March Madness: Who Will Win?

As we enter the final few weeks of March, basketball fans around the country are eager for the tournament, March Madness, to begin. Besides the overall hype of watching the games, a big part of the enjoyment of the tournament is making a bracket and competing with friends and family. However, making a bracket for something you know very little about can be tricky, so if you’re looking for a brief overview of the top teams in the tournament this year, you came to the right place!

There are 64 teams that compete in March Madness every year and there are four regions that are seeded 1-16 based off of the team’s performance in their regular season, 1 being highest, and 16 being lowest. This year, the number one seeds are Auburn, Florida, Duke, and Houston. All of these teams have displayed their unmatched talent throughout the year and have proven to have the skills to win; though, of course, only one team can come out on top. So let’s take a closer look into these top teams to help you finalize your bracket!

Auburn

Number one seed Auburn University has had a great season so far this year with a record of 28-5. They were undefeated for the first 7 games of their season and were beating the teams pretty substantially. That was, until they lost to Duke, another number one team in the tournament. For three and a half months, Auburn was ranked number one overall, but in the end dropped down to fourth after a 93-91 loss to Alabama, followed by a 70-65 loss to Tennessee. Auburn forward, Johni Broome, has had an exceptional season and is expected to perform well in the big dance. Broome has made headlines for the past few months for his record-breaking achievements, one being his 20+ points, 20+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 0 turnovers in a single game, making him the first player in NCAA history to do so. With Broome’s talent and the cooperation and dedication of the players, Auburn just might have the tools to secure the victory.

Houston

Houston is another number one seed in the tournament this year and they will take on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the first round of March Madness on March 20th at 2:00pm. The Cougars ended their regular season with the number 2 spot and with a 30-4 record. The team is arguably most notable for how they handled their games defensively this year. Nine times this season, the Cougars’ opponents scored 50 points or less, a national best. Guard L.J. Cryer is crucial to the team’s success and made AP All-America Third-Team this year. How far can Houston get with a predominantly defensive team? We’ll have to find out!

Duke

Next up, we have Duke University as the number one seed for the East region. The Blue Devils have had an outstanding season with a final record of 31-3. Duke has the potential to do extremely well in the tournament as they have shown in their regular season. The key to Duke’s success is heavily due to the highest rated recruit in the 2024 class, freshman guard/forward Cooper Flagg. Flagg made AP All-American First-Team this year and leads in all categories for his team, including most points, most rebounds, most assists, most steals, and most blocks. It is no secret that Flagg is a key player for the team; however, even after Flagg’s recent ankle injury and his absence from several games, his teammates were still able to step in and pull off some pretty hefty wins. Freshman Kon Knueppel primarily stepped up when Flagg was out as he scored close to 20 points in multiple games, including his record 28 points against Georgia Tech in their conference tournament. The team’s ability to win games even after major setbacks show that they are a very cohesive and adaptable team.

Florida

The final number one seed this year in the NCAA Tournament is Florida. Unlike Houston, Florida is more of an offensive and physical team. The confidence from the players and from the coach, Todd Golden, has certainly treated the Gators well as Florida walked away from their regular season with a 30-4 record. Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. joins Duke’s Cooper Flagg in AP All-American First-Team. Clayton averages 17.6 points per game and has led Florida to countless victories. Currently, Florida is the second most picked to win it all under Duke with 16.95% of brackets anticipating the Gators’ victory. Florida plays 16 seed Norfolk State this Friday, March 21st, to kick off their participation in the big dance.

All number one seeds this year have improved greatly throughout the season and have earned the chance to win it all, but who will ultimately take home the 2024-25 March Madness trophy? With a better understanding of these teams, hopefully you are able to complete your bracket and beat your friends and family in any competitions that you may have! Make sure to tune in to the games starting this Thursday, March 20th, and see for yourself how the number one seeds perform.