At the age of 72, Rick Pitino continues to demonstrate his remarkable coaching prowess, guiding his sixth different school to the prestigious NCAA Tournament. In 2025, he has successfully led St. John's to the Round of 64 in the highly anticipated March Madness bracket. Securing a No. 2 seed in the West Region, St. John's has an exciting opportunity to reach its first Sweet 16 of the 21st century, highlighting Pitino's pivotal role in the program's rapid turnaround.
In just his second year at the helm, Pitino has transformed St. John's into a formidable contender, making them one of the popular picks for a deep run in the 2025 March Madness bracket. If they aim to reach their first Final Four since 1985, they will likely face a significant challenge from the No. 1 seed, Florida Gators, who clinched their spot as SEC champions. The Gators are leading a record-setting SEC conference that sent a staggering 14 teams into the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Before finalizing your 2025 March Madness bracket predictions, it’s essential to consult the expert insights from the proven computer model at SportsLine. This advanced projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times, consistently outperforming over 91 percent of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the last six tournaments. Last year, it accurately predicted Alabama's As the 2025 NCAA Tournament' href='https://breakingon.com/search/uconns3cb-championship-run-and-identified-13-teams-that-made-it-to-the-sweet-16-furthermore-it-successfully-highlighted-3cb3ealabamas3cb-cinderella-journey-to-the-final-four-as-a-4-seed-showcasing-its-ability-to-spot-upsets3cp3e3ch23ekey-matchups-to-watch-in-the-2025-ncaa-tournament3ch23e3cp3eas-the-3cb3e2025-ncaa-tournament'>UConn'sAlabama's As the 2025 NCAA TournamentKey Matchups to Watch in the 2025 NCAA Tournament
Key Matchups to Watch in the 2025 NCAA Tournament
The matchup will hinge on how Baylor plans to defend against Hubbard, who is a key player for Mississippi State, especially considering he was second in the SEC for 3-pointers made this season. This intriguing 8 vs. 9 contest could significantly impact both teams' trajectories in the tournament.
Another matchup to keep an eye on is the clash between BYU and VCU, which promises to be a crucial 6 vs. 11 game. Despite never having made it to the Final Four, BYU has enjoyed a successful season with 24 wins, their only recent loss being to Houston in the Big 12 Tournament. After suffering an early exit last year against No. 11 seed Duquesne, they will be keen to avoid a similar fate this time around.
Meanwhile, VCU enters the tournament with a record of 28 wins, having secured their third Atlantic 10 Tournament title. This marks their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance, and they will be looking to capitalize on their momentum.
The third match to watch features No. 3 seed Wisconsin taking on No. 14 seed Montana. Wisconsin has faced its share of challenges in recent tournaments, holding a 1-3 record against double-digit seeds over the last four years. Their recent loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game adds to the pressure as they prepare for Montana, who has been on a tear, winning 14 of their last 15 games and boasting the third-best shooting percentage in the nation at 49.6%. This matchup puts Wisconsin on potential upset alert once again.
As fans gear up for the excitement of March Madness, the big question remains: How far will major programs advance, and which Cinderella teams will emerge as tournament surprises? Given the model's impressive track record of identifying bracket-busting upsets, be sure to check which stunners it is predicting this year before finalizing your 2025 NCAA bracket picks.
