2025 March Madness Bracket Pool Advice: Cinderellas & Bracket Busters

The Madness is almost here! The 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket has been revealed, and it’s time to put together picks for your pool. We have you covered as some of our college basketball writers share their top picks and predictions for 2025 March Madness. Here are our predictions to help you put together your bracket. Here are our favorite 2025 NCAA Tournament Cinderellas and March Madness Bracket Busters to know as you prepare for your pool.

2025 NCAA Tournament March Madness Bracket Strategy & Betting Picks

2025 March Madness Bracket Pool Advice

Favorite Cinderellas (No. 12 Seed or Higher that can Bust Brackets)

Here are our favorite sleepers who could bust brackets this March.

Name	Favorite Cinderella (12 seed or higher)
Dan Servodidio	UC San Diego
Mike Zelizo	Yale
Ryan Rodeman	McNeese
Joe Williams	Akron

UC San Diego

The UC San Diego Tritons burst onto the NCAA Tournament scene in their first year of eligibility after completing their four-year transition to Division I. They boast an eye-popping 30-4 record as Big West championship, entering the tourney with the longest winning streak in hoops. Coach Eric Olen’s squad emerges as one of the tournament’s most intriguing mid-major threats, ranking 36th nationally on KenPom with a balanced attack that excels on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, the Tritons suffocate opponents with elite pressure, forcing teams to the second-highest turnover rate in the nation, leading to momentum-swinging fast breaks off turnovers with the 19th-highest points per possession off steals. They rarely send opponents to the free throw line and keep teams away from the hoop, forcing looks from deep.

Their modern offensive system revolves around relentless pick-and-roll actions while spacing the floor with accurate three-point shooting that accounts for a significant portion of their offensive arsenal. Their catch-and-shoot percentage ranks second-highest in the nation. Leading to 40 percent of their points coming from deep, a top-20 clip.

The backcourt duo of playmakers Hayden Gray and Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones orchestrates this attack with contrasting styles: the smaller Gray attacks the paint aggressively while still able to shoot from deep while the 6’6″” Tait-Jones uses his size advantage creatively. The Big West player of the year has come to his own out of New Zealand and draws fouls at one of the highest clips in the nation. Tyler McGhie provides spacing and the ability to get hot from deep, while Nordin Kapic offers a versatile frontcourt option that allows the Tritons to stretch defenses with five-out lineups.

It’s tough to trust a team that hasn’t played a top-50 unit all year. But with their unique offensive system, defensive tenacity, and remarkable ball security, UC San Diego presents a stylistic challenge that could frustrate higher-seeded opponents unprepared for their disciplined execution and deep shooting range.

Yale

Yale earned their auto-bid after cruising through the Ivy League, suffering just one loss in conference all year. Their perimeter shooting is elite, they take care of the ball, and the Ivy rep in the tournament always seems like a tough out come March. Three different players average double-digit scoring and the highlight is John Poulakidas. Few players have better ball control than the 6-6 forward and he’s a capable microwave from deep. Their outside-in defense allows few attempts near the hoop with a top-100 near-proximity percentage. Samson Aletan is an effective shot blocker and Nick Townsend is a do-it-all frontcourt piece that elevates this offense.

Their defense is what leaves more to be desired. They rank outside the top 100 and don’t force many turnovers while allowing 40 percent of opponent points to come from deep. This allows volatile scoring against them and sunk them in a lot of non-conference games.

Which is another concern. In non-conference games, Yale’s efficiency drops further with a sub-150 ranked defense. I’m not sure if their defense will cause any issues in the opening round as a relatively straightforward team to prepare for. But the Ivy has surprised before, and Yale is coming off a tournament win only a year ago. They’ll compete with anyone and everyone, it’s just a matter of their ability to string wins together that seems unlikely.

McNeese

McNeese enters the NCAA Tournament as not just the best team in the Southland Conference but a legitimate mid-major force with a roster that resembles a high-major squad. Under second-year head coach Will Wade, the Cowboys have surged to a 27-6 overall and 19-1 conference record. McNeese has a top-70 offense and defense, making it one of the most balanced mid-majors in the field.

The Cowboys’ offensive philosophy is simple but brutally effective: attack the rim relentlessly. The Cowboys rank 16th in the country in near-proximity shot attempts, converting at a strong 57.5% clip. Their ability to limit turnovers while also forcing takeaways fuels an offense that scores over 1.14 points per possession.

McNeese’s defensive scheme is equally imposing, ranking 18th in the nation in points off breakaway steals, and the high turnover rate helps. They pressure full-court at one of the highest rates in the country and feature a versatile, switch-heavy defensive system designed to cause chaos.

The Cowboys’ formula is clear: pressure, disrupt, and attack. They play fast, force mistakes, and convert in transition. With four players averaging double-digits points, any given player can go off beyond just Javohn Garcia. If their defensive intensity holds up and their deep roster of scorers clicks, McNeese has the potential to make serious noise in March.

It’s tough to forget what they did last year against Gonzaga, barely even competing, but new year, new team. This isn’t just a strong mid-major — this is a dangerous team built to win.

Akron

Coming out of the MAC, Akron enters March Madness with a dynamic yet unpredictable profile. Playing at breakneck speed, the Zips generate abundant scoring opportunities and have a top-35 effective field goal rate. They won’t get to the charity stripe all that often, but they don’t give up the ball easily and manufacture second-chance points.

Their defensive approach forces tough two-pointers and limits second-chance opportunities, but it leaves more to be desired. Nate Johnson, the lone returning starter from last year’s tournament team, provides clutch scoring in tight situations, while Tavari Johnson has stepped up in his junior campaign.

Tournament success hinges on whether Akron’s high-major talent can overcome consistency issues. The Zips only played three teams in the KenPom top 100 and lost to all of them. In 2025, Akron is 21-1 with the ninth-best effective field goal rate, and its offense is playing its best ball of late. At their best, the Zips’ uptempo style and efficient offense make them a genuine bracket-buster candidate capable of surprising higher-seeded opponents.