Latest news with #MarchMadnessNCAATournament
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Men's college basketball Top 25 ranking for 2025-26: Arizona among seven Big 12 teams
It's never too early to examine the potential top teams in the nation in men's college basketball for next season. Even one day after the 2025 men's national championship game. USA TODAY Sports has released its "way-too-early" Top 25 for the 2025-26 season and the list has a definite Big 12 flair. Advertisement There are a nation-leading seven Big 12 teams in the Top 25, including the No. 1 team in the initial ranking, which includes the Arizona Wildcats. Here are some takeaways from the early men's college basketball Top 25 ranking for next season, which will be here before we know it. March Madness NCAA Tournament odds: Who is favored to win 2026 national championship? Houston Cougars lead early men's basketball Top 25 Houston may have lost the 2025 national championship game to Florida, but the Cougars could be the favorite to win the title in 2026, according to USA TODAY Sports, which has Kelvin Sampson's team No. 1 in the early Top 25. Advertisement It wrote of Houston: "The defending national runner-up will lose stalwarts L.J. Cryer and J'wan Roberts but is poised to make another run to the title game behind one of the top recruiting classes in the country, led by five-star forward C.J. Cenac and guard Isiah Harwell." The Big 12 could be very good in 2025-26 season The Big 12 could be very good next season, according to USA TODAY Sports' ranking. The site has BYU at No. 5 in the early Top 25. Yes, No. 5. It wrote of BYU: "After making the Sweet 16 for the second time since 1981, BYU is poised for a big year with the arrival of hyped freshman AJ Dybantsa. He'll join a rotation that should lose point guard Egor Demin to the NBA but is set to bring back guards Keba Keita and Dawson Baker and forwards Richie Saunders and Mihailo Boskovic. If Dybantsa is as good as expected, the Cougars could be a serious threat for the Final Four." Advertisement Texas Tech comes in at No. 7, while Iowa State is No. 14. Kansas is ranked No. 17. Arizona is ranked No. 23 and Baylor rounds out the Top 25 at No. 25. Who won March Madness 2025? Florida vs Houston score from men's national championship game Could SEC continue to shine in 2025-26? The SEC sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2025. Could it continue to shine next season? The conference has six teams in the initial USA TODAY Sports ranking, led by Alabama at No. 6. Defending national champion Florida is ranked No. 8, with Arkansas at No. 12. Kentucky comes in at No. 16, with Tennessee at No. 18. Auburn is at No. 24 in the ranking. Advertisement Of Florida's ranking, USA TODAY Sports wrote: "There will certainly be a transition from a team led by All-America guard Walter Clayton, and he will be hard to replace. However, the Gators still should have most of the inside players returning, with Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu all poised for increased production. Denzel Aberdeen should be a consistent perimeter scorer and will get boosted by incoming freshman Alex Lloyd." The Houston Cougars are ranked No. 1 in an early Top 25 ranking for the 2025-26 season. Who are biggest national title contenders in 2025-26? There are some familiar names behind Houston at the top of the way-too-early Top 25 men's college basketball ranking. Advertisement Duke comes in at No. 2, with USA TODAY Sports writing: "It will be another offseason of reloading for coach Jon Scheyer with Cooper Flagg and fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach almost certainly headed for the draft. Next year's group of high-end recruits will be led by forwards Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of former Blue Devils star Carlos Boozer. Also arriving is Shelton Henderson, another five-star forward. Several major contributors have options to return to Duke, including veteran guard Tyrese Proctor, freshman Isaiah Evans and sophomore Caleb Foster." UConn was ranked No. 3 in the list, leading the Big East, while UCLA led the Big Ten with a No. 4 ranking. Michigan (No. 9) and Louisville (No. 10) rounded out the top 10. See the complete ranking: Men's college basketball way-too-early Top 25 for 2025-26 season Other teams in early men's college basketball Top 25 ranking St. John's is No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports ranking, while Michigan State at No. 15. Advertisement Other Top 25 teams we haven't mentioned include Wisconsin at No. 19, Gonzaga at No. 20, Creighton at No. 21 and North Carolina at No. 22. The Big Ten has five teams in the Top 25, while the Big East and ACC each have three. The West Coast Conference has the lone non-power four conference team in the ranking (Gonzaga). Reach Jeremy Cluff at Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: College basketball Top 25: Houston, Big 12 lead early 2025-26 ranking
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
10 NBA draft prospects to watch in Thursday's NCAA Tournament games
10 NBA draft prospects to watch in Thursday's NCAA Tournament games Show Caption Hide Caption NBA draft prospects to watch in the March Madness tournament USAT's Mackenzie Salmon gives you four players to keep your eye on in March Madness that will most likely be heading to the NBA next year. Sports Pulse You've filled out your March Madness NCAA Tournament brackets. Now, it's time to enjoy the games. And pay attention to who might be playing in the NBA next season. The NCAA Tournament is loaded with NBA prospects – the projected No. 1 pick, multiple lottery picks, first-rounders and second-rounders. From big conferences and mid-major conferences. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and post-grads are represented. And there is international appeal. V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor), Egor Demin (BYU), Kasparas Jackucionis (Illinois) and Khaman Maluach (Duke) play for teams competing in the NCAA Tournament. They were born outside of the USA – and they are projected lottery picks in USA TODAY Sports' latest 2025 NBA mock draft. IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge contest for a chance at $1 million prize. ANALYSIS: March Madness upset picks: Predicting NCAA Tournament first-round surprises Here are some of the NBA prospects to watch in Thursday's NCAA Tournament games: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Senior, center, 7-1, 270, 23 2024-25 stats: 19.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 1.5 apg, 65.5% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 68.2% FT 19.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 1.5 apg, 65.5% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 68.2% FT Projected pick: Late first round, early second round Another player who can be a modern-day NBA big man: runs the court well, knows how to run the pick-and-roll as the screener, finishes at the rim, posts up when necessary and can step out and hit 3-pointers though his attempts are limited. Gets offensive rebounds and a solid shot-blocker. First-round matchup: No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton, 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS Johni Broome, Auburn Senior, forward-center, 6-10, 240, 22 2024-25 stats: 18.9 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.3 bpg, 51.3% FG, 28.9% 3PT, 60.7% FT 18.9 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.3 bpg, 51.3% FG, 28.9% 3PT, 60.7% FT Projected pick: late first round, early second round A powerful and physical forward, Broome is a double-double machine in points and rebounds but also has a penchant for assists – 31 points, 14 rebounds against Georgia; 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks against Alabama; 21 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, three blocks against Ohio State. He is in the running for college player of the year, and in two SEC tournament contests, Broome averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds and shot 63% from the field. First-round matchup: No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Alabama State, 2:50 p.m. ET, CBS Egor Demin, BYU Freshman, forward, 6-9, 190, 19 2024-25 stats: 10.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 41% FG, 27.1% 3PT, 67.5% FT 10.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 41% FG, 27.1% 3PT, 67.5% FT Projected pick: mid- to late lottery The Russian is a playmaker who can make quick decisions and facilitate for others. Demin is the size of a wing player but has guard-like skills. On defense, he uses his length to his advantage while forcing turnovers and being active in passing lanes. His shooting efficiency is a concern. Demin had difficulty with his offense as the season progressed. He had just three points with four turnovers, three assists and three rebounds in a Big 12 conference tournament victory against Iowa State and six points on 2-for-9 shooting (1-for-7 on 3s) with four assists and five turnovers in a conference tournament loss to Houston. First-round matchup: No. 6 Brigham Young vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth, 4:05 p.m. ET, TNT John Tonge, Wisconsin Sixth-year, guard, 6-5, 218, 24 2024-25 stats: 19.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 46.9% FG, 39.1% 3PT, 90.8% FT 19.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 46.9% FG, 39.1% 3PT, 90.8% FT Projected pick: late second round Tonge was a handful in the Big Ten with his size, ability to take contact and shooting. He scored 32 points against Michigan State and 26 against UCLA on 16-of-24 shooting in the conference tournament but had just nine points on 1-for-14 shooting against Michigan in the conference tournament championship game. First-round matchup: No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana, 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT ANALYSIS: March Madness bold predictions: 10 unexpected forecasts for 2025 NCAA Tournament Asa Newell, Georgia Freshman, forward, 6-11, 220, 19 2024-25 stats: 15.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, 54.1% FG, 29.9% 3PT, 74.4% FT 15.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, 54.1% FG, 29.9% 3PT, 74.4% FT Projected pick: mid- to late lottery in first round Based off of his size, Newell wouldn't appear to be as quick and fluid as he is, which should make him an instant threat in pick-and-roll situations. He was one of the lone bright spots for the Bulldogs in a loss against No. 1 Auburn with a team-high 20 points. His scoring dipped at the end of the regular season. However, he had 21 points and 17 rebounds in an SEC tournament loss to Oklahoma. First-round matchup: No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia, 4:35 p.m. ET, TBS Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Fifth year, guard, 6-5, 207, 23 2024-25 stats: 17.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 43.5% FG, 40% 3PT, 73.5% FT 17.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 43.5% FG, 40% 3PT, 73.5% FT Projected pick: early, mid- second round Lanier's scoring dropped in the SEC tournament, but he had efficient offensive games down the stretch of the regular season, scoring 30 points on 18 shots against Texas A&M and 23 points on 15 shots against Texas. He shot 41.8% on 3s in Tennessee's final six regular-season games. First-round matchup: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford, 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT Boogie Fland, Arkansas Freshman, guard, 6-2, 175, 18 2024-25 stats: 15.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 spg, 39.1% FG, 36.5% 3PT, 83.9% FT 15.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 spg, 39.1% FG, 36.5% 3PT, 83.9% FT Projected pick: Late first round, early second round Fland is an aggressive defender, can hit mid-range shots, makes 3s off the dribble and on catch-and-shoots and attacks the rim. He is getting more comfortable reading defenses and finding advantages with the pass. Fland sustained a thumb injury Jan. 11 and hasn't played since Jan. 18, undergoing surgery on Jan. 22. However, Razorbacks coach John Calipari said this week Fland has been cleared to play and has resumed full basketball-related activities. First-round matchup: No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS Adou Thiero, Arkansas Junior, forward, 6-8, 220, 21 2024-25 stats: 15.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.7 spg, 54.8% FG, 26.2% 3PT, 68.8% FT 15.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.7 spg, 54.8% FG, 26.2% 3PT, 68.8% FT Projected pick: late first round, early second round Thiero hasn't played since Feb. 22 (hyperextended left knee) and will miss the first game of the NCAA Tournament. A quick and athletic leaper, Thiero likes to run the court for easy transition buckets. He is solid off the dribble and attacks his defender on the way to the rim. Thiero gets his hands into passing lanes for deflections and steals. He will need to improve his outside shot. First-round matchup: No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS Danny Wolf, Michigan Junior, forward-center, 7-0, 250, 21 2024-25 stats: 12.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.4 bpg, 50% FG, 34.4% 3PT, 60% FT 12.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.4 bpg, 50% FG, 34.4% 3PT, 60% FT Projected pick: mid- to late first round The Yale transfer is shooting up draft boards thanks to his fluid scoring and play-making portfolio in the package of a 7-foot stretch big. Wolf has played point guard at times this season for the Wolverines just like he's played center. His handles make him a threat as the initiator in pick-and-roll actions and his range should translate to the NBA. First-round matchup: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego, 10 p.m. ET, TBS Darrion Williams, Texas Tech Junior, guard, 6-6, 225, 22 2024-25 stats: 14.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.2 spg, 44.1% FG, 36.5% 3PT, 84.2% FT 14.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.2 spg, 44.1% FG, 36.5% 3PT, 84.2% FT Projected pick: early to mid-second round Williams has a right leg injury, missed Texas Tech's Big 12 semifinal game against Arizona and his status is unclear. In the quarterfinals against Baylor, Williams had 14 points (4-for-6 on 3s) and eight rebounds. First-round matchup: No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington, 10:10 p.m. ET, truTV
USA Today
16-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Five bold predictions to help your bracket win March Madness NCAA Tournament pools
Five bold predictions to help your bracket win March Madness NCAA Tournament pools If you want to build a winning March Madness bracket, let's start with Duke. The Blue Devils will win the title assuming Cooper Flagg gets healthy. Show Caption Hide Caption Auburn, Florida lead stacked SEC men's basketball tournament The SEC men's basketball tournament is setting up to be an exciting one with a potential for a major impact on the March Madness field. Sports Seriously Are you tired of the coworker who didn't watch a college basketball game all year or your 9-year-old nephew or the HOA president who doesn't know the difference between St. John's and Saint Mary's winning the March Madness office pool every year? Are you sick of putting in hours and hours of training in January and February watching Mountain West or Horizon League basketball on some obscure channel only to have your bracket obliterated by Happy Hour on Friday afternoon? I'm not sure about you, but I've never won a bracket contest. Never even come close, really. It's the same story every year. I talk myself into too many upsets that don't pan out and completely whiff on double-digit seeds that I never considered, mostly because I watched them at some point and thought there was no way they could win an NCAA Tournament game. It made for a convenient excuse: I know too much! But let's face it, that's just cope. Here's the truth: I stink at this. So do you, though. And I think I've figured out why. Every year when the bracket comes out, the first thing we do is look at the matchups that interest us. That's where the problem starts. People who watch college basketball all year long have all this data in our heads that we've accumulated over the past 4½ months, and we form opinions in the abstract about what's going to happen in March. Then when the bracket comes out and we have actual games to pick, some of those ideas inevitably come into conflict. To figure it out, we become too analytical. We overthink everything, leading to a spiral of bad predictions and busted brackets. This year, it's time for a new approach. What if we fill out the bracket before there's a bracket? In other words, rather than going line by line once the NCAA men's basketball selection committee shows us their work, let's do our work ahead of time and then apply it as strictly as possible before the individual matchups start twisting our brains into a pretzel. Obviously, you can't account for every single possibility before actually seeing the bracket. But if you have some principles you're willing to stick to, you can fill those in right away and then let everything else fall into place. After watching hundreds of games this season, here are the five tenets of college basketball I'm going to use this year to build my bracket and finally win that office pool (yeah, right). So let's get to work. 1. Duke is going to win the national championship It's fair to question the quality of Duke's ACC competition because the league just wasn't very good this year. But using that to discount Duke by association would be a big mistake. This team showed its quality by rolling through the ACC tournament even without future No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg, who injured his ankle early in the quarterfinal and sat out the remainder of the games. If Flagg is significantly limited, that obviously changes things. But assuming he's good to go, Duke is the best team in the country. 2. The SEC will get at least five teams in the Sweet 16, but just one in the Final Four The SEC's record-setting regular season resulted in more NCAA tournament bids than any conference in history, and it's hard to argue against a league that won 88.9% of its non-conference games, nearly all of them back in November and December. That remarkable run set SEC teams up to really boost each other's bracket metrics once they started playing and beating each other. No doubt there are really good teams in that league. But there are also some things to wonder about. Auburn, which kind of dominated the regular season, has lost three of four. Its defense, in particular, has suffered significant slippage over the last few weeks. Did the Tigers peak too early? I'll pick the Tigers to lose in the Elite Eight. Alabama's best basketball is as good as anyone in the country. But it's also a team that plays immature basketball far too often, and I don't trust them to go on a shotmaking barrage like they did in last year's run to the Final Four. They're going to be a second-round upset victim. Tennessee's history under Rick Barnes of hitting an offensive wall in the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight will continue. Texas A&M is a classic Sweet 16 team but just too limited offensively to go further. Kentucky's mountain of injuries will get the Cats knocked out in the first or second round. One of the league's overachievers — Missouri, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt — will make the second weekend. That leaves Florida, which is playing its best ball at the right time, to carry the SEC banner all the way to San Antonio. 3. The Big Ten will flop It's been 25 years since the league's last men's basketball title, and that's not going to change this time. Between Michigan State, Michigan and Maryland − the top three teams in the regular season − there wasn't a single nonconference win worth talking about. That's enough reason to be deeply skeptical of how this league shook out. But you know who did have some good non-conference wins? UCLA (Arizona, Gonzaga) and Oregon (Texas A&M, Alabama). Those teams, though, had to deal with a brutal travel schedule that undoubtedly impacted their ability to win on the road. So what I'm going to do with that information is pick those schools to win one round more than their seed suggests and put a ceiling on Michigan State (Sweet 16), Michigan (round of 32), Maryland (round of 32), Wisconsin (round of 32) and Purdue (first round). The Big Ten will be shut out of the Final Four and prove to be a mediocre conference by the end of this tournament. 4. The battered bluebloods won't pull any miracles Seeing schools like UConn and Kansas with far worse seeds than normal will make it tempting to pick them as upset possibilities. Don't. The numbers are pretty clear. UConn just doesn't have the juice defensively with this team to really bother elite opponents, while Kansas just wasn't a very good team away from home. They earned their seeds. Don't be fooled by the branding. 5. The trendy mid-majors aren't the ones to be worried about Every single year, there's a team that nobody wants to see in their bracket, according to the pundits. This year, it's Drake, Colorado State and Grand Canyon. Lots of people in your pool are going to pick them simply because the college basketball analysts are going to hype them up as upset possibilities. We're not falling for it. Instead, Utah State and High Point — two teams with great offensive metrics — will be worth a shot to pull first-round upsets.
