NBA legends continue raising sons who, not surprisingly, make the college game better. In fact, it’s not just some random bench players who are making the list. The greatest active legend in NBA game, LeBron James, has a son playing Division 1 basketball.
Cayden Boozer goes up for a one-handed dunk; photo courtesy Andrew Hancock
The 2008 USA Olympics “Redeem Team” has 3 dads of current D1 players
Carlos Boozer already watched one of his sons make the life-changing ascension into the NBA. He still has another son pursuing that dream while playing college basketball.
Boozer is the third player from the 2008 Gold-medal winning “Redeem Team” to currently boast being the dad of a Division 1 hooper. Cameron Boozer got drafted in the NBA Lottery last Spring and Cayden Boozer is pursuing another Duke championship currently starting as a guard for the Blue Devils
LeBron James still has a son playing college basketball
Bryce James is entering his second season at Arizona.
James rejoins an Arizona team that made the Final Four last season and still has high expectations, despite losing a handful of players to the NBA Draft.
Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan returns to Syracuse despite rocky freshman season
LeBron’s teammate on the USA Olympic Gold winning 2008 men’s basketball team, Carmelo Anthony, has a son who is also returning for his sophomore season. Kiyan Anthony is sticking it out at Syracuse, giving his father’s former point guard a chance as his coach.
Gerry McNamara earned the Syracuse coaching job after leading the Siena Saints to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament last season.
Yahoo Sports! recently chronicled the high stakes nature of Kiyan Anthony stepping into a shaky situation in a Syracuse landing spot that is a distant memory from its lone championship some 25 years ago.
It’s uncanny! Watch how Kiyan Anthony’s game resembles his pops:
Scottie Pippen Keeps Pumping them Out
Sorry, I couldn’t resist the urge.
Six time NBA champion Scottie Pippen is adding to his legacy. A few short years after his son Scottie Pippen Jr. played Vanderbilt and earned a spot on an NBA roster with the Grizzlies, Pippen has another son at Ohio State.
Justin Pippen will actually become the third Pippen son in this generation to play Division 1 basketball. His older brother Antron played several years ago before dying tragically from conditions related to asthma.
Division 1 Coaches Make “House” Call to Family Legacy of Scoring
Former instant buckets-getter in the NBA, Eddie House, is still producing Division-1 ready athletes. After Jaelen made a splash for Arizona State (and now the NBA G League), he has another son in Kalek House on Richard Pitino’s Xavier team. It feels like those Pitino coaches always keep it in the family!
Lesser-known NBA Players with sons playing college basketball
ChatGPT won’t do this type of deep dive.
UNLV has a second generation player. Sebastian Mack is the son of 7-year NBA veteran (and international journeyman) Sam Mack. If you’re in the market for a Sam Mack Getty Image, visit this link!
More Coming Attractions
Skip to my… Second Generation Star
One of the greatest street-ballers of all time, in addition to being an NBA veteran, also has a son being recruited from power 5 schools.
It will not only be a second act for an Alston player in high level basketball, but it will be a second act for coach Will Wade at LSU. The coach returns to Louisiana after getting into some hot water with the same team during his tenure there from 2017-2022.
Rafer Alson was a street legend before joining teams like the Miami Heat in the NBA.
Welcome to the College Basketball Eye Test Top 25, our definitive look at how the national landscape shapes up ahead of the season. While consensus rankings like the AP Top 25 heavily favor standard blue bloods at the very top, our board shakes things up early with aggressive positioning for surging programs like Louisville and Florida. You will also find some distinct wrinkles in the back half of our rankings: we are firmly buying stock in a reconstructed Cincinnati squad, betting on Missouri to outpace consensus expectations, and sneaking Indiana right into the thick of the Top 20.
Here is our complete Top 25:
Duke
Louisville
Arizona
Florida
UCONN
Illinois
Michigan State
Texas
Houston
Texas Tech
Kansas
Arkansas
St. John’s
Alabama
Gonzaga
Kentucky
Tennessee
Cincinnati
Missouri
Indiana
Miami (FL)
Iowa State
UCLA
USC
BYU
Let’s dive into the storylines, rosters, and sleeper teams defining the early landscape.
College Basketball Top 25 Outlook: The Elite Trinity at the Apex
As we stare into the crystal ball for this upcoming season, a definitive trinity of elite programs sits at the apex of the national rankings: Duke, UConn, and Florida anchor the very top of the polls.
Duke Blue Devils: The spotlight in Durham is blinding, but the incoming talent matches the hype. Expect them to push for the top spot instantly.
UConn Huskies: Coach Dan Hurley is looking to maintain his ruthless standard of dominance, aiming for yet another historic run.
Florida Gators: Keep your eyes glued to Gainesville. Todd Golden has locked, loaded, and built a massive March run contender.
The Rome Game: Notre Dame vs Villanova Historic Tip-Off in Italy
If you think college hoops waits around for Thanksgiving tournaments to give us premium matchups, think again. The season is tipping off with an absolute history-maker. We are heading across the Atlantic to the Holy City of Rome, Italy!
It’s a spectacular, high-stakes neutral site battle featuring Notre Dame and Villanova. Two historic programs with massive fan bases are squaring off on European soil to set the tone for the entire national landscape. You talk about an immaculate backdrop for hoops—Rome won’t know what hit it when the Irish and the Wildcats take the floor.
Transfer Portal Tracker: Cincinnati Gains Utah State Haul While Missouri Retains Star
Sometimes, a massive bounty of Halloween treats trickles deep into the next calendar year. You might remember being a kid, checking your stash, and realizing you managed to make your October candy haul last all the way until Easter. A similar kind of roster holdover exists in the modern college basketball landscape. We are seeing coaches move neighborhoods, but they aren’t leaving their most treasured pieces behind.
Take a look at Cincinnati. Former Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun packed up his loaded bag of tricks and brought it straight to the Bearcats. He didn’t come alone, either. He brought his high-impact transfers, MJ Collins Jr. and Adlan Elamin, to immediately fortify Cincinnati’s rotation. That is a massive haul shifting from one neighborhood to another to shake up the league.
Missouri Tigers Keep Interior Star
Meanwhile, over at Missouri, the Tigers managed to keep their own king-sized chocolate bar perfectly intact. Their star power forward is staying put, anchoring the paint and giving Mizzou the ultimate cornerstone to build around this winter.
Big East Basketball Stress: UConn, Villanova, and Georgetown Outlook
Look, it hasn’t all been sweet treats. Some teams just make you want to rip your hair out. Trust me, the Big East has given hoops fans a literal bald spot in recent years.
First, UConn completely busted brackets across the country when people dared to bet against them. Then you look at Villanova, struggling to consistently live up to those sky-high, gold-standard expectations of the post-Jay Wright era. And don’t even get started on Georgetown—a program that used to strike fear into the hearts of opponents, now operating as a mere shadow of its former self. It’s enough to make any college hoops fan go completely bald from the stress.
Louisville Basketball Sleeper Status: Pat Kelsey Lands Major UNC Transfer
If you were to peek through the bandages and keep a single, hyper-focused Cyclops mummy eye on just one sleeper team poised to explode this season, it has to be Louisville.
Coach Pat Kelsey has turned the Cardinals into a certified track meet. They are playing at a blistering, breathless pace, and a massive reason for the hype is their absolute coup in the transfer portal, landing a dynamic, game-changing transfer directly out of UNC. Louisville is going to surprise a lot of people, so keep that single eye wide open.
College Basketball Eye Test Cameos and Media Collaborations
Why do we hear angels singing in the background? Probably because the college basketball season seemingly starts sooner and sooner every single year, and honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Enjoy this angelic, hoops-filled weekend. Make sure to head over to collegebasketballeyetest.com for film breakdowns, deep-dive metrics, and everything you need to get ahead of the curve.
Here are some fun pairings of college basketball futures and college football futures, which gives extreme payouts with compounded odds.
Which universities have a legitimate shot at making both the College Football Playoff (CFP) and College Basketball’s Sweet 16 or Elite 8? If you are looking for long-shot value, these dual-sport powerhouses offer some fascinating futures and parlay opportunities.
Today features massive gridiron matchups, with SMU taking on Louisville and BYU battling Colorado State. But for sports bettors and college fans looking at the bigger picture, today’s games are just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
BYU Cougars: The ultimate high-value sleeper?
The BYU Cougars are flirting with a top 10 football ranking and look like legitimate playoff contenders on the gridiron. But don’t sleep on their basketball program.
Even after navigating massive roster shifts in the modern NIL era, the Cougars return dynamic playmaker Robert Wright III to run the point. Compounded odds for BYU to win a national championship in both football and basketball sit at a staggering 666-1. It’s a massive payout, but as the old saying goes: buyer beware!
Louisville vs. SMU: A tale of two parlays
Louisville and SMU squared off against each other on the day this article was published.
Coach Pat Kelsey has turned Louisville basketball into a certified track meet, and oddsmakers have noticed—listing the Cardinals at 22-1 to win the college basketball championship. If you build a two-leg parlay backing Louisville to win both the football and basketball national titles, you are looking at a combined 400-1 ticket.
Want to get truly wild? Betting on SMU to achieve the same historic dual-sport sweep would pay out an astronomical $19,000 on a single $1 dollar bet.
Texas Longhorns: Heavyweight contenders in both sports
Texas survived an early-season football scare against Ohio State, cementing their status as national championship favorites. On paper, their basketball team matches that elite pedigree.
The program generated massive offseason buzz, recently tweeting out a viral video of alumnus Kevin Durant returning to campus for a workout. With the Longhorns sitting at 6-1 to win the football championship and 22-1 to win March Madness, they represent the safest bet on the board to make deep postseason runs in both sports.
I’m writing this live from State College, where Penn State is firmly in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth. However, the Nittany Lions aren’t expected to make much noise when March Madness rolls around.
While these dual-sport champion outcomes are highly unlikely, you don’t actually need both teams to win it all to turn a profit. Simply making it into tournament play opens up massive opportunities to hedge your bets and lock in a return.
For more deep dives and analytical breakdowns, visit collegebasketballeyetest.com.
World Cup Sweet 16 Printable Bracket: Updated for Saturday, July 4
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the Sweet 16, and the tournament is beginning to feel a lot like March Madness. Every match is now win-or-go-home, making this one of the most exciting weekends of the tournament. If you’re searching for an updated World Cup Sweet 16 printable bracket.
Print your bracket, follow every matchup, and make your own predictions from the Round of 16 all the way to the championship. With several surprising upsets already reshaping the field, every remaining country has a chance to write its own Cinderella story. Download the printable bracket and enjoy the knockout stage!
College Basketball Blogger Can’t Resist Filling Out a Bracket, World Cup Predictions
With as much college basketball as we watch, we start to admire more than just the pure skill on the basketball court, such as the style and shape that some players sport for their hairdos.
And when I say we, I am referring to the collective college basketball chatter that we engage with on Twitter, blogs, and other social media. Below are some cool hair cuts to keep an eye on towards March Madness for the prom night of all red carpet moments.
Distinguished Gray Hair Makes its way into college hoops
NIL may be keeping more players in the NCAA ranks for longer, but this Eastern Washington transfer has been distinguished in gray for the entirety of his college career. Steele Venters has some Blue Steel looks with his distinguished gray highlights.
Let’s add Steele Venters and his “touch of gray” to the Best Hair in College Hoops watch list. Speaking of which, #Gonzaga out-classed #Alabama tonight. pic.twitter.com/1XdIzISHgA
Parody, the primary ingredient that makes college basketball amazing, could be spoiling right in front of our very eyes. It’s the ingredient that allows for a team ranked outside of the top 100 make for a memorable Thursday in mid-March.
Last year, we watched all 1 seeds make the Final Four for the first time in nearly 20 years.
This year, we are seeing a historic streak where the basketball season is beginning with ranked teams pitching a shutout against unranked teams.
This streak is crazy…
We’ve officially hit the longest stretch in AP Poll history 😳
Even with ranked teams continuing their perfect record against unranked opponents, the season has already delivered moments where the upset alarm blared loud enough to make everyone look twice. In early November, Towson pushed No. 3 Houston deep into the second half before a late 13–2 run finally gave the Cougars breathing room. UC Irvine nearly stunned No. 7 Arizona, leading for long stretches until Koa Peat’s late-game heroics bailed the Wildcats out in Tucson. Charleston had No. 12 Alabama tied inside the final four minutes before the Tide’s depth finally separated. Even mid-majors like Vermont (vs. Tennessee) and Saint Peter’s (vs. Villanova) hung around into crunch time, keeping the score within a single possession late. All of these games flirted with becoming the season’s first true shocker—yet every time, the ranked favorite found a solution. Those close calls highlight how thin the margin has been, but they also underscore the larger storyline: even when threatened, the top teams simply refuse to fall.
The Rich Getting Richer Makes for a Poorer Experience for the Non-Power Schools
In the NIL era, the old saying “the rich get richer” has never felt more literal in college basketball. Money has always mattered, but now it speaks with a megaphone. The programs with deep-pocketed collectives, national brands, and massive donor networks are stacking even more advantages on top of their already dominant positions. Top-50 recruits who might have once chosen high-mid-majors for immediate playing time are now opting for Power 5 schools because the financial opportunity simply isn’t comparable. Even proven mid-major stars in the transfer portal are being pulled upward by six-figure offers and long-term visibility that only the biggest programs can provide. The result is a consolidation of talent at the sport’s wealthiest institutions—where depth charts resemble NBA benches and even the “role players” were once featured options somewhere else. As NIL accelerates this talent migration, the power dynamic continues tightening around a small handful of resource-heavy schools, making the upset landscape feel thinner than ever.
Another dynamic is clearly missing from the college game There are nearly no scenarios where the nucleus of mid-major programs are cultivating with each other, and delivering results, within a four year window. If you think of the Wichita State teams from the early 2010s, there was a senior leadership that blended young stars (like Fred Van Fleet) and then blossomed come tournament time. The Butler Bulldogs of that same era grew as a unit with a mix of one or two NBA prospects with a remainder of just solid 4 year college basketball players.
Once a player does excel at the mid-major level, he jumps squarely onto everyone’s radar and therefore, likely, into the transfer portal.
Oscar Clufff is a rare case of a player journey from major, to minor, to a major conference once again.
The transfer portal has become more important than the traditional course of coaches recruiting from high schools. Look at 247sports.com listing of the top 100 players to transfer ahead of the 2025-2026 season. You’ll see the litany of instances to where a power school robs from the fruits of the mid-major level labors.
The LeBron, Carmelo Era officially ending as active players as sons take the reins
The 2025-2026 college basketball season is full of exciting storylines, especially from famous basketball families whose sons are now making their own names on the court. One of the biggest examples is Kiyan Anthony, the talented son of Carmelo Anthony. His success reminds fans of the 2003 NBA Draft, when his dad and LeBron James began their legendary careers. Now, over twenty years later, that moment feels like a distant memory as their kids and other second-generation stars bring fresh energy and talent to college basketball today.
The lineage of game-changing forwards continues to flourish across Division 1 ball
Carlos Boozer and Dominique Wilkins may have played in different eras of the NBA, but their sons enter a new generation of outstanding freshman talent across the college basketball landscape.
Georgia forward Jake Wilkins (21) during Georgia’s game against Morehead State at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Photo courtesy Conor Dillon/UGAAA/On3.com
Dominique Wilkins’ son treating Georgia to familiar highlight films, again
The Human Highlight Film, Dominique Wilkins’ greatness maybe best on display during his heyday and epic battle against Michael Jordan in the 1988 NBA Dunk contest. Like many who battled against Jordan in that era, he never won a title, but his mark on the game will be everlasting.
That unbreakable legacy is being renewed right now by the same fresh legs and sporty number 21 still jumping out of gyms in and around Atlanta. Georgia’s Jake Wilkins looks just like pops.
Watch Wilkins make a mockery of an early season contest in the 2025 campaign as he channeled his father for a nostalgic windmill slam:VIDEO POSTED BY ESPN.
Carlos Boozer’s son looks to repeat a championship legacy at Duke
To watch the 2000-2001 Duke Blue Devils highlights on YouTube is like watching an NBA team from that same time period. We’re talking about a starting five that could have included Jay Williams, Dahntay Jones, Chris Duhon, Shane Battier, and Carlos Boozer. Oh, and Mike Dunleavy may be coming off the bench.
Now, Carlos Boozer’s son Cameron is riling up the Cameron Crazies as he attempts to repeat a family legacy: winning a national basketball championship.
Cayden Boozer Burts onto the Scene in the ACC Tournament
The majority of the season was dominated by the talk about the so-called “top 3” at mock NBA Draft boards, including Cameron Boozer. However, when starting Duke point guard Caleb Foster went out with a foot injury in early March, Cayden Boozer bursted onto the scene. He replaced Foster in the starting lineup at point guard and helped lead the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship.
Peja Stojaković’s DNA to score from anywhere passed down to Illinois Basketball
One of the best shooters of the modern NBA also has a son in college basketball. Peja Stojaković is regarded as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, having made 1,760 three-point field goals in his career; this total ranked fourth all-time upon his retirement from the NBA. Stojaković won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Now, his son is a leading score for the certain tournament team in Illinois. Andrej Stojakovic actually played his first two college basketball seasons at Cal, but will finally see the light of day in the NCAA Tournament as he transferred to the Illini before the start of this season.
Underrated stars get a second opportunity to remind fans of greatness
One of the most underrated stars of the late 1990s and early 2000s was Jermaine O’Neal. In an era where high school kids coming straight into the NBA became commonplace, this ambidextrous post scorer smoothly found his way into the rotation of grown-ass-men who routinely found themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals. He played his first four seasons with the Portland Trailblazers, before being legally able to drink, then found himself in Indiana.
O’Neal “senior” played for 18 seasons and racked up over 13,000 points in his career.
Now, Jermaine O’Neal Jr. is similarly flying under the radar in an SMU Mustangs uniform. With UNC, Duke, and even Louisville capturing headlines in the ACC, this dangerous bubble team could be popping into the tournament with one of the best performing second generation players in the nation.
Andre Iguodala’s Son Playing for the Baylor Bears in College Basketball
Andre Iguodala’s impressive 19 year NBA career came to an end only two short years before his son started playing college hoops. Andre Iguodala II started his Division I career on the injury report with the Baylor Bears as a redshirt freshman. He should take some self-care advice from his pops. If Iguodala junior sips from that fountain of youth that his father discovered, he should be thriving on the court in no time.
Imagine: If Iguodala the Second does follow in his father’s footsteps, the NBA could have an Iguodala playing in the NBA in 84.4% of a 45 year stretch. This might be the eye test dot com, but that’s some fun data to throw around!
It’s also ironic that an Iguodala makes this list opposite of LeBron James’ son. James and Iguodala senior had some epic battles against each other as the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Golden State Warriors in three consecutive NBA Finals. Iguodala won the series in that matchup, earning a Final MVP Award in the process.
LeBon James raises another son who makes it into Division 1 basketball
While LeBron has played as teammates with his older son Bronny, Bryce James is still enjoying his underclassmen years at basketball power, Arizona.
D.J. Wagner takes NBA pedigree to more of a leadership role at Arkansas The grandson of NBA veteran Milt Wagner and son of former pro Dajuan Wagner, D.J. is continuing his family legacy at Arkansas Razorbacks under coach John Calipari. In the 2024-25 season he started all 36 games, averaged 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists, and led the team in assists on 16 occasions. He’s embraced more of a facilitator role while still showing scoring ability, and heading into 2025-26 he’s been recognized by the SEC media (preseason All-SEC third team) as a key piece of Arkansas’s plans. Arkansas Razorbacks While his shooting numbers haven’t yet turned into elite efficiency, Wagner’s role as lead guard and his family pedigree keep the spotlight on him — especially as the Razorbacks look to make noise in March.
Assistant Coaches Oversee Sons Carrying Family Legacies
Perhaps missing from this list could be a few 11th or 12th men on Division 1 benches who are not only the sons of an NBA player, but that player is now coaching them as an assistant. See, for example, Howard Eisley Jr. currently playing for the Michigan Wolverines. As of the first month of the season, Eisley Jr. had not logged a minute yet in the college basketball season. In the 2024-2025 season, he played just 4 minutes total over two games. Yet, he makes this list and enjoys the excitement of college basketball alongside his father. That, in and of itself, is pretty great.
Murray State races towards Mason Miller in the transfer portal Son of NBA champion sharpshooter Mike Miller, Mason Miller began his collegiate career at Creighton Bluejays where he made strong strides, including leading the Big East in 3-point percentage in 2023-24 at 45 percent. For the 2025-26 season, he transferred to Murray State Racers, reuniting with his former assistant-coach-turned-head-coach Ryan Miller.
Standing at 6′9″, Mason blends floor-stretching shooting (76 career 3-pointers) with positional versatility, and his move to Murray State signals a new chapter where he may have expanded opportunity. With his height, shooting and the lineage of his father’s championship experience, Mason could surprise this season if his development continues the upward trend.
Other families ties across college basketball link to former NBA players
Liberty Flames redshirt senior guard JJ Abrams is the stepson of Bo Outlaw. Outlaw was a 15 year veteran of the league who did the dirty work for some of the NBA’s worst teams during that time. He played for the Clippers and Magic, to name a few. Outlaw snagged a few top 10 votes as the leagues defensive player of the year for his commitment on that end of the floor.
Abrams, a redshirt senior, could be seen this season in March Madness. The Liberty Flames are widely regarded as one of the nation’s best true mid-major programs remaining, under the leadership of head coach Ritchie McKay.
Each year unlikely but not uncommon March Madness traditions rear their ugly, gorgeous heads
Play-In Game Winners Gain Momentum and Beat the Odds
In 2025, North Carolina demolished San Diego State, a historically great defensive program. Their decisive win silenced all of their detractors who said they didn’t belong in the tournament. It also turned up the volume on this tradition that is no longer a cute trend. One of the most dangerous seeds in the entire bracket is the 11 seed.
Every year, an 11 seed that finds its mojo in Dayton. As improbable as this sounds, the play-in game winner becomes very dangerous. Those teams carry momentum. They get the natural advantage of getting familiar with the arena on a Tuesday or Wednesday before they play the at-large opponent on Thursday or Friday.
In 2022, 11-seeded Notre Dame beat Rutgers in a close (play-in) game and then crushed 6-seeded Alabama by 14 points in the next matchup. Notre Dame then gave 3-seed Texas Tech trouble before losing by 6 points.
In 2021, UCLA won its play-in game as an 11 seed and continued its magical run all the way to the Final Four.
In 2018, Syracuse made the Sweet 16 as an 11 seed after beating Arizona State in the play-in game.
In 2017, 11-seed USC upset (4-loss) SMU in the first round after winning its play-in game.
In 2016, Fred VanVleet and the 11-seed Wichita State Shockers beat Vanderbilt in the playoff game before upsetting 6-seed Arizona.
And so this trend of the 11 seed gaining momentum…is gaining momentum.
Fun fact: In the last 30 years, an 11 seed is much more likely to make a Final Four as compared to a 6 seed. The last 6 seed to make a Final Four was the Fab Five in 1993. Meantime, there have been four 11 seeds to make the Final Four since 2006 (George Mason, VCU, Loyola Chicago, and UCLA).
Sunday’s Made-for-TV Matchup Returns
The potential Baylor vs. Duke matchup on Sunday looms as another prime-time showdown tailor-made for TV drama. CBS and the NCAA continue their tradition of arranging Sunday games that capture maximum attention and create compelling narratives. This is nothing new. Wichita State basketball fans still aren’t over the letdown of losing to 8-seed Kentucky on Sunday, March 23rd, 2014.
Illinois basketball fans can relate, as the committee arranged a Sunday matinee for Sister Jean and Loyola-Chicago to renew their Cinderella ways against an in-state foe in 2021. Loyola was arguably a top-10 team nationally, yet they were given a 9 seed, ensuring a high-profile matchup with 1-seed Illinois within the first weekend. It was just too good of a television programming moment for the committee and/or television executives to pass up.
Fear the Nation’s Leading Scorer, Regardless of Seed Line
If CJ McCollum and Harold “The Show” Arceneaux haven’t taught us anything, then Max Abmas and Oral Roberts made it officially official: The scoring abilities of a guard who ranks in the top five (or first overall) nationwide can translate in the tournament.
History tells us to keep an eye on these types of players!
Shaky Teams Get Shocked in the First Showdown
Sometimes when a roster is stacked with first-round projected NBA picks, that doesn’t always equate to Final Four finishes. Oftentimes, these players are preoccupied with other priorities.
Shaky tournament résumés are not limited to flawed mid-majors or inconsistent veteran teams. Even rosters featuring elite NBA lottery talent can fall short of the Elite Eight, reinforcing how fragile March success can be. See our #2 tradition below for more on that phenomena.
Some more specific team examples come to mind in recent years. With two losses in late February and an early exit from the SEC Tournament, perhaps we should have seen the 2021-22 Kentucky Wildcats struggling with 15-seed Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue is another team that lost to this same Saint Peter’s bunch. The Boilermakers also showed signs of trouble late in the season. They lost three games in the final two weeks of the regular season (at Michigan State, at Wisconsin, and home to Iowa). Do we expect Purdue to be undefeated the final two weeks in a tough Big Ten gauntlet of a schedule? No. Were the warning signs there for a team stacked with NBA talent? Yes.
Future NBA Greats Don’t Always Dominate
Tre Johnson, the freshman phenom at Texas, is the player to watch in this category. If he’s as dominant as advertised, he has a path to shine. He would have winnable games against Illinois and Kentucky if his bracket broke according to the favorites. However, history tells us that not all elite prospects make deep runs in the tournament.
If you’re a fan of 1990s NBA hoops, think of the best players of the past three decades who actually played some college basketball: Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan. None made a Final Four. In fact, most of these greats struggled to advance beyond the first weekend. Conversely, media darlings like Jimmer Fredette and Luka Garza became National Players of the Year yet never cracked the Sweet 16.
Kevin Durant remains one of the most famous examples, producing one of the greatest freshman seasons in modern college basketball history at Texas yet still exiting before the regional finals. More recently, Cade Cunningham carried Oklahoma State as the projected No. 1 overall pick in 2021, only to see the Cowboys upset in the Round of 32. Jabari Smith Jr. faced a similar fate the following season, when a highly seeded Auburn team bowed out on the tournament’s first weekend despite his status as a top-three draft selection. Brandon Miller’s 2023 Alabama squad advanced further but still could not break through to the Elite Eight, falling short of the program’s lofty expectations during his dominant freshman campaign.
And while they are often cited as cautionary tales of star power without postseason payoff, both 1st overall picks in the NBA Draft Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons did not reach the NCAA Tournament at all during their lone college seasons!
Collectively, these cases underscore a recurring reality for bettors and bracket analysts alike: even transcendent individual talent rarely guarantees a deep March run when team form, matchup dynamics, and late-season warning signs begin to surface.
Committee’s Fascination with Reunions and Revenge Games
The orchestration of great storylines goes beyond Sunday matchups. The committee loves arranging revenge games and reuniting old foes. A potential Kansas vs. Missouri game could dictate who makes an Elite Eight from the former Big Eight conference. It’s not the first time the committee has set up a meeting between exes. In case you don’t know the history, the rivalry between Kansas and Missouri goes back to the violent quarrels that led up to the Civil War itself.
The most recent example is how Michigan State transfer Foster Loyer played against his old team in round one. The committee didn’t even wait for the field of 32 to reunite that broken relationship! It happens frequently for coaches, too. One example that comes to mind is when 11-seeded Arizona State got paired with 6-seeded Buffalo in the first round, setting up an awkward meeting between Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley and his former school. Not only did Buffalo face their ex-coach, but they did so in their highest-ever tournament seeding, making for compelling drama. Buffalo beat Arizona State in 2019, proving once again that storylines drive the bracket.
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The Selection Sunday Show, broadcast exclusively by CBS Sports at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, is just hours away. In the meantime, there’s a lot of housekeeping to take care of as a college basketball fan.
If you’re the fan of a bubble team, I hope your plans for this Sunday morning included going to church and saying a few Hail Mary’s. The quality of the bubble teams’ play down the stretch has left something to be desired. North Carolina couldn’t come up with a quality win. Boise State got crushed by Colorado State in its championship game. And, it’s felt like an eternity since we saw Wake Forest, Xavier and Ohio State play basketball.
Colorado State sophomore Rashaan Mbemba rises up over a defender for a hook shot.
Here are some sites to keep your eyes on before the 2025 March Madness bracket is revealed.
Best Underdogs Odds to Win a Title before 2025 March Madness Bracket Reveal
Another piece of housekeeping before the bracket is revealed includes jumping on some crazy odds before they dry up. For example, Yale was still spotted at 1,000-to-1 to win it all. Sure, this is a crazy bet, but if they (or a similar underdog) make the Sweet 16, you’d look like a genius with a lot of leverage in your pocket.
March Madness is almost here, and every college basketball fan wants an edge. Whether you’re tracking injuries, scouting underdogs, or looking for fun destinations to experience the madness firsthand, CollegeBasketballeyetest.com has you covered. Our latest Elite 8 Articles connect you with the most important topics leading up to the tournament.
📲 Your One-Stop Shop for College Hoops
We dive deep into the latest trends, hidden betting opportunities, and must-watch storylines. These articles guide you through every aspect of the tournament:
🔥 Top Injuries to Watch – Key players battling injuries could make or break their team’s chances. Stay informed before placing any bets.
🏀 Sons of NBA Stars – Meet the next generation of basketball royalty making waves in college hoops.
🐶 Top 5 Underrated Underdogs – Every year, a few lower-seeded teams make a deep run. These are the squads to keep an eye on.
🎉 6 March Madness Traditions – From historic buzzer-beaters to iconic pep bands, relive the best traditions of the tournament.
📊 Season ATS Standings – Betting against the spread? Check which teams have been the most (and least) profitable all season.
💰 This Week’s Best Picks – Get expert insights on the best value plays leading up to Selection Sunday.
🕵️♂️ Fun Matchups the Committee Could Conspire – Which potential tournament matchups could stir up the most drama? We break down the possibilities.
✈️ Four Fun Destinations to Travel for March Madness – Want to experience the madness in person? Here are four great cities to catch the action live.
With these deep dives, our site connects college basketball fans to the info they crave. Click through to any article and stay ahead of the game this March! 🚀
