Sports

March Madness: Which Teams Will Triumph?

Lou Rodriguez, Staff Reporter

March 19, 2025

The 2025 NCAA March Madness tournament bracket waiting to be filled in before the tournament’s first game.

Many sports fans look forward to spring.

MLB’s opening day and the NHL and NBA playoffs are all havens for sports fans after the rough stretch from the Super Bowl in February until March.

But all these major sports like baseball, hockey, and pro basketball get overshadowed by one sporting event: the college basketball tournament, March Madness.

Millions of people make their predictions for March Madness in hope of winning the $1 million prize for the perfect bracket.

Check out The Falconer’s March Madness predictions below.

Upsets

The University of Akron Zips

Although I haven’t watched this team a lot, their stats on paper certainly stand out. They have the third-most points out of the NCAA D1 schools and are ranked 11th in total rebounds, two categories which are crucial for upsets. Not only that, but they also have a good three point percentage which ranks 61st in the NCAA.

UC San Diego Tritons

The Tritons have a very favorable matchup in the first round of this year’s college basketball playoffs. They play a higher-seeded Michigan team which seems to underperform for their seeding. The team can make threes and consistently score in games. I have plenty of confidence that this is a very possible upset.

Yale University Bulldogs

The team shocked the world last year, beating Auburn University 78-76, and they may do it again in 2025.

They pulled a very favorable matchup against Texas A&M University in the first round. Their three point percentage is what pops out the most to me, ranking 17th in the NCAA. When people choose upsets, a go-to stat is the team’s ability to shoot threes, which is exactly what this Yale Bulldog team can do.

Potential Top Seeds That Can Be Upset

University of Michigan Wolverines

This team is the fifth seed in this year's tournament. The fact that they rank past 200th in three point shooting percentage is something to worry about. Not only that, but this team also lacks free throw percentage, something that can easily knock them out of the tournament in a close game.

Clemson University Tigers

One thing this Clemson team has going for them is shooting. They face the McNeese Cowboys in the first round which many people are not trusting after their dead hype last year. I won’t deny that they can shoot. This fact is the only thing that could convince me they’re going to do better than I think.

However, this team’s rebounding is something that holds them back, and if they can’t rebound, they won’t have the chance to shoot.

Texas A&M Aggies

The team in the fourth seed in the tourney is not a team I fancy. Their major concern — outside the fact that they can’t win in big games — is that their threes won’t go inside the basket. They rank 323rd in the NCAA in three point shooting percentage. If they’re not upset in the first round, they will be before the Sweet 16.

University of Houston Cougars

A lot of people don't trust the Houston Cougars, with good reason.

They don’t score points in games (they rank 99th) and can’t shoot free throws at all. Last year, I was confident in this team, but they managed to choke. This year, I’m not trusting them whatsoever. Give me an early upset.

Possible Deep Run Teams

BYU Cougars

This BYU team has been one of my favorites for months. They have not only the talent to make it deep but the determination as well. In every game I watch, they seldom miss threes. They rank seventh in two point percentage and 37th in threes.

My only concern for this team is that they’re playing Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) team in the first round who can be a real threat. Despite this, if they can make it past VCU, they have a very clear shot to get into the Elite Eight or at least the Sweet 16.

University of Kentucky Wildcats

No one believes in this Wildcats team except for me.

It seems they either boom or bust every year. This year, I put my money on a boom. They have some big wins under their belt in a tough SEC schedule. If the Wildcats make it past the second round, they’re locks to at least make the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga University Bulldogs

Gonzaga, a school known for their basketball program, has kind of disappeared as of late. When I tell someone I’d like Gonzaga to make a run in this year’s tournament, they look at me as if I am crazy.

The truth is that Gonzaga’s stats are out of this world. They are fifth in total points, fourth in free throw percentage, and third in field goal percentage. They average 86.6 points per game which is second in the NCAA. I could write on and on about how much I love this team, but in a nutshell, they have real potential this year.

Deep Run Locks

Auburn University Tigers

Not much needs to be said about Auburn’s team this year. They are the clear favorites and with good reason. They force teams to make turnovers, and they score the 10th-most points per game in D1 basketball. They are the obvious pick, so just don’t overthink it with Auburn.

Michigan State University Spartans

A team which I wasn’t so sure about until recently, this team only has one major flaw which could be their downfall: threes. Other than that, you cannot point to one particular thing and tell me they're bad at it. They’re great on free throws, amazing on rebounds, and they move the rock as well as any team.

Duke University Blue Devils

Duke has an amazing basketball program every year. Somehow, though, they manage to choke when it counts the most every year.

Fortunately, this year, they have a major game-changer: Cooper Flagg. Although he suffered an ankle injury in this year’s ACC tournament, coaches and doctors have cleared him to come back for March Madness. They have amazing stats all around (and I mean top 15), and watching them dominate every team they play is quite telling of how good they are. I’m serious, their point differential on wins is 20.8 points.

Overall, this year’s March Madness has a plethora of teams that have a good chance to make a deep run. As anyone who’s watched March Madness before knows well, anything can happen. Any team can get hot at the right moment, which is what makes it so entertaining to watch.

About the Contributor

Lou Rodriguez, Staff Reporter

Freshman Lou Rodriguez was born and raised in the Southeast Portland neighborhood of Montavilla. A beloved neighborhood to Rodriguez, he feels Montavilla is a small town with a bustling downtown that is somewhat separate from the rest of Portland. Rodriguez’s dad is from Argentina but moved to Mexico at a young age. When his dad turned 18, he moved to Texas and started a new life in America. Rodriguez’s mother is from Istanbul, Turkey but moved to America when she was 25 and has lived here since. Most of Rodriguez’s family lived in Texas before they moved to McLean, VA in August of 2023. Since he was a little child, Rodriguez adored Texas and was disappointed when his family moved away from the area. Rodriguez, although only a freshman, plans to go to college either at UT Austin or Texas A&M. Rodriguez loves sports. His favorite sports are baseball and football. He is both a die-hard Cowboys and Astros fan. He also loves Longhorns football since his dad went to UT Austin.

The La Salle Falconer

The La Salle Falconer

The La Salle Falconer

lasallefalconer

March Madness: Which Teams Will Triumph?

The La Salle Falconer

Comments (0)