In just over a month, all the weeks of intense speculation and interest will come to an end, and the bracket for the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be revealed.
Until then, though, all people in the sport can do is project the 68-team field.
With only a few weeks remaining in the 2024-25 regular season, there are several looming questions when it comes to the bracket for March Madness. Who are the No. 1 seeds — the teams best positioned to make a Final Four or win a national championship? How many teams might the behemoth SEC get into the tournament? And, most pressingly, what teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble will get into the dance? And which ones will be left out?
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As the calendar inches closer to March, here’s a look at the latest NCAA tournament bracket predictions, which take into account games played through Thursday, Feb. 13:
March Madness bracket predictions
** Participating in a play-in game
NCAA tournament last four in
NCAA tournament first four out
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Georgia
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Wake Forest
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Indiana
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Xavier
No. 1 seeds
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Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC)
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Alabama (21-3, 10-1 SEC)
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Duke (21-3, 11-1 ACC)
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Florida (21-3, 8-3 SEC)
Auburn and Alabama’s rivalry matchup this weekend — the first time there’s ever been an SEC game between the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country — could have a big say in which team ends up earning the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.
REQUIRED READING: Alabama, Auburn meeting in No. 1 vs. No. 2 college basketball clash validates both programs
No. 2 seeds
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Tennessee (20-5, 7-5 SEC)
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Houston (20-4, 12-1 Big 12)
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Purdue (19-6, 11-3 Big Ten)
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Iowa State (19-5, 9-4 Big 12)
Tennessee and Houston just miss the cut for No. 1 seeds, but both the Volunteers and Cougars are well-situated to move up a seed line if they continue to handle business in conference play (far easier said than done, given the strength of their respective leagues).
No. 3 seeds
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Texas A&M (19-5, 8-3 SEC)
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Texas Tech (19-5, 10-3 Big 12)
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Arizona (17-7, 11-2 Big 12)
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Wisconsin (19-5, 9-4 Big Ten)
Prior to a loss Tuesday at Kansas State, Arizona had been one of the hottest teams in the country, with a 13-1 record since Dec. 15. Texas Tech has been similarly excellent of late, with a loss at Arizona the only blemish on its resume since Jan. 12.
No. 4 seeds
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Michigan (19-5, 11-2 Big Ten)
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Kentucky (17-7, 6-5 SEC)
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Kansas (17-7, 8-5 Big 12)
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St. John’s (21-4, 12-2 Big East)
Michigan’s win Tuesday against Purdue improved coach Dusty May’s team to 6-3 in Quad One games. Rick Pitino and St. John’s have only half that many Quad One wins, but had been riding a 10-game win streak before a loss at Villanova Wednesday.
No. 5 seeds
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Michigan State (19-5, 10-3 Big Ten)
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Marquette (19-6, 10-4 Big East)
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Ole Miss (19-6, 8-4 SEC)
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Memphis (21-4, 11-1 American)
Memphis will be an interesting test case for the tournament’s selection committee when it comes to seeding. Penny Hardaway’s Tigers are 5-2 in Quad One games, but have poor advanced metrics relative to their gaudy record, play in a weak American Athletic Conference and have suffered two Quad Three losses: at home against Arkansas State and at Temple.
REQUIRED READING: Starting Five: Alabama-Auburn clash leads college basketball weekend games to watch
No. 6 seeds
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Illinois (17-8, 9-6 Big Ten)
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Missouri (18-6, 7-4 SEC)
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Maryland (19-6, 9-5 Big Ten)
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UCLA (18-7, 9-5 Big Ten)
After memorable news conferences in which coach Mick Cronin bashed his players and the team’s onerous travel schedule, UCLA won seven in a row before a loss Tuesday at Illinois. Perhaps there’s a method to his madness.
No. 7 seeds
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Creighton (18-7, 11-3 Big East)
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Louisville (19-6, 12-2 ACC)
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Clemson (20-5, 12-2 ACC)
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Saint Mary’s (22-4, 12-1 West Coast Conference)
A home loss Tuesday against UConn snapped a nine-game win streak for Creighton. Louisville and Clemson give the ACC some much-needed non-Duke inclusions and are the only other two teams from the league safely in the field as of now.
No. 8 seeds
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UConn (17-7, 9-4 Big East)
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New Mexico (21-4, 13-1 Mountain West)
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Utah State (22-3, 12-2 Mountain West)
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Gonzaga (19-7, 10-3 West Coast Conference)
The Mountain West won’t get six teams in the tournament like it did last year, but it has a couple of teams in New Mexico and Utah State more than capable of winning a game and providing a scare — if not more — for a No. 1 seed in the second round.
No. 9 seeds
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Mississippi State (17-7, 5-6 SEC)
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Baylor (15-9, 7-6 Big 12)
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Oregon (17-8, 6-8 Big Ten)
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Ohio State (15-10, 7-7 Big Ten)
Outside of Ohio State, teams on this seed line have been struggling of late. Mississippi State has lost six of its past eight games, Oregon has dropped five of its past six and Baylor has fallen in three of its past five.
No. 10 seeds
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West Virginia (15-9, 6-7 Big 12)
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Vanderbilt (17-7, 5-6 SEC)
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Nebraska (16-9, 6-8 Big Ten)
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Drake (23-2, 12-2 Missouri Valley)
We’re entering the dreaded bubble territory. Vanderbilt and West Virginia have both shown significant improvement under first-year head coaches, but have endured some of the rigors of conference play as of late. Nebraska had won four in a row before a loss Thursday at Maryland. Under first-year head coach Ben McCollum, Drake has the second-longest active win streak in Division I, at 11 games, and is in here as the automatic qualifier from the Missouri Valley.
No. 11 seeds
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Oklahoma (16-8, 3-8 SEC)
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BYU (16-8, 7-6 Big 12)
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SMU (19-5, 10-3 ACC)**
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Texas (15-10, 4-8 SEC)**
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Arkansas (15-9, 4-7 SEC)**
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VCU (20-5, 10-2 Atlantic 10)**
Oklahoma has won only three of its past 11 games after a 13-0 start. BYU has played its way onto the bubble with four wins in its past six games, including victories against Baylor and at West Virginia. SMU has an impressive record, but still has yet to pick up a Quad One win and has precious few opportunities left to earn one. Like its Red River rival, Texas has underwhelmed in the New Year, with a 4-8 mark in 2025 after an 11-2 start.
Once left for dead in John Calipari’s first season, Arkansas’ talented roster has shown its promise lately, with four wins in its past six games, including two Quad One victories. VCU and George Mason look like, by far, the best bets to win the Atlantic 10’s automatic berth, but whoever comes out on the losing end of that could be poised for an at-large bid.
REQUIRED READING: SEC as best college basketball conference ever? Jay Bilas has point but don’t forget Big East
No. 12 seeds
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UC-San Diego (21-4, 11-2 Big West)
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George Mason (20-5, 11-1 Atlantic 10)
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McNeese (19-6, 13-1 Southland)
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Yale (15-6, 8-0 Ivy League)
No. 13 seeds
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Akron (19-5, 11-0 MAC)
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Arkansas State (19-7, 10-3 Sun Belt)
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Lipscomb (18-8, 10-3 ASUN)
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High Point (22-5, 10-2 Big South)
No. 14 seeds
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Jacksonville State (17-8, 9-3 Conference USA)
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UNC Greensboro (17-9, 10-3 Southern)
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Utah Valley (17-7, 9-1 WAC)
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Northern Colorado (19-7, 11-2 Big Sky)
No. 15 seeds
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Towson (17-9, 12-1 CAA)
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Bryant (16-10, 10-1 America East)
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Cleveland State (18-8, 12-3 Horizon)
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Central Connecticut State (18-6, 9-2 Northeast)
No. 16 seeds
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Norfolk State (16-8, 6-1 MEAC)
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Merrimack (14-11, 11-3 MAAC)
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Southeast Missouri State (16-10, 11-4 Ohio Valley)**
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Omaha (16-11, 10-2 Summit)**
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Southern (15-9, 10-1 SWAC)**
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American (16-10, 10-3 Patriot)**
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket predictions: Who’s in, out of NCAA Tournament?
