A full panel has been assembled and they build this week’s seedlist line by line! They debate, discuss, assess, and argue about each team as they go. Find out who they have on the #1 lines so far, who is safely in, who still has work to do, and who on the bubble just made it in and just missed it.
Below is a final copy of The Bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
We are 3 weeks away from Selection Sunday as we continue to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 66 of the 68 teams that made the 2025 tourney: 62 of his 66 were within 1 spot of their actual seed and 52 were right on the money. He will spend the upcoming weeks predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 15th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how he stacks up with other websites (ranked 7th out of 186 bracket veterans over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com
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SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Duke (ACC)
1: Michigan (Big 10)
1: Arizona (Big 12)
1: Connecticut (Big East)
2: Houston (Big 12)
2: Iowa State (Big 12)
2: Purdue (Big 10)
2: Illinois (Big 10)
3: Florida (SEC)
3: Nebraska (Big 10)
3: Gonzaga (WCC)
3: Kansas (Big 12)
4: Michigan State (Big 10)
4: Virginia (ACC)
4: Texas Tech (Big 12)
4: Vanderbilt (SEC)
5: Alabama (SEC)
5: Arkansas (SEC)
5: Tennessee (SEC)
5: St. John’s (Big East)
6: BYU (Big 12)
6: Louisville (ACC)
6: North Carolina (ACC)
6: Kentucky (SEC)
7: St. Louis (A-10)
7: Villanova (Big East)
7: Wisconsin (Big 10)
7: Utah State (MWC)
8: NC State (ACC)
8: Iowa (Big 10)
8: Miami FL (ACC)
8: SMU (ACC)
9: Clemson (ACC)
9: UCF (Big 12)
9: St. Mary’s (WCC)
9: Georgia (SEC)
10: Auburn (SEC)
10: Texas (SEC)
10: Texas A&M (SEC)
10: UCLA (Big 10)
11: Indiana (Big 10)
11: Miami OH (MAC)
11: Santa Clara (WCC)
11: TCU (Big 12)
11: USC (Big 10)
11: Missouri (SEC)
12: South Florida (American)
12: Belmont (MVC)
12: Liberty (C-USA)
12: Yale (Ivy)
13: Stephen F. Austin (Southland)
13: High Point (Big South)
13: UNC Wilmington (CAA)
13: Hawaii (Big West)
14: Utah Valley (WAC)
14: North Dakota State (Summit)
14: Appalachian State (Sun Belt)
14: Portland State (Big Sky)
15: Austin Peay (Atlantic Sun)
15: East Tennessee State (SoCon)
15: Navy (Patriot)
15: Wright State (Horizon)
16: Merrimack (MAAC)
16: Tennessee State (OVC)
16: LIU (NEC)
16: Bethune-Cookman (SWAC)
16: Howard (MEAC)
16: UMBC (America East)
1ST 4 OUT
New Mexico (MWC)
Ohio State (Big 10)
San Diego State (MWC)
Virginia Tech (ACC)
NEWS AND NOTES:
-Duke v Michigan was close all throughout the game, which was what we were all expecting, and Duke managed to hold on and win 68-63. Both teams have been projected as #1 seeds and both are still likely #1 seeds, but Duke probably jumps over Michigan in the seedlist and is perhaps now the overall #1 seed. The game was in Washington DC and our own Jon Teitel was there.
-Arizona may also have a claim to the overall #1 seed, and while I don’t know what the real committee would do, Arizona is who my overall #1 would be. They won at Houston 73-66. Houston was also within range of a #1 seed, and Arizona beat them in a true road game. Arizona now has true road wins against both UConn and Houston and I think has the best overall profile. Speaking of UConn…
-UConn bounced back from their upset loss against Creighton with a really solid 73-63 road win at Villanova. UConn is still within reach of the 1-line despite the recent loss.
-The biggest upset of the day, and perhaps one of the most surprising results of the year, was Cincinnati’s 84-68 win at Kansas. It was close for the entire game, and then with about five minutes to go Cincinnati just ran away from them. The Bearcats have been playing with much more of a purpose these last few weeks, and while it may be too little too late they still have a small chance of getting inside the bubble. Had they played like this all year we’d be talking about them as a first ballot team.
-BYU, who had been in a tailspin since getting hit with injuries, picked up a big win last night at home against Iowa State 79-69. It’s a huge win for the Cougars even though they were at home because they played really well against a really good team and now appear to have some of their momentum back.
-UCLA, who seems to always win a big game after Mick Cronin does something or says something publicly, got their biggest win of the year as they held off Illinois in Overtime 95-94. The Bruins fell behind early but battled back, had a chance to win in regulation that came up short, and after Illinois hit what appeared to be a game winning basket they drove the length of the court for a game winning (and perhaps season saving ) layup as time expired. It was a HUGE win for UCLA
-Virginia won a tight one at home against Miami FL 86-83. Miami is inside the bubble and has been playing really well. This is a win that would have really boosted their profile had they pulled it off.
-Tennessee, who was having a really good year but didn’t have a really good true road win yet, has one now! They knocked off Vanderbilt 69-65 on the road after nearly knocking off Kentucky at Rupp Arena recently. The Vols are very solid and have now shown they can beat top 25 teams in a true road game.
-Clemson, who a short time ago was looking like a protected seed, now can’t seem to beat anyone at home, on the road, or anywhere else. The Tigers have now lost four straight after falling at home to a Florida State team that’s nowhere near the bubble 70-65.
-Georgia, who had been in a tailspin of their own, but a big win against Texas at home 91-80. It’s a decent win on paper, but more importantly Georgia now seems to have things turned back around after a big week that featured a win at Kentucky a few days ago.
-USC, who was on the fringe of the bubble, did something bubble teams should never do and that’s lose at home to a team that’s nowhere near the bubble. They fell to an Oregon team that’s just flat out really bad 71-70 yesterday.
-Liberty, who I thought would have a shot at landing inside the bubble if they were able to win out, no longer has that shot. They were blown out at home by Western Kentucky yesterday 94-73. This follows a game where the Flames needed overtime to beat FIU earlier in the week.
-Kentucky finished off a rough week with a second straight loss as they fell to Auburn 75-74 in what was a close and hard fought game. Auburn really needed the win as they had lost five straight coming into this one. Kentucky has now lost three straight and is in a skid of their own.
-Utah State, who had been rolling through the Mountain West, fell at Nevada yesterday 80-77. We knew this would be a tough game, but it was still one that we felt Utah State was good enough to win. It won’t knock them outside the bubble, but it will perhaps keep them out of the top half of the bracket (for now).
-Last, and perhaps least, Mississippi Valley State picked up their first D1 win of the season as they stole an in-bounds pass from Texas Southern in the final seconds and laid it in for the 72-71 win!!
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Ohio State is coming off a big win against Wisconsin and is right on the fringe of the bubble. A win like this could be enough to move them inside the bubble for now, but it won’t be easy. Michigan State is a likely protected seed who is a really strong 13-2 at home and who is looking to hold serve themselves.
-IOWA AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Both teams are hovering around the middle of the bracket and both are safely inside the bubble. This is just a resume-building opportunity for both teams. Wisconsin already has some big wins on their profile, so Iowa could probably use this one a little more.
-Iona @ Merrimack (Metron Atlantic) – Merrimack has already clinched 1st place
-Wright State @ Robert Morris (Horizon League) – it has been a wild season in the HL, but Wright State can clinch 1st place outright with a win today
HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has spent the past few months covering several Georgetown basketball home games, with a very special reward coming in March. However, since 2 of the sport’s bluebloods decided to play a 1-off game in DC in late-February, he was in attendance Saturday night for the Duke-Michigan game at Capital 1 Arena and prepared this photo essay.
My evening got off to an inauspicious start due to the pregame meal (none) and my seat location (upper level press box, which was so high that I felt like I was sitting atop the Washington Monument, and which is why this will be heavy on essay and light on photo).
Let’s tip it off in front of an announced crowd of 20,537, which makes this the highest-attended neutral-site game in the nation all season:
The 1st half was the Yaxel Lendeborg show, as the Michigan star made a bank shot, a pair of layups, an old-fashioned 3-PT play, and a pair of shots from behind the arc to lead the way with 16 PTS as his team built an early lead. However, Duke G Caleb Foster knocked down back-to-back 3s to give his team a 22-21 lead, and the 2 heavyweights went back and forth before we headed into halftime with Duke leading Michigan 35-33. Patrick Ngongba did a lot of damage inside during the 2nd half on a pair of layups and an alley-oop dunk, while Cameron Boozer did a little bit of everything all night long (18 PTS/10 REB/7 AST/2 BLK/1 TO) to help the Blue Devils knock off the top-ranked Wolverines 68-63. After heading down to the court I FINALLY saw some people I recognized including former Duke star Kon Knueppel (left) and former UNC standout Coby White (right):
In the postgame press conference I asked Lendeborg and his fellow big man Morez Johnson Jr. about getting outrebounded 41-28. Morez (left) said that it was due to their fellow/even-taller big man Aday Mara getting into foul trouble (the 7’3″ Spaniard only played 22 minutes due to picking up 4 fouls), but that they still needed to step up as a team. Yaxel (right) confirmed that Aday grabs so much attention that missing him on the floor was a really big hit for the team:
I wondered how Michigan coach/friend-of-Rocco Dusty May would compare Boozer to some of the other great players he has faced this season (Graham Ike/Bruce Thornton/Braden Smith/etc.). He admitted that Boozer’s physicality is impressive…and then did his best Kelvin-Sampson-evasive-answer impression by proceeding to discuss how the entire Duke team deserved credit for getting their own misses because they are well-trained. They have a good feel for knowing where the misses were coming off the rim and were able to get there quicker:
I reminded Duke coach Jon Scheyer that the East Regional would be taking place in this same areana in less than 5 weeks, then tried to get him to admit that he wants to be playing here, and if so then whether this win would give him any advantage. He claimed he was unsure because he tries to stay incredibly present…but also understands the future ramifications. However, he confirmed that not only would this game help his squad understand what an NCAA tourney environment is like, but even at open practice this morning it helped to be in front of the fans during College GameDay because it simulates what it will be like next month:
That is a wrap on an incredible day/night of basketball, but check back next month because the best moth of the year is almost here!
Since it was not easy to follow all the action in the Duke-Michigan game from the upper-level nosebleed pressbox seats, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel figured he would make better use of his time and sneak in a quick halftime interview with John McKenney Jr., whose son Trey is a freshman for the Wolverines.
As a junior at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, your son Trey had 32 PTS/10 REB in a win over North Farmington High School in the state championship game: what did it mean to him to win a title, and where does that rank among the best birthday gifts of your life?! It was the greatest birthday gift ever: it meant everything to me.
In 2024 he won a gold meal with Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup (along with Morez Johnson Jr.), and in 2025 he scored 22 PTS off the bench for Team USA in an OT win at the Nike Hoop Summit: what did it mean to him to represent his country? It meant the world to all of us when he went to Argentina and won a gold medal.
Last year he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan and a McDonald’s All-American: how proud were you of all his amazing accolades? I was very proud, but he is even better as a person than as an athlete.
He received more than 40 D-1 scholarship offers before becoming the 1st Flint native since Glen Rice to pick Michigan over Michigan State: why have more players from Flint not ended up in Ann Arbor during the past 4 decades? The scandals in the 1990s hurt them in recruiting. Michigan is diverse and has high academic standards, but Dusty is turning it around.
I read that he lost 18 pounds last offseason while gaining some muscle/increasing his athleticism: how hard did he have to work to make that happen? He had o sugar for 5 months, and his body fat went from 13% to 6%.
Your family is from Flint, which is about 50 miles north of Ann Arbor: how many of his home games have you been able to attend this season? Every single 1: it is just a 60-minute drive.
He stands 6’4″ but has a 6’9″ wingspan: how much of an advantage is his length on the court? A lot!
Michigan has already had an incredible season: what is your favorite memory so far (Trey’s 21-PT effort in his debut win over Oakland/his 17-PT game in the 40-PT win over Gonzaga at the Players Era Festival/other)? His game-winning basket against Nebraska (www.instagram.com/reels/DUCYQKmkdap/)
His aunt Linnell Jones McKenney was the 1st female pro basketball player in Flint history: who is the best athlete in the family? He is.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. Duke in DC? Michigan will win!
For today’s Hoops HD Daily Rundown – CLICK HERE
College GameDay (aka ESPN College GameDay covered by State Farm) made its Saturday morning debut more than 20 years ago and remains the best in the business. Host Rece Davis and analysts Jay Bilas/Seth Greenberg/Jay Williams/Andraya Carter break down all the results/news/games that you need to know as it travels from campus to campus. Since the game of the day is a 1-off non-conference game in DC tonight featuring Duke & Michigan, the crew headed south from Bristol to get everyone hyped up for the possible NCAA title game preview. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel was in attendance and prepared this photo essay from a memorable morning.
You know it is a big deal when the big red bus comes to your city:
I was unsure how many people would show up at 10AM on a (finally) decent weather day to see 2 teams whose campuses are not anywhere near DC, but the lower-level sideline was pretty packed:
As the clock struck 10AM, it was lights/camera/action (with Stanford Steve standing to the side):
No cheerleaders/dance team for Duke, but they did send their band/mascot:
Usually the GameDay crew set up shop right on the court, but today they were behind the basket so that each team could hold an open practice and then get their emotions in check before heading back to their respective hotels:
I did not get any good shots of the Michigan players/coaches, but national POY frontrunner Cameron Boozer and his coach Jon Scheyer were a little easier for me to see:
During the final minutes of the show the crew came onto the court to cheer on 1 lucky fan who tried to make a half-court shot for a lot of money (close, but no cigar):
Props to J-Will and Rece for taking time to walk over to the crowd after the show to shake some hands/take some selfies:
Rece was kind enough to autograph my own homemade sign, which made the whole morning worth it!
And last, but certainly not least, here are some of the best signs I saw during my 2 hours at the arena:
That is a wrap for now, but check back tonight for what just might be the game of the year!
