We are now six days from Selection Sunday, but already it feels like the Madness is beginning. We’ve had several conference tournaments on the men’s side conclude already. Last week was a good week to search for potential bracket busters and Cinderellas. This week, the big boys take center stage.

Sunday was also a banner day for women’s basketball. The ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten all crowned their postseason champions. The afternoon was capped by UCLA’s scintillating 72-67 win over UCLA. No doubt the Bruins, who lost both regular season meetings to the Trojans, were tired of all the JuJu Watkins hype, and Watkins did have her usual 29 points in the loss. But Lauren Betts (17 points, 4 blocks) and her teammates had other ideas. If Sunday’s quadruple-header is a sign of things to come in the NCAA Tournament, well, then we are in for a heck of a ride.

This is a messy time to be in the bracket business, but needless to say our Brad Wachtel is up to the task. We also have the final regular season installments of our men’s and women’s Top 25 rankings from me and Eden Laase. I also encourage you to dive deep on the Houston Cougars with Eric Prisbell, who visited H-Town and interviewed Kelvin Sampson at length about how he has built such a unique and effective culture.

The games will continue to come fast and furious over the next six days and then we’re officially into the Madness. We’re working hard here at Hoops HQ to bring you all the coverage you want and deserve.

Have a great Monday, everyone, and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ. – Seth

Bracketology 2025: Tournament Update

By Brad Wachtel

Alabama picked up the biggest win of the weekend for a team situated towards the top end of the bracket as the Crimson Tide took down Auburn on the road. This doesn't quite elevate Alabama back to a No. 1 seed, but it does make things a bit more complicated as we get into conference tournament play.  The No. 1 seed line remains the same for now with Auburn, Duke, Houston and Florida. Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan State have all but assured themselves a No. 2 seed at worst, while St. John's continues to rise up the board after winning the Big East outright.

As far as the bubble goes, there were some very interesting results over the weekend. Nebraska lost at home to Iowa, pretty much ending its chances for an at-large bid as the Cornhuskers did not even qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. Oklahoma went on the road and beat Texas in a game involving two teams whose seasons were on the line. Other key wins were Arkansas over Mississippi State, Indiana taking down Ohio State, Georgia beating Vanderbilt and Xavier finishing the regular season strong with a win over Providence. As far as other bubble teams unable to take advantage? North Carolina lost to Duke, Boise State lost to Colorado State and of course Ohio State falling at Indiana.

Here are a few nuggets regarding today’s bracket, including the impact of Drake’s win and the status of Boise State….

No. 23 Creighton @ No. 3 UConn: It's time to crown a champion in the Big East Tournament! UConn is coming off a dominant 82-54 win over Villanova in the semifinals. Superstar Paige Bueckers put on a show in front of several representatives from the Dallas Wings, who have the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The Huskies have yet to lose a conference game this season, but Creighton presents a significant challenge. The Bluejays destroyed Seton Hall 73-44 on Sunday. They have two elite guards in seniors Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly and can heat up quickly from behind the arc. 7 p.m. ET on FS1.