2025 NCAA Tournament Preview: Best Teams, Contenders, & Cinderellas
College basketball has been in full swing for months, but if you’re just tuning in, we’ve got you covered just in time for the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which starts on March 18. Today, we’ll break down the top teams primed for deep tournament runs and potential Cinderella stories.
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The NCAA Basketball Tournament is — in my opinion — the best playoff in American sports, but the best team doesn’t always win it all. In the NFL and NBA, playoff performance typically defines a team’s success. But with 364 teams in college basketball, a single-elimination tournament isn’t everything.
Each college basketball team has its own set of expectations; for example, a Big Ten title still matters a lot, even if a team falls short in the Round of 16.
There are many ways to define success in college basketball, but winning in March (and April) definitely goes a long way. Today, we’ll help you identify the top teams to watch for as we near the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Best Teams in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
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Top CBB National Championship Contenders
Teams with Cinderella Potential
Best Teams in the NCAA Tournament: Championship Contenders
Here are the best teams to keep an eye on in college basketball as we get closer to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. All three of these teams are legitimate NCAA Tournament championship contenders, and we’ll break down each of the below.
Auburn Tigers (26-2, 14-1 in the SEC)
Projected Tournament Seed (per Bracket Matrix): No. 1 Seed
Players to Know: F Johni Broome, G Chad Baker-Mazara, G Tahaad Pettiford
Auburn has been the team to beat from the start. Led by senior forward and Naismith Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome, the Tigers have dominated an absolutely loaded SEC, which could send up to 14 teams to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Freshman Tahaad Pettiford and 25-year-old Chad Baker-Mazara stepped up in Broome’s absence earlier this season, while Bruce Pearl, a candidate for AP Coach of the Year, has masterfully managed a deep rotation and assembled the nation’s top offensive attack, according to KenPom.
With experience, skill and depth, Auburn will be a tough out in March and — right now — they look like the team to beat as we near the NCAA Tournament.
Here are a few key notes and stats about the Auburn Tigers:
- Swiss Army Knife — Senior forward Johni Broome does it all, leading Auburn in points (18.6), rebounds (11.1), assists (3.4) and blocks (2.6) per game. KenPom ranks him as the nation's second-best player behind Duke SF Cooper Flagg.
- Battle Tested — Auburn has spent most of the season atop the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), and currently sits at No. 2. The Tigers boast a 15-2 Quad 1 record — their record against top-30 teams at home, top-50 teams at a neutral site and top-75 teams on the road. That’s four more than any other team, proving they can handle elite competition.
- Fading History — Despite Auburn’s resurgence under Bruce Pearl, tournament success has been elusive since its 2019 semifinals run. The Tigers haven’t made it past the Second Round since, including last year’s First Round upset loss to Yale as a No. 4 seed.
- Recent history offers hope — each of the last three seasons, a team that lost its opening NCAA Tournament game the previous year has reached the championship (North Carolina in 2022, UConn in 2023, Purdue in 2024).
Duke Blue Devils (25-3, 16-1 in the ACC)
Projected Tournament Seed (per Bracket Matrix): No. 1 Seed
Players to Know: F Cooper Flagg, G Kon Knueppel, C Khaman Maluach
The Duke Blue Devils entered the 2024-25 season with major hype and championship aspirations — and they have delivered. After early losses to Kentucky and Kansas, the Blue Devils bounced back with wins over a very good Arizona team and No. 1 Auburn. Since then, they’ve dominated a weak ACC, with 14 of its 16 ACC wins coming by double digits.
Freshman phenom and projected first-overall NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg headlines the squad, but Duke’s co-stars have been just as important. Fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach have provided shooting and an interior presence, while impact transfers Sion James (Tulane) and Maliq Brown (Syracuse) have been key role players when healthy.
Here are a few important notes and stats about the Duke Blue Devils:
- GOAT Talk — KenPom ranks Duke as the nation’s most efficient team and the best team since the 1998-99 Blue Devils, who went 37-2 and reached the national title game.
- Young King — 18-year-old Cooper Flagg leads Duke in points (19.4 PPG), rebounds (7.6), assists (4.1), steals (1.5), and blocks per game (1.1). His one flaw? He has slipped up on late-game drives to the hoop in each of the Blue Devils three losses this season.
- Next Man Up — Starting guard Tyrese Proctor left Tuesday’s win over Miami with a bruised knee. If he misses any time, five-star freshman Isaiah Evans — who is averaging 16.7 PPG on 13-of-19 shooting from deep in his last three games — could step into a bigger role.
Houston Cougars (24-4, 16-1 in the Big 12)
Projected Tournament Seed (per Bracket Matrix): No. 2 Seed
Players to Know: G L.J. Cryer, F J’Wan Roberts, G Emanuel Sharp
Houston has been a model of consistency under coach Kelvin Sampson, reaching five straight Round of 16s — including a quarterfinals and semifinals appearance — while winning 30 games in each of the last three seasons.
This team’s formula remains the same — lock-down defense, slow-paced but efficient offense and relentless rebounding. The Cougars are one of three teams in KenPom’s top eight in both offensive and defensive efficiency, a key edge in neutral-site games where the crowd cheers for the underdog.
They also boast a balanced attack, with L.J. Cryer (14.6 PPG), J’Wan Roberts (6.4 RPG), and Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan (4.6 APG) leading in key stat categories.
With Tuesday’s win over No. 10 Texas Tech, Houston became the first team in over 100 years to join a major conference and win back-to-back regular-season titles in its first two years. Now, the Cougars have their sights set on a bigger prize — the 2025 National Championship.
Here are a few key notes and stats about the Houston Cougars:
- Slow and Steady — Houston ranks No. 8 in offensive efficiency (per KenPom) and plays at a very deliberate pace, averaging just 61 possessions per game (361st nationally).
- Road Warriors — The Cougars are 9-0 in true road games. A win at Baylor would mark their second undefeated road season under Sampson. That will go a long way in the NCAA Tournament, when no games will be on their home court.
- Never Much Love When We Go OT — Three of Houston’s four losses came in OT against projected NCAA Tournament teams (Alabama, San Diego State, Texas Tech). Their only non-OT loss? A five-point neutral-site loss to No. 1 Auburn.
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Top NCAA Tournament Cinderella Teams
Here are the top potential cinderellas to keep an eye on in CBB if they make it into the tournament. Cinderellas are teams currently projected under No. 8 seeds that could make a run to the Round of 16 or beyond in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-8, 12-4 in the West Coast Conference)
Projected Tournament Seed (per Bracket Matrix): No. 9 Seed
Key Players to Know: G Ryan Nembhard, F Graham Ike
- Metrics Merchant — Despite few marquee wins, Gonzaga ranks No. 9 in KenPom and No. 8 in the NET after beating Santa Clara. The Bulldogs remain unranked in the AP Top 25.
- Assist Demon — Ryan Nembhard leads Division I with 9.7 assists per game. Fresh off a 15-assist performance at Santa Clara, he fuels a ninth-ranked Gonzaga offense that features six players averaging more than nine points per game.
- Death. Taxes. Round of 16s. — Gonzaga is an unorthodox Cinderella this time around. The Bulldogs have made 25 consecutive NCAA Tournaments — the second-longest active streak — and nine straight Round of 16s.
UC San Diego Tritons (24-4, 14-2 in the Big West)
Projected Tournament Seed (per Bracket Matrix): No. 12 Seed
Key Players to Know: G Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones
- Uncharted Waters — UC San Diego is eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time after completing its four-year transition from Division II to Division I. Ranked No. 35 in KenPom, the Tritons can secure an NCAA Tournament spot with an at-large bid for their season-long resume or by winning their conference tournament.
- Cruise Control — UC San Diego has run through its Big West competition with relative ease. The Tritons have won by double digits in all but one of their 14 conference victories.
- Remember the Name — Senior guard Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones has been a revelation for the Tritons. The transfer from Division II school Hawaii-Hilo averages 19.8 points per game and leads the country with 242 free throw attempts.
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