March Madness is the most exciting time of the year for not only people who enjoy watching college basketball, but all basketball fans. The feeling of studying and trying to predict the impossible by filling out that perfect bracket is unmatched.
To put into perspective how theoretically impossible it is to get a perfect bracket, according to an article written by Daniel Wilco, there are about 7.5 quintillion pieces of sand in the world. If I chose one at random, you would have a better chance guessing which grain of sand I picked by 23%, than filling out a perfect bracket flipping a coin. But still, every person thinks that they have a perfect bracket every year.
The madness began with a bang in the First Four, where Alabama State made history by securing its first-ever NCAA tournament win. Their victory over Saint Francis came in spectacular fashion, a last-second full-court pass followed by a layup at the buzzer. That singular moment foreshadowed what the rest of March Madness was going to entail. It proved the idea that on any given night, anything is possible.
As the Round of 64 unfolded, familiar patterns emerged. Once again, the 12-seed over 5-seed upset proved reliable. McNeese stunned Clemson in a gritty 69–67 finish, living up to the 12-5 curse that haunts higher seeds annually. Colorado State also joined the fun, toppling Memphis 78–70 in a game where they were actually favored despite being the lower seed. Meanwhile, number eleven Drake took down number six Missouri 67–57 with a performance that combined methodical offense and relentless defense. Perhaps most notably, number ten Arkansas upset number seven Kansas 79–72, signaling that the Razorbacks had more to prove in this tournament.
The Round of 32 continued the Razorbacks’ remarkable run. In what was perhaps the biggest shock of the second round, Arkansas took down number two seed St. John’s 75–66, showing that they deserved to be here against a team that had been considered a Final Four favorite. This was a big loss for St. John’s as this was their first season with their new head coach Rick Pitino, who is widely considered one of the best college basketball coaches of all time. While most other top seeds advanced as expected, Arkansas stood out as the “Cinderella” team that refused to bow out early.
By the time the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight arrived, the tournament had taken a noticeable shift. The chaos of the opening rounds gave way to the calm dominance of the higher seeds. In fact, all 12 games in those two rounds were won by the favored teams.
The Final Four featured all four number one seeds: Florida, Duke, Houston, and Auburn. This was only the second time in tournament history that this had happened, the last time being 2008. In the semifinals, Florida overcame Auburn 79–73, and Houston edged out Duke, setting the stage for a championship clash between two powerhouse programs.
In the national championship game, Florida rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Houston 65–63, securing their third national title and first since 2007. This game was a nail biter all the way through, and really was a game where Houston should have won. Houston had the lead for almost all 40 minutes of the game, only giving up the lead with 46 seconds left, and never got it back. Walter Clayton Jr. was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, becoming the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to score 30+ points in both the Elite Eight and Final Four.
Friis, who also plays basketball for Triton, understands the highs and lows of the game. “It’s tough when your team can’t close out the win after being up all game,” he said, “but that’s what makes basketball so special, anything can happen.”
While upsets may define the opening chapters of March Madness, this year’s tournament reminded fans that structure and strategy often triumph in the end. Though we’ll remember the buzzer-beaters and bracket breakers, 2025 will be equally remembered for the consistency and strength of the top teams. In a tournament built on unpredictability, this year’s script was quite the opposite.
As the tournament concluded, Friis reflected on the experience, saying, “Even though Tennessee didn’t win it all, it was still entertaining, I’m already looking forward to next year.”
In the end, the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament may not have been the most unpredictable, but it still delivered memorable moments and reminded fans why they love the game.
