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BRACKET BREAKDOWN: March 16th

This is March.

Between now and Selection Sunday, each day I’ll give a “BRACKET BREAKDOWN” with my 68 projected teams for the 2025 NCAA Tournament along with my Top 16 seeds as well as emerging trends.

The team who is currently in first place in their respective conference will be listed as that league’s “automatic qualifier” while the team that’s clinched an automatic qualifier will have a * next to its name.

The Current Field

Atlantic Sun (1)
Lipscomb (AQ) *clinched AQ
America East (1)
Bryant (AQ) *clinched AQ
American Athletic Conference (1)
Memphis (AQ)
Atlantic 10 (1)
VCU (AQ)
ACC (3)
Duke (AQ) *clinched AQ, Clemson, Louisville
Big 12 (8)
Houston (AQ) *clinched AQ, Kansas, Iowa State, Arizona, Baylor, West Virginia, Texas Tech, BYU
Big East (5)
St. John’s (AQ) *clinched AQ, Marquette, UConn, Creighton, Xavier
Big Sky (1)
Montana (AQ) *clinched AQ
Big South (1)
High Point (AQ) *clinched AQ
Big Ten (8)
Wisconsin (AQ), UCLA, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, Oregon
Big West (1)
UC San Diego (AQ) *clinched AQ
CAA (1)
UNCW (AQ) *clinched AQ
Conference-USA (1)
Liberty (AQ) *clinched AQ
Horizon League (1)
Robert Morris (AQ) *clinched AQ
Ivy League (1)
Yale (AQ)
MAAC (1)
Mount St. Mary’s (AQ) *clinched AQ
MAC (1)
Akron (AQ) *clinched AQ
MEAC (1)
Norfolk State (AQ) *clinched AQ
Missouri Valley (1)
Drake (AQ) *clinched AQ
Mountain West (4)
Colorado State (AQ) *clinched AQ, New Mexico, Utah State, San Diego State
NEC (1)
St. Francis PA (AQ) *clinched AQ
OVC (1)
SIU Edwardsville (AQ) *clinched AQ
Patriot League (1)
American (AQ) *clinched AQ
SEC (14)
Florida (AQ), Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas
Southern (1)
Wofford (AQ) *clinched AQ
Southland (1)
McNeese (AQ) *clinched AQ
SWAC (1)
Alabama State (AQ) *clinched AQ
Summit (1)
Omaha (AQ) *clinched AQ
Sun Belt (1)
Troy (AQ) *clinched AQ
WCC (2)
Gonzaga (AQ) *clinched AQ, Saint Mary’s
WAC (1)
Grand Canyon (AQ) *clinched AQ

Last Four In

West Virginia, Xavier, Texas, San Diego State

First Four Out

Boise State, Indiana, Ohio State, North Carolina

Top 16 Seeds

1: Auburn, Duke, Houston, Florida
2: Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan State, St. John’s
3: Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Maryland
4: Purdue, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Arizona

Five Things To Know

  • Duke won back-to-back ACC Tournament games against North Carolina and Louisville without both Cooper Flagg (ankle) and Maliq Brown (shoulder). That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for the conference.
  • The winner of today’s SEC Tournament title game between Florida and Tennessee will be in prime position to be the fourth number one seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Vols have never been a number one seed in March Madness.
  • St. John’s hasn’t been to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 1999. At 30-4, the Red Storm should be cemented as a two seed and will play in Providence on Thursday in the Round of 64.
  • Houston is 39-5 against Big 12 opponents since joining the league prior to the 2023-24 season.
  • A salute to Robert Jones, who has led Norfolk State to three of the past five NCAA Tournaments out of the MEAC.

Leftovers