March Madness is formally right here, which suggests we’re just a few days away from getting our brackets busted within the first weekend. Let’s try 5 potential bracket busters within the 2025 NCAA Event.
12 UC San Diego Tritons
UC San Diego is without doubt one of the finest mid-majors we have seen in a very long time. The Tritons are ranked thirty sixth in KenPom‘s adjusted effectivity margin, placing them forward of 5-seed Memphis, 9-seed Creighton, 9-seed Oklahoma and 10-seed Arkansas, amongst others.
UCSD has an elite statistical profile constructed on effectivity and profitable the turnover battle. It ranks fourth within the nation in turnovers per sport (9.0), sixth in opponent turnovers per sport (15.6), twelfth in three-pointers made per sport (10.4) and seventh in factors allowed per sport (62.8). Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, who leads the crew in factors (19.5), rebounds (5.5) and assists (3.7), is a March Insanity star within the making.
13 Yale Bulldogs
There’s at all times a double-digit seed that makes a run because of sizzling three-point taking pictures, and Yale is a primary candidate this yr. The Bulldogs rank ninth within the nation in three-point taking pictures share (38.5 p.c) and twenty second in factors per sport (81.0). Lefty guard John Poulakidas leads the best way with 19.2 factors per sport, and he shoots 40.9 p.c from deep on 7.8 makes an attempt per sport.
You may bear in mind Poulakidas from final yr, as he scored 28 factors in Yale’s Spherical of 64 upset in opposition to Auburn. This skilled group will not be afraid of Texas A&M.
12 Colorado State Rams
Colorado State is without doubt one of the hottest groups within the nation getting into the NCAA Event. The Rams received the Mountain West Event to cap off 10 straight wins to shut the season. All 10 wins got here by at the very least eight factors with a mean margin of victory of 16.9.
Nique Clifford, an NBA expertise at taking pictures guard, averages 19.0 factors per sport on a 58.0 p.c efficient field-goal share. Colorado State is a 2.5-point favourite in opposition to 5-seed Memphis within the first spherical, per FanDuel, highlighting how significantly better the Rams are than their seed.
11 Xavier Musketeers
Three 11 seeds have reached the Remaining 4 since 2018, together with NC State final yr. If any of the 11 seeds are going to make an analogous run this season, Xavier is a stable wager.
The Musketeers closed out the common season with seven straight wins earlier than dropping by two factors to Marquette within the Large East Event. Xavier is a harmful 11 seed as a result of it is an elite taking pictures crew, rating sixth within the nation in three-point share (38.8 p.c) and eighth in free-throw share (79.4 p.c). If the Musketeers get previous Texas within the play-in, they may journey their sizzling taking pictures to a Cinderella run.
14 Lipscomb Bisons
Should you’re seeking to decide an enormous upset nobody sees coming, Lipscomb may be value a shot. The Bisons are elite at taking pictures (seventh in free-throw share, twenty sixth in threes made per sport), defending the ball (twenty third in turnovers per sport) and limiting fouls (third in fouls per sport). That is a deadly mixture if Lipscomb finds itself in a detailed sport.
Iowa State can be a weak 3 seed as a result of it will likely be with out second-leading scorer and main help man Keshon Gilbert within the NCAA Event. The Cyclones misplaced three of their final 4 video games with Gilbert off the court docket. Do not be stunned if Lipscomb pulls off the upset.
