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5 dark horse candidates for the 2025 Final Four

It’s never too early to start looking ahead!

Check below for our list of 5 dark horse candidates that could reach the 2025 Final Four.

In no particular order:

Iowa State: The Cyclones are currently ranked fifth in the ROTHSTEIN 45, but they’re not universally viewed as a Final Four contender. That shouldn’t be the case. Iowa State returns four double-figure scorers — Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones, and Milan Momcilovic — from last year’s team that won 29 games and reached the Sweet 16 while adding two quality transfers up front in Dishon Jackson (Charlotte) and Joshua Jefferson (Saint Mary’s). Kansas, Houston, Baylor, and Arizona will get plenty of attention entering the Big 12 this season, but T.J. Otzelberger’s squad can stand toe-to-toe with any of those squads.

Indiana: Mike Woodson hasn’t coached a game yet with this group of Hoosiers, but the talent level that’s been assembled in this program is staggering. Indiana’s transfer haul during the offseason — Oumar Ballo (Arizona), Myles Rice (Washington State), Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford), and Luke Goode (Illinois) — completely changed the ceiling and overall perception of this program, which missed the NCAA Tournament last season. Ballo, Rice, and Carlyle all possess all-conference caliber ability while Goode’s outside shooting should fill a major void. Malik Reneau (15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds), Mackenzkie Mgbako (12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds), Trey Galloway (10.6 points, 4.6 assists), and Gabe Cupps (2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds) are proud veterans who return after averaging 21 minutes or more last season. Keep a close eye on Mgabko, a former five-star prospect who should benefit immensely from an improved supporting cast. The Big Ten’s best roster resides in Bloomington.

Arkansas: Ask yourself this question: How would the Razorbacks be perceived if they had Kentucky across their chests and not Arkansas? The answer is easy — like a top-10 team. John Calipari’s first season in Fayetteville should be a promising one as he’s put together a roster that’s older and more seasoned that the last one he coached while he was in Lexington. A troika of transfers from Kentucky — DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic — followed their head coach while Calipari also added two others — Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) — that should make a major difference defensively. Three top-40 freshmen — Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond, and Karter Knox — are also in the fold for the Razorbacks along with holdover Trevon Brazile (8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds). Arkansas could very well be the second-best team in the SEC behind Alabama.

Oregon: Point guard play is always paramount in college basketball and the Ducks should have one of the best in sophomore Jackson Shelstad (12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists), who’s primed to emerge as one of the premier floor generals in the country. Villanova transfer TJ Bamba (10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds) and Toledo transfer Ra’Heim Moss (15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds) are other proven commodities on the perimeter along with fifth-year senior Keeshawn Barthelemy (7.9 points). Oregon also added a potential All-Big Ten player in Stanford transfer Brandon Angel (13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds), who should be a focal point up front among a host of capable bodies — Nate Bittle, Supreme Cook (Georgetown), and Kwame Evans — that will all log minutes on the baseline. There’s a lot for Dana Altman to work with in Eugene.

Texas A&M: Player retention is the biggest key to success in college basketball and the Aggies have plenty of it. Texas A&M returns 82.5 percent of its scoring from last season’s team that lost to Houston in overtime in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, headlined by All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV (19.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds). Henry Coleman, Solomon Washington, Manny Obaseki, Jace Carter, and Andersson Garcia also return as players who averaged 14.5 minutes or more a year ago. Buzz Williams also added two potential starters via the transfer portal in big man Pharrel Payne (Minnesota) and Zhuric Phelps (SMU) as well as a bonafide floor spacer in CJ Wilcher (Nebraska). This team should be considerably better than it was a year ago when it was inches away from the Sweet 16.

Leftovers