection Sunday is here in all its glory and championship week has come to a conclusion. With just moments away from the NCAA Tournament field being released, we were reminded that winning close games is a skill. A Michigan team that owns a college basketball-record 12 wins by four points or less in conference games grinded out yet another close victory, edging Wisconsin 59-53 to win the program's first Big Ten Tournament title since 2018.
Dusty May, a past hero of the madness with his Florida Atlantic program two years ago, has done an outstanding job in Year 1 in Ann Arbor, leading the Wolverines to a conference tournament crown.
As for what we know right now with the bracket, the four 1-seeds should be locked with Auburn, Duke, Houston and Florida. As for the 2-line, I believe we'll see Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan State and Big East regular-season and tournament champion St. John's there with SEC powers Alabama and Tennessee. From there, we shall see, but look for the Southeastern Conference to break the Big East's 2011 record of 11 teams in the dance with 13 or perhaps 14 bids.
The teams sweating the most and on the bubble? Indiana, North Carolina, Xavier, Boise State, San Diego State, Texas and Ohio State.
Let's ride!
Our team at FOX Sports has been on top of NCAA Tournament projections throughout the college basketball season, thanks in large part to our bracket expert, Mike DeCourcy.
As of Sunday morning, DeCourcy has West Virginia, San Diego State, Indiana and Texas as his last four teams projected to get into the Big Dance, while North Carolina, Xavier, Ohio State and Boise State are the first four teams out.
Check out DeCourcy's complete NCAA Tournament projections here!
We have also been updating where things stand with 12 teams currently sitting on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Check out our latest Bubble Watch here!
