Who to root for and which matchups to watch in the upcoming American collegiate basketball tournament | 

Zafir Nagji, Sports Editor | 

Ballers, bettors, and basketball fans rejoice! The nail-biting, highlight-producing, single-game-eliminating National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness tournament is on the horizon once again, with the first men’s basketball games tipping off on March 18.

Whether you’re filling out your office brackets to stick it to your colleagues, betting on your ball knowledge to bring back profitable returns, or scouting for the next big-league talent to invest your fandom in, March Madness is one of the biggest basketball events of the year, rivalling the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, Playoffs and Finals in viewership and pure entertainment value.

So, which teams will enter the tournament as favourites? Which underdogs have a realistic shot at writing a Cinderella story? And, which players should fans keep their eyes on when it comes to predicting basketball’s next big-name talent?

Over-dogs and under-dogs

With a 14-1 conference record and 25-2 overall record, the Auburn University Tigers have been the best team in NCAA men’s basketball this season. Led by fifth-year Floridian forward Johni Broome, the Tigers have the sixth-most productive offence in the country, producing 84.3 points per game. However, their defence has not played to the same standard, allowing 68.1 points per game, which ranks 71st in the country. Still, with a high-powered offence like theirs, the Tigers are a justifiable favourite, currently +450 on bet365 and tied for the best odds to win.

The team they’re tied with brings serious firepower of its own though; led by the projected first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, the Duke Blue Devils are a perennial playoff powerhouse and consistently produce NBA-ready players. However, their last championship came in 2015 at the hands of Quinn Cook, Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow, all of whom were drafted to the NBA following their win. Duke scores 82.6 points per game, the 19th-most in the country, but also defends at a high level, only allowing 61 points per game from their opponents—the seventh-fewest in the country. It’s never a bad idea to bet on Duke, especially with Flagg, but beware of their recent championship woes.

As far as potential underdogs to watch, look out for the Alabama Crimson Tide. At 91.2 points per game, Alabama leads the country in scoring. Thanks to their high pace of play, the Crimson Tide rank 12th in field goals attempted (63.9) and second in field goals made (31.0). However, they also concede 80.1 points per game, which ranks 350th in the country. Still, they rank sixth in the Associated Press Top 25 and in the Coaches Poll with their 22-5 record and could be an offensive force in the tournament. Choosing to “Roll Tide” would net you +1300 odds and return $13 for every dollar bet on Alabama winning the championship, according to bet365’s odds at the time of writing.

Players to watch

Other than the high-stakes competition, many fans use March Madness to pick out a favourite future baller.

Each player knows this tournament can make or break their future NBA career– Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, for example, solidified his status as a future NBA player in 2018 when his Villanova Wildcats advanced to the tournament’s championship final. In the biggest game of the season, DiVincenzo scored 31 points, his highest collegiate scoring outburst, in a 79-62 win that gave his school two titles in three years.

Now, DiVincenzo has carved out a role in the NBA as a sharpshooter who can play under pressure and score in bunches, being drafted 17th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks and also playing for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

This year, the hot name on everyone’s mind is Cooper Flagg—the six-foot-nine-inch tall forward at Duke University. At 19.1 points per game, Flagg is an all-around scorer with size and skill, shooting 37.5 per cent from beyond the arc while grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dropping 4.8 assists per game. He’s also a versatile defender, averaging two steals and just under one block per game. For fans in search of a future NBA star, keep an eye on the Blue Devils’ forward and get ready to see him walk the stage as the first overall NBA Draft pick in June.

Johni Broome is a huge reason for Auburn’s incredible success this season and is entering his final season of NCAA eligibility. With five years of experience, the forward is too old to be considered a lottery pick in the upcoming draft but brings a six-foot-ten-inch tall frame and 240 pounds to the hardwood.

With his physically dominant stature, Broome averages 18.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game and is an intimidating two-way force ready to make an impact on an NBA roster. Viewers looking for a lesser-known player with serious talent should pay attention to Broome, who may be a box-office performer in the high-pressure tournament as a fifth-year veteran.

Despite not ranking in the top 25, Rutgers has two of the top three projected picks in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, including Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. Bailey is a lethal scorer with legitimate sharpshooting ability, averaging 18.4 points per game and shooting 36.7 per cent from three-point range.

Harper is the perfect complement to Bailey, putting up 19.4 points per game at a 59.3 true shooting percentage. Lovers of high-quality individual offensive production should pay attention to the dynamic Rutgers duo, whose scoring talent could easily translate to the high-level play of the NBA.

Whoever you choose to support in the upcoming American collegiate basketball tournament, gamble responsibly and know your limits. Plenty of media outlets, like ESPN and Yahoo!, allow fans to fill out brackets without putting any money down, keeping the excitement financially consequence-free. To legally tune into the madness, Canadian fans can check out TSN’s coverage of the tournament.

Zafir Nagji is the Sports Editor. His greatest interests are, in order, basketball, F1, hockey, soccer, and football, but he’ll watch anything with a competitive enough spirit.