Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.
After a somewhat tepid Round of 64, the 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament took a step up in quality in the second round. We finally got a few terrific games, with Maryland-Colorado State, Florida-UConn, BYU-Wisconsin and Houston-Gonzaga leading the way.
And speaking of that Maryland-Colorado State game, we finally got a buzzer beater, too. After the underdog Rams hit a massive go-ahead 3 with six seconds left, the Terrapins’ Derik Queen answered with a running bank shot as time expired, a reminder of the emotional swings that March provides.
Chalk still remains a theme throughout the bracket, though. As The Athletic’s Chris Vannini pointed out, this is the first NCAA Tournament since 2007 without a single team seeded No. 12 or worse in the Sweet 16. Only four conferences are represented: the ACC, the Big 12, the Big Ten and the SEC. Quite simply, this is not the year of the Cinderella squad. The silver lining: The second-weekend matchups are loaded.
All four No. 1 seeds made it through to the second weekend, meaning the top of our rankings of the most likely title winners remained unchanged, but there was plenty of movement beyond that grouping.
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Duke reasserted its standing as the top team in the tournament on Sunday, destroying Baylor’s limited frontcourt en route to a scorching 1.51 points per possession. A career-high 25 points from Tyrese Proctor led the way, and Cooper Flagg’s ankle injury appears to be a thing of the past, as the superstar freshman posted 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes. Duke has now won its two NCAA Tournament games by a total of 67 points, a level of dominance evoking the blistering run of 2024 UConn.
No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s
93-49
What a win for the Gators, who survived an outstanding performance from reigning national champion UConn to escape with a 77-75 victory. Alijah Martin led the way early and made a couple of clutch plays late, but it was the sublime shot making of Walter Clayton Jr. that ultimately nudged Florida past Dan Hurley’s team. Florida is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and gets Maryland on Thursday night in San Francisco.
No. 16 Norfolk State
95-69
Houston’s defense has been the heartbeat of the Cougars’ rise to national powerhouse status, but it was the offense that delivered a Sweet 16 berth via a win over Gonzaga. LJ Cryer poured in 30 points, while senior forward J’Wan Roberts repeatedly carved out space for hook shots near the bucket in the second half. Kelvin Sampson’s team will need its defense on Friday, though, as Purdue’s deadly offense awaits.
An outstanding second half featuring two separate 10-0 runs enabled Auburn to get by Creighton somewhat comfortably. Bruce Pearl’s team flashed the form it held for most of the season, making shots and dominating the glass. The Tigers’ guards carried them, with freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford exploding for 23 points off the bench. Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones added 17 and 15 points, respectively. Michigan’s double-7-footer lineup will be another huge test for Auburn’s frontcourt.
No. 16 Alabama State
83-63
Texas Tech sent Cinderella home on Saturday afternoon, defeating the upstart Drake Bulldogs 77-64. The physical duo of JT Toppin and Darrion Williams led the way, combining for 53 points and 18 rebounds while thoroughly dominating the paint. The Red Raiders now have four more days to get Chance McMillian healthy before facing another double-digit seed in Arkansas. McMillian is one of the best shooters in the country but has been dealing with an unspecified upper-body injury.
No. 14 UNC Wilmington
82-72
Alabama jumped out to a double-digit lead against Saint Mary’s on Sunday and never looked back, holding that edge for nearly the entire game. The Gaels never let it turn into a true blowout, but the Tide answered the bell any time it looked like Saint Mary’s might make a comeback. Grant Nelson looked healthy, an important development for the upside of Nate Oats’ team. A shootout likely awaits on Thursday; BYU’s offense is every bit as potent as Alabama’s prolific attack.
No. 15 Robert Morris
90-81
The Vols controlled Saturday’s game against UCLA, leading by as many as 19 points in the second half thanks to terrific shooting performances from Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey. Their defense also showed up, limiting the Bruins to just 0.94 points per possession. That defense must be on its game against Kentucky, which swept two meetings with Tennessee already this season.
New Mexico gave the Spartans a tremendous battle, but Michigan State’s toughness and depth ended up prevailing in a 71-63 win to secure Tom Izzo’s 16th career appearance in the Sweet 16. Frankie Fidler (10 points) and Tre Holloman (14 points) gave the Spartans some serious punch off the bench, helping Michigan State survive a rare dud from Jase Richardson. Izzo’s team will need more from its freshman phenom on Friday against Ole Miss, whose defensive pressure will test the Spartans’ perimeter playmakers.
After a season of brutal buzzer-beater luck, Maryland finally landed on the right side of a game winner. Derik Queen’s running jumper banked in as the horn sounded to give the Terps a 72-71 win over Colorado State, setting up a showdown with No. 1 seed Florida on Thursday. The Terrapins will likely stay out west this week, going straight from Seattle to San Francisco, while Florida has to make the long trek from Raleigh. Perhaps that will create a slight edge for the Terps.
No. 12 Colorado State
72-71
In Mark Pope’s first season in charge in Lexington, Kentucky is heading back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. The Wildcats exploded out of the halftime break, connecting on 10 of their first 11 shots. That allowed them to separate from Illinois, and although it did get close later in the game, the lead never shrank below six. Kentucky should be pleased with its Sweet 16 matchup: The Wildcats have already beaten Tennessee twice this season.
Michigan erased a 10-point second-half deficit to beat Texas A&M on Saturday. Dusty May’s immediate turnaround in Ann Arbor after Michigan went just 8-24 overall last season is incredibly impressive. Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin combined for 37 points and 21 rebounds, while Roddy Gayle tallied a season-high 26 points off the bench. The Wolverines now face top seed Auburn in what will probably feel like a true road game in Atlanta.
In a rematch of old Pac-12 rivals, Arizona held off Oregon despite starting the game in a 19-4 hole. Caleb Love was brilliant, showcasing the best parts of his Jekyll-and-Hyde game with multiple clutch jumpers en route to 29 points. Love now gets a final collegiate matchup against his old UNC rival, Duke, on Thursday night in Newark. Arizona lost at home to the Blue Devils on Nov. 22, but both teams look a lot different than they did four months ago.
Purdue took care of another mid-major on Saturday, dominating McNeese for a comfortable 76-62 victory. Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with an efficient 22-point, 15-rebound double-double, and the Boilermakers knocked down 11 triples against the Cowboys’ changing defenses. Kaufman-Renn faces a huge challenge on Friday, though. Houston is extremely physical and frequently doubles the post. The Boilermakers’ shooters will need to be at their best to pull off the upset.
BYU remained one of the hottest teams in the country on Saturday night by knocking off No. 3 seed Wisconsin, surviving a 37-point effort from the Badgers’ John Tonje. The Cougars have now won 11 of their last 12 games, with the only loss coming to Houston in the Big 12 tournament. The Cougars are now in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011 (when Jimmer Fredette was in Provo). They’ll face Alabama in Newark in what could be one of the most entertaining games of the NCAA Tournament.
Ole Miss got by Iowa State on Sunday night, blitzing the Cyclones offensively to help the SEC set an NCAA Tournament record by placing seven teams into the Sweet 16. The Rebels shot the lights out, going 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) from deep, and they forced 15 ISU turnovers while only coughing it up eight times themselves. They should have a decent crowd in Atlanta on Friday night, and Chris Beard’s team would surely love a fourth crack at Auburn in a theoretical regional final.
No. 11 North Carolina
71-64
John Calipari’s Razorbacks are a shocking addition to the Sweet 16 after they upset St. John’s in the second round. It was ugly — the teams combined to shoot 4 of 41 (9.8 percent) from beyond the arc — and Zvonimir Ivisic fouled out after just 10 minutes, but the Hogs’ defense frustrated the Red Storm all game. Arkansas got 37 points combined from its trio of freshmen: Billy Richmond, Karter Knox and Boogie Fland. The Razorbacks now head across the country to San Francisco to take on Texas Tech.
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(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Justin Ford, Matthew Stockman, Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
