This year’s NCAA tournament is simply madness.
With each new round, there is a new achievement, whether it be a new kid on the block or an entire conference controlling the end-of-all fate of the tournament.
For the first time since the tournament’s expansion to 64 teams in 1985, the Sweet Sixteen was composed entirely of teams from the Power Four conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. The Elite Eight was also composed of four SEC teams — Auburn, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee — matching a tournament record set by the Big East in 2009 and the ACC in 2016.
Tennessee redefined “Rocky Top” as “Rocky Bottom” this year. The Vols put up a jaw-dropping record 15 points in the first two quarters in Indianapolis. And no, this isn’t just an Elite Eight blunder — this is the worst scoring drought ever for a top-two seed in any men’s NCAA Tournament game.
The Elite Eight nearly turned into an SEC family reunion, but heartbreak struck twice when Ole Miss gave Michigan State a last-minute scare before bowing out. Looking down on the bracket, John Calipari and Co. for Arkansas fumbled a 13-point lead to a tough Texas Tech squad.
The four SEC squads that did make the Elite Eight weren’t just survivors — they were the conference’s best all season. Auburn, the nation’s best overall team, secured its spot in the Final Four after taking down the Spartans.
Auburn’s star big man Johni Broome dropped 25 points, snagged 14 boards and even knocked down 3-of-5 from the stripe for good measure. But the real headline? Broome cemented his name in the history books, joining an exclusive club of just four players ever to rack up 2,500 career points and 1,500 rebounds. If the Naismith Player of the Year race wasn’t already sweating, it sure is now — because Broome is cooking, but Flagg is doing his thing as well.
Duke first-year Cooper Flagg became the first player in the program’s history to record 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in an NCAA tournament game during the Blue Devils’ victory over Arizona. This achievement also makes him only the second player since 1986 to reach these numbers in a tournament game.
Flagg became the first ever to drop 25 points, five assists and three blocks in an NCAA tournament game. He then joined the elite company of Zion Williamson and Jared McCain as one of only three Blue Devil rookies to hang 30 in a tourney matchup.
But wait, there’s more! Flagg also became the first Duke player ever to notch 30 points, five boards and five assists in an NCAA tournament game. And according to ESPN, he’s only the second player since 1986 to put up a 30-5-5-3 stat line. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, he’s now the youngest player in NCAA history to post 30-5-5 in the Big Dance.
All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the men’s Final Four for the first time since 2008 and only the second time in history.
From 2008 to 2025, getting all four No. 1 seeds to the Final Four was rare. Only in 2015 did three top seeds crash the party, and since 2016, not even all four No. 1s have managed to make it past the Elite Eight together.
But this year? The signs were there. The 2025 NCAA tournament didn’t just have four No. 1 seeds — it had a Mount Rushmore of dominance. Duke, Florida, Auburn and Houston weren’t just good — they were statistical bullies, each boasting an adjusted efficiency margin of 35 or more. In translation? Any one of these teams would outscore any average Division I team like a rec league squad playing against prime Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
The gap between these No. 1 seeds and the next-best teams wasn’t just big — it was Grand Canyon-sized. And when you compare them to past champions? Only two of the last 22 title-winning squads even sniffed that level of efficiency.
This year’s Final Four in San Antonio will do its best to repeat the 2008 Final Four, which was also in San Antonio. Either way, regardless of the outcome, it’s the greatest sporting event in the land, and it will take place in one of the most historic arenas, the Alamodome. Buckle in, folks, and enjoy the madness.
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