Bracketology 2025: Latest Expert Predictions for Men's Top Four Seeds

Selection Sunday is finally here, and in just a matter of hours, the Selection Committee will choose the 68 teams to represent the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Traditionally, of most importance are the four No. 1 seeds.

The four No. 1 seeds have the easiest paths and are usually among the favorites to win the tournament.

While there has been a shakeup quite often in the AP Top 25 poll, there seems to be a clearer picture of who is deserving of these coveted seeds.

Using their own research methodologies, Joe Lunardi of ESPN, Jerry Palm of CBS, and Mike DeCourcey of Fox Sports took a stab at who they believed was most deserving of a top seed.

Here's what they think.

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South Region: Auburn

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Despite losing three of their last four games, the Auburn Tigers have built up a resume worthy of the top overall No. 1 seed in this year's tournament.

Playing the nation's second-most challenging regular-season schedule, Auburn won 15 of their 19 Quad 1 games.

Of their five total losses, four came against teams ranked in the top five Net Rankings, indicating they haven't really had a bad loss this season.

Led by Wooden Award finalist Johni Broome, the Tigers rank first in offensive efficiency per KenPom and feature four double-digit point scorers in their starting lineup.

All three bracket forecasters have Auburn leading the South Region.

East Region: Duke

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Just how talented is Duke this season?

For the first time since 2005-06, the Blue Devils have won both the regular-season ACC title and the conference tournament in the same season.

In his third year under the helm, Jon Scheyer has his most complete squad, leading the only men’s program in the nation that is top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency per KenPom.

Led by Wooden Award finalist and future lottery pick Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils proved all year they were one of the nation's best, compiling a 19-1 regular-season conference record while earning impressive non-conference wins over Auburn and Illinois.

All three bracket forecasters have Duke leading the East Region.

Midwest Region: Houston

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For the third straight year, Houston is primed to be a No. 1 seed.

Just how difficult is it to beat this team?

Consider this: of their four losses all year, only one came in regulation, and that was back on November 30, 2024, against San Diego State.

The Cougars have never been more efficient from beyond the arc, shooting at their highest clip (39.8%) since at least 1997-98.

On the other end of the court, Houston continues to uphold its reputation as having one of the nation's best defenses, surrendering a league-low 58.3 points per game while ranking second in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.

In just its second year in the Big 12, the Cougars won both the regular season tournament and the conference tournament in the same season.

All three bracket forecasters have Houston leading the Midwest Region.

West Region: Florida

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For the first time since 2013-14, Florida is expected to be one of the top four No. 1 seeds.

The Gators have been one of the nation's best all year, knocking off the then-AP-ranked top team (Tennessee, Auburn) on two different occasions this season, while defeating teams like Alabama, Texas A&M, and Missouri.

The fourth No. 1 seed could easily change depending on the winner of the SEC Conference tournament later today between Florida and Tennessee.

However, as of now, all three bracket forecasters have Florida as the final No. 1 seed, leading the West Region.