The calendar has officially flipped to March, which means the greatest sporting event in the world is on the horizon — the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The 2024-25 college basketball season is entering the home stretch, with some conferences wrapping up regular season play this weekend. The West Coast Conference — led by March Madness mainstays Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga — finishes Saturday, then tips off its conference tournament in Las Vegas on March 7.
There is one week left in Big 12 Conference play before the Big 12 Tournament starts on March 11 in Kansas City. Houston has locked up the No. 1 seed in the tournament and a double bye into the quarterfinals. Arizona is currently the No. 2 seed, but needs to win at least two of its final three games to hold off Texas Tech, Iowa State and BYU.
Selection Sunday two weeks away
The 12-person NCAA Tournament Selection Committee is tracking all of the action and putting together their projected 68-team field. The 2025 NCAA Tournament field will be unveiled on Selection Sunday — March 16. The selection show airs live on CBS, starting at 4 p.m. MST/6 p.m. ET.
There will be a lot of drama leading up to Selection Sunday as teams on the bubble compete to get into the field — and teams like Arizona compete for a higher seed.
In the latest NCAA Tournament projections from CBS Sports, Arizona is predicted to be a No. 5 seed in the West. The Wildcats are slotted for the dreaded 5-12 matchup vs. No. 12 Drake, arguably the best mid-major team in the country.
CBS predicts the four No. 1 seeds will be Auburn, Duke, Houston and Alabama. The four No. 2 seeds are projected to be Florida, Tennessee, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Arizona can significantly boost its seed by winning its final three games, then making a run in the Big 12 Tournament. The Wildcats, who have played the 11th toughest schedule in the country according to KenPom, finish the regular season at Iowa State (Saturday), vs. Arizona State (Tuesday) and at Kansas (March 8).
Arizona is ranked No. 9 in the NCAA NET Rankings entering Saturday’s game at Iowa State. The Cyclones are ranked No. 10 and projected to be a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Bubble teams to watch
According to CBS Sports, the following 12 teams are right on the NCAA Tournament bubble and can either play their way in — or out — over the next two weeks:
Buckle up for a wild stretch of games leading up to Selection Sunday.
Selection Sunday Date, Time, TV Channel
What: 2025 NCAA Tournament selection show
When: Sunday, March 16 at 4 p.m. MST/6 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS
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