2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Preview: Top Seeds Positioned for Championship Runs

There are no real Cinderella's in this year's Sweet 16. There also have been many massive upsets in the NCAA Tournament.

Still, we had some super exciting games to close out the Round of 32. With no Cinderella's in the Sweet 16, we're probably better off. Ultimately, we're going to get some really good basketball down the stretch. No team is safe right now!

Ultimately, this year's one seeds are far and beyond better than the rest of the field. We'll take a look at their paths to winning the NCAA Tournament as we head into the Sweet 16.

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Sweet 16 Favorites: Is Any 1-Seed On Upset Alert?

1. Duke Blue Devils

The Duke Blue Devils easily look like the best team in the tournament field. Duke has won two consecutive games by at least 23 points to start their run in the NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Devils knocked off Mount St. Mary's, 93-49 and then earned a 89-66 win over Baylor. They've made it look super easy.

To make it to the championship, Duke will need to knock off Arizona and would play Alabama or BYU in the next round. Ultimately, Alabama and BYU are both high-quality offenses with less defense. Duke is more well-rounded than anyone in the East Region and would likely showcase that to at least make the Final Four.

1. Auburn Tigers

I'm certainly not sold on the Auburn Tigers to even come out of the South Region. Auburn only knocked off Alabama State by 20 to start the NCAA Tournament. Then, it escaped Creighton, who had the lead at halftime in the second round.

Now, they'll take on a super hot Michigan team that won the Big Ten Tournament and two additional games in the NCAA Tournament.

If Auburn gets past Michigan, they'd have to face Ole Miss or Michigan State. Both of these teams are very well coached and have good enough defenses to put Auburn away.

If there's a one-seed going down in the Sweet 16, my guess would be on Auburn.

1. Florida Gators

Florida likely has the "easiest" road to the Final Four. After all, No. 2 St. John's was already knocked out by No. 10 Arkansas in the Round of 32.

That said, the Gators have to get through a very good Maryland team. If Florida does that, it'll have to take on either Texas Tech or Arkansas.

While Arkansas is a No. 10 seed, they're coached by John Calipari and have $10 million worth of talent on the roster. Arkansas really isn't a No. 10 seed in terms of talent and capability.

Still, Florida will match up better against any team in the West Region. But clearly, good defenses will stifle the Gators. UConn came close to pulling off a Round of 32 upset over the weekend but fell just two points short.

1. Houston Cougars

Many were pulling for a Gonzaga-Houston upset in the Round of 32. But those pulling for it didn't get to see it. Ultimately, Houston controlled the entire game and earned a win over the Zags, despite a late push for the Bulldogs.

The Cougars have never won the championship under Kelvin Sampson. But if there's a Houston team that can do it, it's this one.

Houston's next matchup against Purdue should be relatively easy. Purdue can't defend inside and will likely struggle to get quality looks against the Cougars. That won't be ideal.

With a win, Houston would take on an SEC team. It'll be Kentucky or Tennessee. A Houston-Tennessee game would be super interesting as both teams pride themselves on defense first. Still, Houston's the No. 1 defense according to KenPom and also has a top-ten offense.

At this time, I still like Houston to come out of the Midwest Region.

Sweet 16 Dark Horses: Other Teams That Can Make Historic Runs

5. Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines are hot!

Look, Michigan has won many tight, close games throughout the season. But against Texas A&M, the Wolverines put up 91 points and won by 12.

They're coached by Dusty May, who took Florida Atlantic into the Final Four a couple of years ago. Plus, Michigan is filled with talent, including two bigs that have really good footwork, great rebounding, and strong knowlege of the game.

I've already stated that Auburn is probably the least likely of the No. 1 seeds to make the Final Four. That would help Michigan's path to the Final Four and beyond.

6. BYU Cougars

One of the upset picks for the Sweet 16 is BYU over Alabama. I haven't been impressed with Alabama ever since it lost to the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament.

Although Grant Nelson is back, I think BYU matches up very well. If BYU can limit turnovers and continue to shoot lights out from the floor, the Cougars are super dangerous. Ultimately, Alabama doesn't force many turnovers and BYU has shot 37.3% from deep and 58.4% from inside the arc.

The more shots for the Cougars, the better. They're an elite offense, just like Alabama. The Cougars can earn an upset and potentially make it into the Final Four. The path would just be difficult with a potential date against Duke in the following game.

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