The Athletic has live coverage of 2025 Men’s March Madness
Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.
The first round of the NCAA Tournament brought us a wealth of excitement. Most of it, however, comes from the anticipation of the crop of second-round games it set up. Only four lower-seeded teams won in the first round, including just two double-digit seeds moving on in No. 10 Oregon and No. 10 South Dakota State.
So much of March is about styles and how they contrast. Take Vanderbilt against Oregon, where the Commodores struggled mightily with foul trouble. In a smaller team built more on speed, Vandy relies on help and ball pressure to defend the post. Factor in 6-foot-8 Philipina Kyei of Oregon, and that’s just an entirely different kind of presence in the paint. Look solely at the box score, and her seven points completely undersell her impact. She snagged five massive offensive boards and nearly every triple the Ducks hit was due to her gravity.
The second the clock started ticking on the first game of the NCAA Tournament, the season reset.
It’s not always about who’s the better team as a whole, but who’s the…
