The confetti has fallen, the Eagles are Super Bowl champions, and now we’re left without football until the preseason kicks back up again in August.

For many, the next major sporting event circled on their calendar is March Madness. Teams across the country are in the final stretch of their regular season, looking to battle it out and reserve their spot in the field of 68.

Those who have been preoccupied with the NFL may be a bit uninformed on the current state of college basketball. We’ve got roughly a month to go before Selection Sunday, so let’s get you caught up on everything there is to know about college basketball this season.

Current college basketball national champions odds

*Odds via BetMGM as of 2/12/25

• Auburn: +400
• Duke: +425
• Houston: +900
• Alabama: +1000
• Florida: +1200
• Tennessee: +1600
• Iowa State: +1600
• Kansas: +2500
• St. John’s: +2500
• UConn: +3000

Tigers roaring

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers currently claim the role of favorite thanks to the play of standout big man Johni Broome down low. The Tigers are 22-2 on the season, with their latest loss coming at home to the Florida Gators. Florida has the fifth-best odds of winning the championship.

Close behind Auburn is the Duke Blue Devils, who are 20-3 and also lost their last game on the road to the Clemson Tigers. Duke is led by freshman sensation Cooper Flagg, the projected top pick of the 2025 NBA draft. Their youth will be a concern come March, but they have the talent to beat anybody.

Is the SEC now a basketball conference?

The SEC has the most representation, with four teams in the top 10 odds. Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee all have 20+ wins on the season and are ranked in the top five of the AP’s poll.

The Crimson Tide, who have won six straight, are currently ranked second in that poll. Their showdown with Auburn Saturday is the most anticipated game of the week.

Three Big 12 teams currently sit in the top 10 of these odds, with the Houston Cougars leading the way at +900. While the Cougars lead the conference, Iowa State and Kansas are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the standings despite having the second and third-best odds to win it all.

Rounding out these odds are two Big East squads with championship pedigree within their programs. UConn is currently unranked, with a 16-7 record on the year. However, oddsmakers won’t write off Dan Hurley’s team just yet and their impressive road victory over Creighton on Tuesday shows why.

St. John’s is under the leadership of Rick Pitino, who has cut down the nets twice before. The Red Storm are 21-3 and currently ranked ninth in the country.

With no team having odds below +400, it’s clear that this March Madness field is wide open. My best bet today would have to be Alabama.

The Crimson Tide shoot well, have strong depth, and are led by a senior point guard in Mark Sears who can win with the ball in his hands. At +1000 odds, I like Nate Oats to find a way to get it done.

Men’s NCAA national player of the year odds

*Odds via DraftKings as of 2/12/25

• Cooper Flagg (Duke): -300
• Johni Broome (Auburn): +220
• Braden Smith (Purdue): +6000
• Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton): +15000
• PJ Haggerty (Memphis): +25000
• Mark Sears (Alabama): +25000

Planting his Flag

Cooper Flagg is the clear frontrunner at the moment. The Duke point forward averages 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and four assists per game while leading the Blue Devils to first place in the ACC. On top of that, Flagg has a high usage rate as the team’s primary ball handler, while improving his efficiency down the stretch.

On top of his stellar play, Flagg’s slate to end the season is also manageable. Duke’s final eight games of the regular season are against unranked programs, with just two teams making the field of 68 in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology projection – Illinois and Wake Forest.

The other contender is Auburn big man, Johni Broome. Broome is averaging more than 18 points per game and just under 11 rebounds, while dominating inside with his throw-back style of play.

Broome is the best player on the projected top overall seed, and it’s hard to ignore just how dominant the Tigers have been. Sixteen of their 22 victories came by 10 points or more. Eight wins have been against top 25 opponents.

While Flagg seems like the obvious winner, betting on Broome ahead of the Tigers’ showdown with Alabama Saturday night could be a great way to capitalize on plus odds.

Other candidates, such as Purdue’s Braden Smith, have put together impressive campaigns but lack the notoriety and production to keep pace with the two up top.

Sportsbooks such as DraftKings offer more odds on players like Alabama’s Mark Sears and Marquette’s Kam Jones. However, none of these star athletes seem like they’ll be able to close the gap before the season ends.

March Madness bracket preview

*Projections via Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology as of 2/12/25

SEC dominance transferred to basketball

No conference has the same depth as the SEC regarding conference strength, with just three of the 16 teams projected to miss the field.

The record for bids from a single conference is 11 teams, and 14 are on the bubble or better in Lunardi’s latest field. Each program is ranked 81st or higher in the KenPom ratings and 89th or higher in the NCAA NET rankings.

Schools from this conference, like Alabama and Auburn, are entering the tournament at an advantage thanks to the staunch competition they face in SEC play.

The Big Ten is currently projected to have 10 of its 18 teams make the field. The conference has beaten itself up, leaving Purdue as the only team expected to get a top-2 seed in the brackets.

Other programs, such as Michigan State and Wisconsin, sit in the top 16 of the latest AP Poll. However, the Spartans lost to Indiana for their third loss in their last four games, while the Badgers’ potential to move up would likely come at the cost of the Boilermakers’ falling as both teams face off this weekend.

The Big 12 is still strong up top, with five teams residing in the top 11 of the current NET ratings. Yet the conference’s other three teams expected to make the tournaments are all projected to receive a nine seed or lower.

Down year for ACC, aside from Duke

Six teams are in play for the current field of 68 for the ACC, but the conference has been very disappointing this season. Teams such as North Carolina and Notre Dame have fallen short of expectations, and now Duke is the only team projected to get a top-six seed.

St. John’s is back as a Big East bully

Big East basketball has continued to deliver exciting play, as St.John’s is officially back under Rick Pitino. UConn isn’t as dominant as usual, but the team is the lowest-ranked program from the conference to make the field and is still expected to be a 6-seed.

Creighton and Marquette have potential All-Americans leading their teams to successful seasons that should no doubt set them up for tournament success later on.