March 18, 2025

March Madness bracket: Latest NCAA Tournament predictions entering Selection Sunday – 247Sports

The latest NCAA Tournament bracket projections are here. Selection Sunday is upon us, where the March Madness Field of 68 becomes official. Five conference tournament championship games tip off Sunday including potential bid-stealing scenarios for teams on the bubble in the American Athletic, Atlantic 10 and Ivy League.The SEC fights to top the Big East (2011) for most tournament selections in one season with 12. Nine of the league’s 16 teams are locks, while Vanderbilt, Georgia and Arkansas should be on the cut line. Texas and Oklahoma, on the other hand, could be sweating in a few hours before the final reveal. The winner of Tennessee-Florida in Nashville will assuredly get one of the four coveted No. 1 seeds.The NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed in a televised special on CBS Sports on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.RELATED: March Madness bubble: Predicting NCAA Tournament’s last teams inHeading into Sunday’s final games, here are the latest 68-team bracket projection. This will be updated after Saturday’s late matchup are final:Indiana (NET: 54)San Diego State (52)Xavier (45)Wake Forest (68)The Hoosiers really needed that win over Oregon in the Big Ten Tournament, but failed to deliver. Four wins over Quad 1 opponents is more than several of these bubble teams in the conversation, but 13 losses begins to pile up. The victory at Michigan State earlier this season holds water and could be an outcome that that pushes the Hoosiers into the “first four” designation. There are only eight Big Ten locks and the Hoosiers are one of three others hoping to be a ninth. … The Musketeers only have one Quad 1 victory this season and a critical loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden was a tough pill to swallow.West Virginia (NET: 51)Boise State (43)Texas (39)North Carolina (36)Boise State knocked off top-seeded New Mexico in Friday’s semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament before falling to fellow bubble team Colorado State in the title game. Even with the loss, Boise State likely made enough of an impression on the selection committee given its hot streak in the league tournament. … Various bracketologists have North Carolina on the outside looking in, but perhaps this week’s run to a berth in the ACC Tournament semifinals could be enough to push the Tar Heels in. … For Texas, seven Quad 1 victories is about all you can ask as a bubble team, and two wins in the SEC Tournament at least gives the selection committee something to think about during the final discussion.1) Houston vs. 16) SIUE8) Gonzaga vs. 9) Georgia5) Michigan vs. 12) McNeese4) Texas A&M vs. 13) LibertyKelvin Sampson and Houston locked up a No. 1 seed with its cruise through the Big 12. … Michigan and Wisconsin meet Sunday for NCAA Tournament seeding purposes in the Big Ten Tournament title game after both enjoyed thrilling finishes during Saturday’s semifinals following the Wolverines’ one-point win over Maryland and the Badgers outlasting Michigan State. Drawing Will Wade and McNeese would be a brutal 5-12 matchup for Michigan, however.6) Memphis vs. 11) TBD3) Texas Tech vs. 14) Troy7) Saint Mary’s vs. 10) Arkansas2) Tennessee vs. 15) OmahaThe Vols are hungry to steal a No. 1 seed with a win over Florida in Sunday’s SEC Tournament title game, but a victory still might not be enough for Rick Barnes’ squad. That said, Saturday’s triumph over top-seeded Auburn was a shot in the arm and confidence-boosters for a talented squad ahead of Selection Sunday. Another SEC team on this side of the Midwest is Arkansas.1) Florida vs. 16) Bryant8) Creighton vs. 9) New Mexico 5) Ole Miss vs. 12) UC San Diego4) Arizona vs. 13) LipscombSince a 20-point loss to Tennessee on Feb. 1, the Gators have only lost one game and could write in Sharpie a top seed with a win in Sunday’s SEC Tournament finale. Florida has probably done enough anyway to warrant a top line given five wins over its last six contests against nationally-ranked competition in the SEC. Walter Clayton Jr. and this offense can do just about anything when they’re hot — and they’re on fire averaging 95.4 points per game over the last five (5-0).6) Louisville vs. 11) Colorado State3) Kentucky vs. 14) UNCW7) Missouri vs. 10) Baylor2) St. John’s vs. 15) Norfolk StateChampions of the Big East Tournament for the first time since 2000, give Rick Pitino and St. John’s a ton of credit entering the NCAA Tournament. The Red Storm earned a No. 2 seed and should get one in the West or Midwest Region on Sunday. … Mark Pope taking Kentucky to the Big Dance to cap his first season is notable, but only if he gets past the first weekend.1) Duke vs. 16) TBD8) Illinois vs. 9) Oklahoma5) Purdue vs. 12) Drake4) Iowa State vs. 13) High PointBlue Devils freshman Cooper Flagg did not play in Saturday night’s ACC Tournament championship game against Louisville after suffering a left ankle injury Thursday. The good news? Flagg’s availability for March Madness is positive and NCAA senior vice president of Basketball Dan Gavitt does not expect the situation to affect Duke’s overall seeding. “He is not the only significant injury. We are tracking other injuries from other teams,” Gavitt said Saturday. “Player availability is always a concern and a consideration and can potentially impact seeding, especially if a player if unavailable to play in the NCAA Tournament. Player availability is also considered in evaluating a team during the regular season based on player injuries and missed games.”6) Kansas vs. 11) VCU3) Maryland vs. 14) Robert Morris7) BYU vs. 10) Vanderbilt2) Alabama vs. 15) MontanaIf Kansas falls to a No. 5 seed or higher, that will be the lowest-seeded Jayhawks squad in over 20 years and a first for Bill Self. Kansas went 1-1 in the league tournament, snugging out its chance to impress the committee. … The Crimson Tide missed out on a potential No. 1 seed following their 22-point loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals. That’s not an ideal way to enter Selection Sunday and Alabama likely gets a No. 2 in the South or East Region.1) Auburn vs. 16) TBD8) UCLA vs 9) UConn5) Marquette vs. 12) Yale4) Oregon vs. 13) AkronWith a sparkling 16-5 record against Quad 1 opponents this season, Auburn is deserving of the No. 1 overall seed — even with Saturday’s SEC Tournament semifinals loss to Tennessee. The facts are the Tigers played an absolutely brutal slate and won the regular season title in college basketball’s most competitive league. … Two-time defending national champion UConn is likely heading toward a No. 9 or No. 10 seed in the Big Dance under Dan Hurley.6) Clemson vs. 11) TBD3) Wisconsin vs. 14) Utah Valley7) Mississippi State vs. 10) Utah State2) Michigan State vs. 15) WoffordMichigan State is heading toward its 27th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and Tom Izzo’s squad go get a No. 2 seed, which would be the program’s best since its last trip to the Final Four in 2019. That’s going to soften the blow and make Saturday’s tough, three-point loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament just a bit easier to get over.© 2005-2025 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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Source: https://247sports.com/longformarticle/march-madness-bracket-latest-ncaa-tournament-predictions-entering-selection-sunday-247095379/

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