Top 10 takeaways from Selection Sunday 2025 as teams gear up for March Madness with the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament brackets are in, and the waiting game for March Madness is counting down. But with the brackets comes the chance to dive deep into the top stories, matchups and takeaways for the upcoming tourney.

Here's a Selection Sunday rundown on the top 10 takeaways for the Big Dance.

Top 10 NCAA Tournament takeaways

North Carolina got the last NCAA Tournament spot, which will spark some controversy. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

#10, North Carolina as last team in was a bad look.

There's nothing like the final team in the NCAA Tournament field just happening to be the school where Selection Committee Chair Bubba Cunningham is the athletic director. North Carolina did very little to earn its bid, and if the Tar Heels take an ugly loss, Cunningham and the committee will look seriously bad.

#9, As the top overall seed, Auburn got a bad early draw.

Somehow, the No. 1 overall seed, Auburn, ends up with a potential second-round game against a team that's literally 70 miles away from the site of the game. Surely, there was a better way to treat the top dog than giving them an awful potential matchup with an under-seeded Louisville team in Round 2 in the Cardinals' relative backyard?

#8, UConn has an interesting path.

The Huskies face an underachieving Oklahoma team that is still full of athleticism. If UConn survives, the two-time defending champions would face the current NCAA title favorite, Florida, in the second round. The Huskies will be a potential underdog to a team that went 6-12 in its conference in the regular season but then could face the hottest team in the country. Tough run for Danny Hurley.

#7, Calipari vs. Pitino is a tasty potential 2nd-round battle.

Looking ahead to potential battles is always dangerous. But No. 2 seed St. John's (and coach Rick Pitino) could face No. 10 seed Arkansas (and John Calipari). If the tourney was a battle of coaches who don't like each other, those two might meet for the NCAA crown. Instead, they may play for a spot in the Sweet 16.

#6, Izzo got a favorable draw to the Elite Eight.

Michigan State has a very favorable bottom of its bracket. No. 3 seed Iowa State has lost guard Keshon Gilbert for the NCAA Tournament. That leaves No. 6 seed Ole Miss as the most formidible opponent for the Spartans. Chris Beard is an excellent coach, but Ole Miss is devoid of both tradition and top-level talent. Izzo's path to the Elite Eight is paved.

#5, Purdue could challenge Houston.

Houston didn't get a particularly kind path. The Cougars could get a Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue in Indianapolis. In an arena full of Purdue fans, Houston would face one of the few teams that could score points against the Cougar defense. If Purdue can survive to the Sweet 16, that could be an ugly matchup for Houston.

#4, 14 SEC teams make the Tournament.

The only SEC teams that didn't make the NCAA Tournament are LSU and South Carolina. Not only is that a record, but it's hard to imagine a 14/16ths NCAA Tournament rate being matched.

#3, Could San Diego State be this year's Cinderella?

As far as a team that has an excellent draw, consider San Diego State as a possible NCAA Tournament Cinderella. The Aztecs get North Carolina in their play-in game. They would then face Ole Miss and potentially short-handed Iowa State. Obviously, if San Diego State was particularly consistent, it wouldn't be in a first-round game. But the Aztecs have a shot at another deep NCAA run.

#2. Could Duke/Bama be the game of the year?

As far as potential down-the-line matchups that look great, take Duke and Alabama. That's the third- and fourth-best offensive teams in the nation per Ken Pomeroy's ratings system. Alabama leads the nation in scoring, and Duke is in the top 21 in the nation in overall shooting, 3-point shooting and free-throw shooting. The scoreboard might not keep up with this kind of battle.

#1, The nine teams that fit the magic formula

There's a magic formula for NCAA champions. Over 90% of NCAA champions are in the top 22 of Ken Pomeroy's offensive ratings in that specific season. Likewise, for the top 32 of his defensive ratings. So, there are nine teams that meet that criteria this season: Florida, Auburn, Duke, Alabama (barely: 32nd in defense), Gonzaga, Houston, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Iowa State. Plan accordingly.