Bracketology: Predicting the 2025 NCAA Tournament field – Feast Week
Today at 01:32 PM
Well friends, it’s November, it’s Feast Week, and that means it’s time for the return of Bracketology here at ClutchPoints. No shortage of fine writers will be bringing you college hoops coverage throughout the 2024-25 season, but there’s only one man who will be bringing you Bracketology updates on a weekly basis, and his name is Sonny Brackets!
(That’s me)
So, two weeks of the season are already in the books, so that means every team around the country has had an extended opportunity to make an opening statement. We’ve already been treated to a handful of high-profile games — Duke vs. Kentucky, Purdue vs. Alabama, Gonzaga vs. Baylor, etc. — but I assure you, the best is yet to come.
One thing to note: Until conference play is fully underway near the end of December, my 31 auto-bids will either be the teams I picked to win the conference heading into the season, or the teams that after careful evaluation, I believe are in best position to win the conference, regardless of their non-conference record.
One other thing to note: If you’ve stumbled upon these Bracketology projections and are wondering to yourself, ‘Why should I trust this schmuck when 200 other guys do the same thing he does?’ Well, to answer that question, all I could say is that I try to make this as fun as possible for both you and me, and last year, my final score on the Bracket Project was superior to the Godfather of Bracketology, Joe Lunardi. Pardon me while I stick that feather back in my cap.
Bracketology Bracket
Bracketology Breakdown
Top Seeds: Kansas Jayhawks (Midwest Region), UConn Huskies (East Region), Gonzaga Bulldogs (West Region), Auburn Tigers (South Region)
Multi-Bid Leagues: ACC (5), Big East (5), Big Ten (10), Big 12 (9), Mountain West (3), SEC (10), WCC (2)
Bracketology Bubble Watch
Last Four Byes: New Mexico, Oregon, Clemson, Pittsburgh
Last Four In: UCF, UCLA, Nebraska, Utah State
First Four Out: Michigan, Drake, Miami FL, Nevada
Next Four Out: Vanderbilt, VCU, NC State, Saint Joseph's
Five Most Intriguing Tournaments of the Week
For those of you Bracketology-obsessed college hoops fans who followed along here at ClutchPoints last year, you’ll know that this spot is typically reserved for the five most intriguing games of the week, but since it’s Feast Week, and that means that there are early-season tournaments aplenty to enjoy, why should we limit ourselves to just five games when we could instead get excited about five tourneys you could spend hours watching over the course of Thanksgiving Week?
Dates: November 25-27
Opening Round Matchups: UConn Huskies vs. Memphis Tigers, Colorado Buffaloes vs. Michigan State Spartans, Auburn Tigers vs. Iowa State Cyclones, North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Dayton Flyers
The Pick: UConn
Players Era Thanksgiving Festival
Dates: November 26-30
Opening Round Matchups: San Diego State Aztecs vs. Creighton Bluejays, Oregon Ducks vs. Texas A&M Aggies, Houston Cougars vs. Alabama Crimson Tide, Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Pick: Alabama
Dates: November 27-29
Opening Round Matchups: Louisville Cardinals vs. Indiana Hoosiers, West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs, Oklahoma Sooners vs. Providence Friars, Davidson Wildcats vs. Arizona Wildcats
The Pick: Gonzaga
Dates: November 28-29
Opening Round Matchups: Purdue Boilermakers vs. NC State Wolfpack, BYU Cougars vs. Ole Miss Rebels
The Pick: BYU
Dates: November 28-29
Opening Round Matchups: Florida Gators vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Wichita State Shockers
The Pick: Wake Forest
And One!
The And One! portion of Bracketology here at ClutchPoints is reserved for one college basketball-related prediction I’ll be making for the week ahead, and throughout the season, I keep track of my record. It could be about a game, a particular team, a player, or an entire conference. Nothing really is off-limits.
This week’s prediction: I’ll eat way too much food on Thanksgiving. And before you scoff and say, ‘Sonny Brackets, that’s not college basketball-related,’ I implore you to remember that Feast Week can have multiple meanings.
The post Bracketology: Predicting the 2025 NCAA Tournament field – Feast Week appeared first on ClutchPoints.
