The NCAA Tournament is finally here, allowing college basketball fans to see the top teams they've followed all season long play on the game's biggest stage.
It also gives dozens of other squads the chance to play in a spotlight that they haven't been in before. As millions of Americans are set to learn about teams and players that they've heard little about, let's take a look at one thing to know about each team in the tournament.
[MORE: 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket here]
SOUTH
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Auburn: Bruce Pearl's Auburn squad earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament for good reason. It went 16-5 in Quad 1 games, which is the most such wins by any team in the nation.
16. Alabama State: Could we see another Ron Hunter-RJ Hunter situation in the tournament? Alabama State is coached by Tony Madlock, whose son is guard TJ Madlock, one of the team's top scorers and its leading rebounder.
8. Louisville: Senior guard Terrence Edwards Jr. has been on a tear over the last month, scoring 21.6 points per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and 41.3% from distance since Feb. 1.
9. Creighton: Center Ryan Kalkbrenner became the second player in Big East history to be named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year four times. His average of 2.7 blocks per game is fifth in the nation and the best mark among players in the tournament.
5. Michigan: The Wolverines are led by a pair of 7-footers: Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf. They're the leading scorers at Michigan now, but they've each had Cinderella success in the tournament at their previous schools. Goldin was the starting center for Florida Atlantic in its run to the Final Four in 2023, while Wolf helped Yale upset Auburn in the first round of last year's tournament.
12. UC San Diego: The Tritons enter the tournament as one of just six teams to win 30 games so far this season. Their defense was a large reason for that, ranking first in defensive rating as guard Hayden Gray led the nation in steals (3.2 per game).
4. Texas A&M: No team has been better at securing an offensive rebound this season than Texas A&M. Its 42% offensive rebound percentage is the best in the nation.
13. Yale: Of the teams seeded 13th or lower, Yale might be the strongest. It's ranked the highest in KenPom (74th) and NET rating (72nd) among such teams, finishing 10th in field goal percentage (49%) and eighth in 3-point percentage (38.8%).
6. Ole Miss: Ole Miss is arguably the most disciplined team, offensively, in the tournament. Its 11.3 turnover percentage during the season was the top mark among the 68 teams entering the Big Dance. Having the best turnover percentage in the tournament hasn't meant much, though, in recent years, as the team holding that mark has been eliminated in the second round or sooner in the last four tournaments.
11. North Carolina: UNC's inclusion in the tournament was surprising to many, likely because the Tar Heels went 1-12 against Quad 1 opponents this year.
3. Iowa State: The Cyclones will be without second-leading scorer Keshon Gilbert for the entire tournament due to a groin injury. It's a tough blow for a team that's gone 7-7 in its last 14 games and has struggled offensively. Iowa State has shot 45.7% from the field and 36.7% from deep, while recording 196 assists to 186 turnovers during that stretch.
14. Lipscomb: If you're eyeing Lipscomb as a Cinderella, its play against other tournament teams this season isn't convincing. It lost to Arkansas (16 points) and Kentucky (29 points) by a combined 45 points in November.
7. Marquette: The Golden Eagles haven't been at their best recently. They're 5-7 in their last 12 games, going 1-6 against teams that made the tournament over that stretch. They haven't beaten a tournament team since Jan. 3.
10. New Mexico: Nelly Junior Joseph is averaging the most rebounds per game (11.2) among all players in the tournament, ranking third in the nation. His season high was 21 against Air Force, but he only grabbed four boards in New Mexico's early-season loss to St. John's.
2. Michigan State: The Spartans went 7-2 against opponents currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, holding the third-most Quad 1 wins with a 13-5 record in such games.
15. Bryant: Bryant is coached by the son of legendary Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli, with Phil Martelli Jr. set to coach in his first NCAA Tournament game. Martelli's father went 7-7 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
WEST
1. Florida: The Gators' offense has propelled them as they've won 12 of their last 13 games. They've scored at least 80 points in all but one of those games as they hold the nation's top offense on KenPom. The last four teams to have the nation's best offense on KenPom have made it to the Elite 8, with UConn winning the title last year.
16. Norfolk State: Senior guard Brian Moore Jr. is one of the top scorers in the tournament, averaging 18.4 points per game this season. He had an impressive showing in Norfolk State's loss to Tennessee earlier in the year, scoring 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting.
8. UConn: History is on the line for UConn entering the tournament. It's seeking to become the first team to three-peat since UCLA won six titles in a row in the late 1960s/early 1970s. But its No. 8 seed is the lowest it's had in any NCAA Tournament with Dan Hurley as its head coach, going 7-6 against tournament teams this season.
9. Oklahoma: In a historically deep SEC, the Sooners were one of the teams that suffered the most. They went 6-12 in conference play as the SEC put 14 teams into the tournament. However, the Sooners won all three of their games against non-conference opponents who made the NCAA Tournament.
5. Memphis: Guard PJ Haggerty is the top scorer among all players in the tournament, with his 21.8 points per game ranking third in the nation. That helped the Tigers go 5-2 in games against tournament teams this season.
12. Colorado State: Senior guard Nique Clifford might be one of the best all-around players in the country. He's one of the few players who ranks in the top 50 in points (19) and rebounds (9.7) per game, adding 4.4 assists per game. He averaged 25 points per game in the Mountain West Tournament, helping Colorado State win the title.
4. Maryland: Derik Queen is one of the top big-man prospects playing in the NCAA Tournament. The freshman center has averaged 16.3 points, nine rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game this season, anchoring a Maryland defense that's ninth in the nation in defensive rating. He was the fifth overall pick in FOX Sports' John Fanta's most recent mock draft.
13. Grand Canyon: Grand Canyon is one of the fastest-tempo teams this season. They're No. 15 in KenPom's adjusted tempo metric, which ranks fourth among the teams that made the tournament.
6. Missouri: The Tigers know how to get to the free-throw line better than anyone. Their .340 free throw-to-field goal attempt rate is No. 1 in the country. However, they're only 161st in the nation in free-throw percentage (72.5).
11. Drake: The Bulldogs allowed the fewest points per game this season (58.4), although their tempo helped that. Drake's pace factor was the lowest in Division I this season.
3. Texas Tech: Sophomore forward JT Toppin ramped up his case to be named an All-American in the final weeks of the season. He's averaging 23.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over Texas Tech's last 11 contests.
14. UNC Wilmington: The Seahawks had one of the best offenses among mid-major teams this season. Their 116.8 offensive rating is 20th in the nation, ranking 16th among the teams in the tournament.
7. Kansas: Bill Self has won at least one tournament game in 23 of the 25 appearances he's made in the BIg Dance as a head coach. He hasn't lost a first-round game since 2006.
10. Arkansas: No active coach has won more NCAA Tournament games than John Calipari, who's in his first season at Arkansas.
2. St. John's: The Red Storm have had one of the nation's most efficient defenses this season, ranking third in defensive rating (92.2) while having KenPom's best adjusted defensive rating (87.5).
15. Omaha: If you're looking for an underdog to bet against the spread, Omaha might be a strong selection. It went 23-9 against the spread this season, which was the fourth-best mark among all tournament teams.
EAST
1. Duke: It's no wonder why Duke went 31-3 to win both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles. It's the only team in the nation to finish in the top five in both offensive (first; 124.2) and defensive (fifth; 93.0) ratings, with freshman sensation Cooper Flagg powering the Blue Devils on both ends of the court.
16. Mount St. Mary's: In terms of percentage, Carmelo Pacheco is the top 3-point shooter in the tournament. His 46.4 3-point percentage is the fourth-best mark in the nation, but he missed the entire MAAC Tournament and the First Four game due to a finger injury.
8. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs haven't played great as of late, going 5-8 in their last 13 games. But guard Josh Hubbard is averaging 22.4 points per game over that stretch, turning into one of the nation's top scorers.
9. Baylor: Scott Drew's squad hasn't had a good time against top-end opponents this season. It's compiled a 5-12 record against Quad 1 opponents, which is one of the worst marks among teams that earned an at-large bid.
5. Oregon: Not many head coaches are a better bet than Dana Altman. He's 16-6-1 against the spread in NCAA Tournament games during his time at Oregon, winning all eight of his first-round matchups.
12. Liberty: If you want to beat Liberty, you might want to score a lot of points. It has gone 25-0 in games in which it has allowed fewer than 70 points this season.
4. Arizona: The Wildcats are one of three teams with a 4-seed or higher with a losing record in Quad 1 games this season, going 10-11 in such matchups.
13. Akron: In terms of mid-major coaches, not many are better than Akron's John Groce against the spread in the tournament. He has a 7-2 record against the spread in tournament games, going 4-5 outright. However, he has yet to win a tournament game at Akron, with three of his four wins coming during his stint at Ohio.
6. BYU: The Cougars are one of the hottest teams in the nation entering the tournament, winning nine of their last 10 and 11 of their last 13. They were 4-2 against tournament teams over that 13-game period.
11. VCU: The Rams are a popular Cinderella pick in a lot of brackets. This might be why: They rank 31st in KenPom and have lost just once since the start of February.
3. Wisconsin: The Badgers' opponents in the tournament should hope to not get into a free-throw battle. Wisconsin's free-throw percentage (82.6) is the best mark in the nation.
14. Montana: For those who might pick Montana as an upset pick in your bracket, consider this: The Grizzlies have been the luckiest team in the nation this season, per KenPom's luck rating.
7. Saint Mary's: This marks head coach Randy Bennett's 11th trip to the tournament during his time at Saint Mary's. He's only made it past the first weekend once in his previous 10 trips to the tournament.
10. Vanderbilt: The Commodores haven't had much of a breather over the last two months. Their last 15 games have been against teams that made the tournament, posting a 6-9 record in those matchups.
2. Alabama: Once again, Nate Oats' offense is the best in the nation at putting up points. Alabama led the nation in points per game (91.1) for the second straight year.
15. Robert Morris: One of the three teams that's better against the spread than Omaha in the tournament is Robert Morris. It's gone 25-8 against the spread this year.
MIDWEST
1. Houston: Once again, Kelvin Sampson has made defense the backbone of a great Houston team. The Cougars are second in points allowed per game (58.5), defensive rating (92) and KenPom's defensive efficiency rating.
16. SIU Edwardsville: A pair of cousins have led the way for SIU Edwardsville to make its first NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. Guard Ray'Sean Taylor won OVC Player of the Year, averaging 19.3 points per game, while his cousin Brian Taylor was second on the team in scoring (12 points per game).
8. Gonzaga: Head coach Mark Few has won at least one game in every single tournament since 2008. However, this is the lowest seed Gonzaga has had in the NCAA Tournament since 2016, when it made the Sweet 16.
9. Georgia: This marks Mike White's first tournament appearance with Georgia since he became its head coach in 2022. He won at least one game in each of the four tournament appearances he had as Florida's head coach.
5. Clemson: The Tigers could have one of the highest floors in the country. Three of their six losses came in overtime, with a fourth loss to Louisville coming by just three points.
12. McNeese: Will Wade's squad didn't beat an NCAA Tournament team this season, but it hung in there in the three games it did play against such opponents. It lost all three games by single digits, falling to Alabama by eight, Liberty by four and Mississippi State by three.
4. Purdue: Junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has been one of college basketball's most improved players this season. After averaging 6.4 points per game last season, he put up 20.2 points per game this year. He's averaging 23.3 points per game over Purdue's last 15 contests.
13. High Point: The Panthers have one of the best offenses in the tournament. Their 121.7 offensive rating is the second-best mark in the nation, and they're third in true shooting percentage (60.1%) among all tournament teams.
6. Illinois: Just like last year, the Fighting Illini are led by a player hoping to become a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis is averaging 15 points per game, scoring 20-plus points in three of Illinois' games against SEC teams. He was the ninth overall pick in FOX Sports' John Fanta's most recent mock draft.
11. Xavier: The Musketeers only had one Quad 1 during the regular season, but they can get hot from deep. Their 39.1% mark from 3-point range is the second-best among all teams in the tournament.
3. Kentucky: Not many teams are as battle-tested as Kentucky. The Wildcats had the third-toughest strength of schedule, according to KenPom. But they went 11-10 in Quad 1 games this year.
14. Troy: Troy is one of the toughest teams in the nation to score a bucket on. Its opponents are shooting 40.3% this season, which is the 23rd-best mark in the nation.
7. UCLA: Mick Cronin hasn't gotten UCLA to the tournament every year since he became its head coach, but he does get the Bruins to the second weekend when they are in the 68-team bracket. They've made it to at least the Sweet 16 in Cronin's three tournament appearances as head coach.
10. Utah State: If you're looking for a lower-seeded team to have some offensive pop, Utah State might be your best bet. It's ninth in offensive rating (119.8) and 17th in KenPom's adjusted offensive rating, which is the best mark for a team seeded 10th or lower.
2. Tennessee: Arguably the top two defensive teams in the nation are in the Midwest Region. Tennessee had the best opponent 3-point percentage in the nation (27.8%) and the second-best field goal percentage (38.2%).
15. Wofford: Center Kyler Filewich led the way for Wofford in the Southern Conference Tournament, winning tournament MVP. While he nearly averages a double-double per game (11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds), the most interesting thing about him is his free-throw shot. Filewich uses the granny style to shoot free throws as he's only made 31.8% of his attempts from the line this season.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
