The wait is over. We have our bracket, with UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina earning No. 1 seeds. That comes as no surprise, as these four have dominated all season.
Our top seeds are no strangers to March Madness, but Charleston is, earning its first appearance after knocking off Hofstra in the CAA tourney title game.
Meanwhile, Colorado has two representatives this season, with the Colorado Buffaloes earning an at-large bid and a No. 10 seed and Colorado State winning the Mountain West to earn a No. 12 seed.
There’s mid-major royalty with Green Bay, Princeton and South Dakota State – all March Madness staples – earning bids.
Plus, there is a potential coach vs. former player matchup, some sneaky-good teams and upsets waiting to happen. Everything you need to know about the field of 68 follows underneath my complete bracket.
Eden's Bracket
UConn Huskies
Siena Saints
Iowa State Cyclones
Syracuse Orange
Maryland Terrapins
Murray State Racers
North Carolina Tar Heels
California Baptist Lancers
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Fairfield Stags
Ohio State Buckeyes
Howard Bison
Illinois Fighting Illini
Colorado Buffaloes
Vanderbilt Commodores
High Point Panthers
UConn Huskies
Syracuse Orange
Maryland Terrapins
North Carolina Tar Heels
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Ohio State Buckeyes
Colorado Buffaloes
Vanderbilt Commodores
UConn Huskies
Maryland Terrapins
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Vanderbilt Commodores
UConn Huskies
Vanderbilt Commodores
South Carolina Gamecocks
Southern Jaguars
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Samford Bulldogs
Clemson Tigers
USC Trojans
Michigan State Spartans
Colorado State Rams
Oklahoma Sooners
Idaho Vandals
Washington Huskies
South Dakota State Jackrabbits
TCU Horned Frogs
UC San Diego Tritons
Georgia Bulldogs
Virginia Cavaliers
/
Arizona State Sun Devils
Iowa Hawkeyes
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
South Carolina Gamecocks
USC Trojans
Michigan State Spartans
Oklahoma Sooners
Washington Huskies
TCU Horned Frogs
Georgia Bulldogs
Iowa Hawkeyes
South Carolina Gamecocks
Oklahoma Sooners
TCU Horned Frogs
Iowa Hawkeyes
South Carolina Gamecocks
Iowa Hawkeyes
UConn Huskies
South Carolina Gamecocks
UConn Huskies
UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
Texas Longhorns
UCLA Bruins
California Baptist Lancers
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Princeton Tigers
Ole Miss Rebels
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Green Bay Phoenix
Baylor Bears
Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Richmond Spiders
Duke Blue Devils
Charleston Cougars
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Villanova Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Queens Royals
UCLA Bruins
Princeton Tigers
Ole Miss Rebels
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Duke Blue Devils
Texas Tech Red Raiders
LSU Tigers
UCLA Bruins
Ole Miss Rebels
Duke Blue Devils
LSU Tigers
UCLA Bruins
LSU Tigers
Texas Longhorns
UMBC Retrievers
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Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Oregon Ducks
Virginia Tech Hokies
Kentucky Wildcats
James Madison Dukes
West Virginia Mountaineers
Miami (OH) RedHawks
Alabama Crimson Tide
Miami (OH) RedHawks
Louisville Cardinals
Vermont Catamounts
NC State Wolfpack
Tennessee Volunteers
Michigan Wolverines
Tennessee State Tigers
Texas Longhorns
Oregon Ducks
Kentucky Wildcats
West Virginia Mountaineers
Alabama Crimson Tide
Louisville Cardinals
NC State Wolfpack
Michigan Wolverines
Texas Longhorns
Kentucky Wildcats
Louisville Cardinals
Michigan Wolverines
Texas Longhorns
Michigan Wolverines
Fort Worth 1
Unsurprisingly, the undefeated and defending champion UConn Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed. With senior Azzi Fudd and sophomore Sarah Strong leading the way, the Huskies will look to win their 13th national title. Keep an eye on 6-foot-2 freshman forward Blanca Quiñonez, who could be the X-factor for this squad. It will be her first March Madness, but Quiñonez has plenty of experience, playing overseas before joining UConn. She’s a crafty scorer who can get down the court, and to the rim, in a hurry.
The committee loves a narrative, and they set up a great one in this regional, with a potential UConn-Vanderbilt Elite Eight matchup. Not only would that mean seeing the top two Player of the Year candidates – UConn’s Strong and Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes – on the same court, it also would mean Geno Auriemma taking on one of his former players. Shea Ralph, who coaches the Commodores, played for Auriemma from 1996-2001, They won a title together in 2000, when Ralph was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
This region is bursting with star guards. In addition to Fudd and Blakes, Fort Worth 1 has Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo, Maryland junior Oluchi Okananwa and Ohio State sophomore Jaloni Cambridge. If you like good guard play, lock in on this region.
There’s also a can’t-miss big in Iowa State center Audi Crooks. The 6-foot-3 Crooks and her 25.5 points per game will vie with Syracuse’s Uche Izoje, a 6-foot-3 freshman who has emerged as one of the ACC’s best bigs. Izoje is a standout defender who may be able to go toe-to-toe with Crooks.
If you are an upset lover, keep an eye on No. 6 Notre Dame-No. 11 Fairfield in the first round. The Stags are an excellent 3-point shooting team, led by junior forward Meghan Andersen, who makes 2.7 per game. If Fairfield gets hot and finds a way to contain Hidalgo, the Stags could come away with a first-round victory.
Sacramento 1
During the selection show, committee chair Amanda Braun, who is the Milwaukee athletic director, said the committee had a serious debate about UCLA or UConn being the overall No. 1 seed. Ultimately, UConn won out thanks to the observable component. But UCLA still has one impressive résumé: The Bruins have 19 Quad 1 wins and are coming in off a 51-point victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament title game. This is a team of experienced seniors, led by 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts and 5-foot-11 guard Kiki Rice. Newcomers Gianna Kneepkens (Utah transfer) and Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State transfer) have changed the complexity of UCLA’s offense from last season’s Final Four team. The Bruins had a great season in 2024-25, but are even better this time around.
The committee seems to love UCLA-LSU matchups, as they are set to meet for the third season in a row if both advance to the Elite Eight. LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson won a national championship as a freshman and is trying to get another in her final season. Joining the Tigers this season is junior South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley. She is a must-watch scoring guard and a much-improved defender. Fulwiley will be a major part of any success the Tigers have.
Minnesota is back in March Madness for the first time since 2018. Strangely enough, the Gophers played Green Bay in the first round then and meet the Phoenix again this season. Back then, Minnesota was the underdog, defeating No. 7 seed Green Bay as a No. 10 seed. This time, the No. 4 seed Gophers will be the favorite against the No. 13 seed Phoenix in what should be an interesting matchup. Minnesota lacks postseason experience, while Green Bay is making its third consecutive appearance.
Richmond snuck into the tournament as part of the First Four matchups, which is good news for fans. That means we get to see star forward Maggie Doogan play in at least one more game – against Nebraska – before she graduates. Doogan, a 6-foot-2 senior, is one of the country’s most well-rounded players, averaging 21.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Doogan is a three-level scorer and an all-around joy to watch.
Sacramento 3
Top-seeded Texas headlines this region as it attempts to get back to the Final Four for the second year in a row. The Longhorns are still led by junior forward Madison Booker and senior point guard Rori Harmon, but it’s the supporting cast that has truly propelled them this season. Sophomore guard Jordan Lee, in particular, has been sensational, averaging 13.2 points per game. She adds an extra dimension to the offense with her ability to shoot 3-pointers, making 36 percent of her attempts this season.
One of my can’t-miss players in this region is eighth-seeded Oregon’s Katie Fiso. The sophomore has the potential to be next in a long line of elite Kelly Graves-coached point guards that includes Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Ionescu. Fiso is averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She’s an excellent decision-maker with a quick first step, and is nearly unstoppable when she gets downhill.
No. 4 seed West Virginia is coming off an incredible Big 12 Tournament championship. The reward? A likely second-round meeting with Kentucky. That is a difficult matchup for the guard-oriented Mountaineers. Kentucky boasts two talented 6-foot-5 bigs in junior Clara Strack and senior Teonni Key; West Virginia doesn’t have the same size or talent inside. Senior forward Kierra Wheeler and junior forward Carter McCray are undersized, and will need help guarding Kentucky’s post duo. West Virginia’s best bet is for its guards to be pesky doubling down, while also making entry passes difficult with their on-ball defense.
Louisville-Michigan has the potential to be the best Sweet Sixteen matchup of the tournament. Both teams are young and full of talent. Michigan’s sophomore trio of Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway has gotten better and better over the past two seasons. Each brings something different to the court. Olson is a wing who provides a steady presence and the ability to score from anywhere on the court. Swords can get hot and shoot the Wolverines to victory. Holloway runs the offense as the team’s point guard. As for Louisville, leading scorers Taj Roberts and Imari Berry are sophomores who excel at creating their own shots. The future is bright for both teams, but so is the present. Whoever wins this potential matchup could give Texas trouble in the Elite Eight
Fort Worth 4
South Carolina rounds out the No. 1 seeds, which is the same group that made it to the Final Four last season. It’s a different Gamecocks squad this time around, but one thing remains the same: Fifth-year senior point guard Raven Johnson runs the show. She has improved in every aspect, from scoring (10.3 points per game) to 3-point shooting (40.1 percent). One thing that needed no improvement is her decision-making. Johnson has a great feel for the game and always makes the right play. She will be huge for the Gamecocks, but so will 6-foot junior guard Tessa Johnson. She had her breakout in the 2023-24 national title game, when she scored 19 points to lead South Carolina past Iowa. Johnson plays her best basketball in the biggest moments.
Speaking of Iowa, the committee wants to see these teams play again, putting the Hawkeyes in Fort Worth 4 as the No. 2 seed. Iowa returns multiple players from that previous matchup, including starters Kylie Feuerbach and Hannah Stuelke. But two sophomores lead the Hawkeyes this season. Averaging 17.4 points per game, center Ava Heiden has established herself as one of the best bigs in the Big Ten. Now, she’s looking to have her moment on the biggest stage. Sharpshooting guard Chit-Chat Wright — 45.2 percent from long range and a team-high 4.6 assists per game — is the perfect complement to Heiden.
Another potential rematch in this region: Oklahoma upset South Carolina 94-82 in overtime on Jan. 22 behind 26 points from freshman Aaliyah Chavez. As the No. 4 seed in this region, the Sooners could get a chance to beat the Gamecocks again.
Speaking of upsets, keep your eye on a potential Washington-TCU matchup in the second round. TCU has been somewhat inconsistent, often relying too heavily on senior point guard Olivia Miles. Washington, on the other hand, is a balanced team with an elite guard core of its own. Junior Sayvia Sellers (18.5 points per game), sophomore Avery Howell (13.7 points) and senior Elle Ladine (10.4 points) are capable scorers. This game could come down to the paint. Washington 6-foot-3 freshman center Brynn McGaughy will have her work cut out for her guarding 6-foot-7 sophomore Clara Silva, while TCU 6-foot-3 senior forward Marta Suarez will be a mismatch that Washington might not have an answer for.
Final Four
UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina have been the four best teams all season. I see that quartet advancing to Phoenix to play in the Final Four for the second season in a row, with UConn once again winning the ultimate prize. But don’t expect blowouts this time. UCLA is a much-improved team with more weapons than last season. I predict the Bruins to give UConn all it can handle in the championship game.
Meet your guide
