The 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament has seen some upsets, but any small-town underdog and would-be Cinderella has already been stomped out. None of the remaining teams are from a small or mid-major conference, Instead, all four No. 1 seeds are advancing to the regional semifinals, and only one team lower than the sixth seed — No. 10 Arkansas — survived past the opening rounds.
The Duke Blue Devils, led by Cooper Flagg and Tyrese Proctor’s 3-point shooting, have looked dominant ahead of their Sweet 16 clash against No. 4 seed Arizona. The Houston Cougars have faced the toughest path among the top seeds, but they still remain strong favorites despite having to face the No. 4 seed Purdue Boilermakers in Indianapolis. The Florida Gators won their first-round matchup by 26 points, then rallied to defeat No. 8 UConn, the reigning champions. They shouldn’t have much trouble getting past the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins.
While three No. 1 seeds have been impressive, the Auburn Tigers are facing some concerns ahead of the regional semifinals. Auburn was one of the most dominant teams in college basketball this season, but they have stood on shaky ground in recent games. Although the Tigers are tied for the largest spread of the Sweet 16, their matchup against the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines won’t be a cakewalk.
Upset could be looming for No. 1 Auburn in the Sweet 16
Auburn lost three of its last four games before the tournament, and their performance against the No. 16 Alabama State Hornets in the first round left a lot to be desired. They trailed against the No. 9 Creighton Bluejays at halftime in the second round, but a second-half surge helped them clinch a trip to the Sweet 16.
The Wolverines will be tougher to eliminate than either Alabama State or Creighton, and the Tigers may not be able to recover from another sloppy start. Michigan has shown the ability to pull out close games throughout the season, winning 13 games by fewer than five points.
The Wolverines finished the regular season with three consecutive losses, but first-year head coach Dusty May got his team back on track with a Big Ten tournament championship and wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines will head to Atlanta on a five-game winning streak, and they’re equipped with an offense that can score with Auburn.
If the Wolverines can limit Auburn’s offensive runs, they could dance their way into the Elite Eight. Michigan has a pair of seven-footers to limit Tigers center Johni Broome, but the Wolverines could struggle to match up and stay fresh against the rest of Auburn’s seven-man rotation, especially late in the game.
The Tigers may ultimately have too much depth for Michigan to contend with, but their own struggles could open the door for an upset.