This story was originally published in Issue 4 of Volume 68 of the Mirador.
Averaging 9.7 million viewers per game in last year’s tournament, NCAA March Madness is back with an even bigger and more emotional month for basketball fans. The single-elimination tournament filled with heartbreak and Cinderella stories is approaching. With seven rounds and 68 teams, only one can come out on top.
Just like every year, the tournament is loaded with NBA-caliber talent. Villanova forward Eric Dixon, standing at 6 feet 8 inches, leads college basketball in points per game (24.6). Dixon gets it done in the paint and from the perimeter, shooting almost 50% from the field. He attempts to lead the historic Wildcat program back to the tournament for the first time since 2022. If Dixon and his teammates manage to sneak their way into the tournament, don’t be surprised if they bust your bracket.
Now for the “Maine Event.” 18-year-old Cooper Flagg could be a student at Miramonte. However, the 6’9” 205-pound forward for the Duke Blue Devils is heavily favored to be the first overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Flagg is an elite two-way prospect who’s instincts prevail on both ends of the floor. He dominates as an off-ball defender who continues to develop his playmaking ability on the offensive side. A powerful frontcourt is crucial to pushing your squad into the late rounds in April, which is precisely what Duke has crafted this year under head coach Jon Scheyer. “Big-time player,” NBA legend LeBron James said.
In recent 2025 NBA mock drafts, Marquette star Kam Jones is projected to go in the first round, with pro comparisons to Sacramento Kings star Malik Monk. Jones, a senior, has stuck with the Golden Eagles throughout his collegiate career; this year he has brought them to an outstanding placement in the Big East and Top-25 ranking. The artful scorer anticipates boosting his draft stock with a deep run in this year’s tournament.
The Auburn Tigers are playing sensational basketball at this point in the season. As the top-ranked team in the country, the Tigers are led by an array of talented stars, particularly Tahaad Pettiford and Johni Broome. Dominant on the defensive side, they lead the NCAA in blocks per game (8.6) and are fifth in average point differential (+18.4). Offensively, the team shoots efficiently, with the highest field goal percentage in the SEC (48.6). Auburn hopes to redeem themselves in March after last season’s run was cut short by Yale in a heartbreaking first-round upset. “We all just huddle up and rely on defense [in close games]: get four stops, three stops. That’s what we do,” Broome said after a big win against the commanding Tennessee Volunteers.
Auburn’s in-state rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide, is once again asserting its dominance. The SEC powerhouse finds itself in a familiar position, thriving at the top. Since 2019, head coach Nate Oats transformed Alabama into a contender, guiding the team to its first regular-season SEC title since 2002. Boasting the highest-scoring offense in the NCAA (90.2 PPG), the Crimson Tide is led by senior standouts Mark Sears and Grant Nelson. Alabama now sets its sights on a return to the NCAA tournament after falling short in last year’s Final Four against the eventual champions, the UConn Huskies.
These UConn Huskies look to become the first program to three-peat since the 1972-73 UCLA Bruins. Head coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies went on back-to-back historic national championship runs in 2023 and 2024. However, four players from last year’s team were drafted to the NBA, challenging this year’s roster. The Huskies started this season underperforming expectations, losing three straight games at the Maui Invitational, where Hurley expressed frustration. “Moving forward, we will only play home-and-home games or single-game events… I don’t think I’ll ever do a three-game MTE [multi-team event] again,” Hurley said. In this case, UConn looks towards the end-of-season stretch to finish strong.
Beware of the Red Storm. St. John’s basketball is on fire this year, grappling one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball with an elite defense. According to KenPom.com, the team holds the fifth-best defensive rating with a 90.9 score. With the addition of Kadary Richmond from Seton Hall to join Zubi Ejiofor and RJ Luis, the roster blends easily with head coach Rick Pitino’s defensive scheme.
The Bradley Braves from Peoria, Illinois, should be on March Madness lovers’ radar. Midway through the season, the Braves find themselves at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference with projections to be a 12 seed come March. The team is first in three-point efficiency (40.6) and top 15 in both free throw percentage (78.9) and field goal percentage (48.7). The Braves will likely need to win the MVC to punch their ticket to March, but I would be on the lookout.
1 in 9.2 quintillion odds to pick the perfect bracket is overwhelming, which is an understatement. With 64 teams competing, every player yearns for the glory of becoming a national champion.
Oftentimes, fans become obsessed with rankings, seeing so many highly-ranked teams and questioning how they could lose to low-major schools. This is where the madness comes in. 35.8% of the 12 seeds have defeated five since 1991, while 11 seeds have beaten six seeds 35% since then. Additionally, a 1st seeded team has only lost twice in the first round in the tournament’s history: Purdue to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023, and Virginia to Maryland-Baltimore County in 2018. Come March, anything is possible.
The furthest a perfect bracket has ever made it was in the Sweet 16 round. In 2019, neuropsychologist Gregg Nigl picked 49 straight games correctly until Purdue outperformed Tennessee in a double-overtime thriller.
With so much talent, unpredictability, and excitement, March Madness continues to captivate basketball fans year after year. As fans prepare their brackets and hope to defy imperfection, one thing is certain: the madness will leave everyone talking.
