It’s time for the madness. The NCAA selection committee has released their 2024-25 March Madness bracket for the men’s college basketball season. Let’s dive in and look at some of the more interesting matchups and placements in the tourney.
First, I always like to consider what teams were left out. According to the committee, the first four teams left out of the tournament were West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State. The committee instead chose to honor North Carolina (UNC), San Diego State, Xavier and Texas.
The inclusions of UNC and Xavier are especially troublesome to me, as UNC finished with a record of 1-12 against Quad 1 opponents, while Xavier went 1-9 against such teams. To my mind, I would’ve favored a competitive Boise State team over UNC, one that competed in a much tougher Mountain West conference over UNC’s Atlantic Coast Conference. Additionally, I would’ve inserted West Virginia over Xavier, as Xavier played in a relatively weak Big East conference.
Moving on to some interesting seed placements, one can’t help but be drawn to Michigan’s placement as a No. 5 seed compared to Wisconsin at a No. 3 seed and Purdue at a No. 4 seed. Michigan won the Big Ten tournament title less than an hour before the committee finalized their selections, beating Wisconsin and Purdue on their way to the title. Wisconsin and Purdue finished 14th and 19th in the NET rankings, respectively, while Michigan fell to 25th. Still, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Wolverine fans wishing to avoid the dreaded 5-12 seed matchup. The Wolverines must now play a red-hot UC San Diego team in the first round.
Another team I’m interested in is the No. 8 Louisville Cardinals. The Cards played top-seed Duke tight in the ACC championship game and finished with a fantastic 27-7 record. Duke finished 31-3 and first in the NET rankings. Why is there such a huge disparity in seeds between the two? Both competed in a very weak ACC conference. The answer lies in Duke’s 16-3 Quad 1 and 2 record, while Louisville can only boast a 15-7 record in such contests. I’m still put off by Louisville being seeded so low, especially when they must play an old, experienced No. 9 Creighton team with lots to prove.
Perhaps the year’s biggest story has been the Southeastern Conference’s dominance over the rest of the nation. The committee awarded this historic success with a record 14 teams making the big dance. Highlighting the bunch is No. 1 seed Auburn, followed closely by SEC-champion Florida as a fellow No. 1 seed. Alabama and Tennessee both earned No. 2 seeds.
Now that we’ve canvassed the field let’s take a closer look at my biggest upset picks in each region.
Beginning in the South region, I see UC San Diego upsetting both Michigan and Texas A&M to advance to the Sweet 16. They came in 35th in the NET rankings, holding a strong 28-4 record for the season.
Michigan comes into the tournament very hot, but they struggled mightily as the season wound down. I am willing to bet that they stumble in the opening round to the upset-minded Tritons.
Moving on to the West region, I hate to be basic with the No. 12 seed upset picks, but Colorado State is primed to make a run here. They square off against No. 5 Memphis, who is missing one of their top players, Tyrese Hunter. The Rams will look to capitalize on senior Nique Clifford’s tremendous season, with averages of 19 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game on 50.7% shooting from the floor. However, it will be difficult for the Rams to contend with the Maryland Terrapins.
Another trendy upset pick will be the Drake Bulldogs at No. 11 over the Missouri Tigers at No. 6. Drake holds the best scoring defense in the country. At the same time, Missouri has the ninth-best scoring offense. It will be a battle of strength against strength.
In the East region, there are numerous upsets to choose from. Do you like No. 11 over No. 6 seeds? Take the defensive Virginia Commonwealth University Rams over the high-powered offense of Brigham Young University. Do you think Oregon doesn’t have the offensive firepower to overcome Liberty’s stifling defense? Go with the Flames. There is a trend with some of these lower seeds boasting incredibly potent defensive attacks. Liberty to the Sweet 16 could be a trendy pick.
Finally, in the Midwest region, I’m riding hard with McNeese. The Cowboys are led by coach Will Wade, who will be one of the most sought-after coaches in the high-major market after this season wraps up. McNeese has the 16th-best scoring defense in the country and gets to face off against Clemson in the first round before playing the winner of Purdue and High Point. Purdue has not been playing their best ball as of late, and if the Boilermakers advance, I can see McNeese handling them to make a Sweet 16. Buy stock in Utah State over UCLA, as well.
Last, but not least, I am going to pin my basketball reputation on my Final Four picks. If I lead you astray, know that I did it in the best of faith. My Final Four will be Michigan State, St. Johns, Duke and Houston, with St. Johns capturing the national title.