Men's NCAA Tournament 2025: Chaos Bracket That Could Actually Happen

The shocking moments of March Madness are a substantial part of why the men's NCAA tournament has become so beloved.

(Click here to play the NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge.)

Sure, many college basketball fans are hoping to see elite teams like Auburn, Duke or Houston play for a national title. On the path to the Final Four, though, we want to celebrate upsets and jump abord a Cinderella bandwagon.

We want chaos. And we want it immediately.

The following picks are not my official predictions—not that you're terribly interested in those anyway. The objective here is identifying a string of plausible upsets that would shatter expectations in the 2025 tourney.

In other words: Have some fun. We'll provide you with plenty of helpful information on B/R throughout the week.

For a moment, however, just embrace the chaos.

East Region

G Fiume/Getty Images

Jase Richardson

Biggest first-round upset: No. 13 Akron over No. 4 Arizona

First, Arizona has endured a few devastating first-round losses in the last decade. Second, the Wildcats are tasked with slowing an impressive Akron offense that boasts a barrage of willing three-point shooters. Six players take at least 2.5 triples per game and connect at a 35-plus percent rate, and that doesn't even include top playmaker Nate Johnson.

Biggest second-round upset: No. 6 BYU over No. 3 Wisconsin

Buckle up, folks, because this matchup would produce an unhealthy and glorious amount of offense. Both schools launch threes at a top-25 rate nationally and convert at a respectable clip, and neither one is better than average at defending the perimeter. Hottest backcourt wins?

Final Four team: No. 5 Oregon Ducks

Oregon has reached eight previous NCAA tourneys under Dana Altman and never lost in the opening round. (Major jinx alert!) Aided by a theoretical upset by Akron, UO would be primed for a showdown with Duke in the Sweet 16. Oregon's rotation could handle Duke's length and ultimately crash the Final Four.

South Region

G Fiume/Getty Images

Jase Richardson

Biggest first-round upset: No. 13 Yale over No. 4 Texas A&M

Texas A&M is excellent defensively and vulnerable on the scoring end. Yale memorably upset Baylor in 2016 after out-rebounding the Bears and is built for a similar kind of result. If Yale—which is 27th in offensive rebound rate allowed—prevents A&M from getting many second-chance opportunities, look out.

Biggest second-round upset: No. 8 Louisville over No. 1 Auburn

Do you prefer Creighton over Louisville? No problem. Either way, the second-round matchup for Auburn will be a major challenge. Louisville is particularly interesting, though, because this section of the region will be played in Lexington, Kentucky. Auburn fans are certain to travel well, but a home-state underdog is certain to have a healthy representation in the stands.

Final Four team: No. 2 Michigan State

You want maximum chaos? How about a clash between in-state rivals Michigan and Michigan State in the Elite Eight. Picking up a third win over U-M would be tough, but MSU's feisty defense should be an immense thorn in March Madness.

Midwest Region

Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Ryan Nembhard

Biggest first-round upset: No. 13 High Point over No. 4 Purdue

High Point is simply a great offensive team, but the Big South champions rank 17th nationally in two-point shots. Purdue, meanwhile, is a complete disaster at defending the paint at 355th in two-point percentage allowed. Sound the panic alarm.

Biggest second-round upset: No. 8 Gonzaga over No. 1 Houston

Houston hasn't lost on the opening weekend in five straight NCAA tourney trips. The streak would certainly be tested by a Gonzaga squad that won a West Coast Conference tournament title, features five double-digit scorers and ranks 19th in three-point defense.

Final Four team: No. 8 Gonzaga

Of course, the Zags are flawed. They wouldn't be an eighth seed otherwise. The defense has dealt with a few rough stretches this season, and a high-scoring offense can occasionally be ice-cold on the perimeter. Still, the best version of Gonzaga is very appealing.

West Region

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Todd Golden

Biggest first-round upset: No. 15 Omaha over No. 2 St. John's

Do I feel strongly about this? Heck no. We're looking for chaos, however, and there's a looming danger for St. John's. Omaha is 16th nationally in offensive rebound rate allowed, and St. John's is often very dependent on second-chance buckets. This could become a rock fight in Omaha's favor.

Biggest second-round upset: No. 11 Drake over No. 3 Texas Tech

Drake plays at the slowest tempo in the country, according to KenPom. Texas Tech is comfortable with a similar style, but that would create a contest with an especially limited number of possessions. Drake's rebuilt roster has three efficient, high-volume perimeter shooters and, collectively, is elite at rebounding.

Final Four team: No. 1 Florida

That potential second-round showdown with Connecticut could be incredible—and is a serious upset risk for Florida. But I'll stick with the Gators, who enter March Madness on a sizzling note after toppling Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee to win the SEC tournament.

Final Four

James Gilbert/Getty Images

Alijah Martin

To recap, that series of results would pit Michigan State against Florida in one national semifinal—a nifty callback to the 2000 championship game—and Oregon opposite Gonzaga on the other side.

The cool part? Either a fifth or eighth seed would play for a title.

Being a number nerd, though, I'm always hesitant to completely bank on a sleeper/Cinderella-type story on the biggest stage. My competitive side, simultaneously, would really like to be correct about the most important stuff.

Gonzaga continues its masterful run into the championship, but Florida's overwhelming offense and high-upside defense should be too much to handle.

This would be Florida's third national title in program history.