Every year, the Monday after the first weekend of March Madness is a hangover from a long night at the bar. You’re either recovering from heart-pounding moments and reliving the thrills you just experienced or stuck in thought on what could’ve been.
In 2025, college basketball enjoyers across the country stewed at their cubicles and desks on that morning, sighing over the lack of a lovable underdog or heartwarming story from their favorite sports postseason tournament to get them through to the next round of tip-offs on Thursday. Instead of Sister Jean or DJ Burns capturing the hearts of America, the Big Dance gave us an even greater gift this year: The best of the best at the best time.
Even for a tournament whose highest-seeded Elite Eight participant was No. 3 Texas Tech and ended with every one seed at the Final Four for the second time ever, this year’s rendition of March Madness on the men’s side is among the most exciting and dramatic I can remember possibly because the final moments were the ones most memorable.
Auburn and Florida met in the first semifinal, with the No. 1 Tigers seeking to avenge their regular season defeat to the Gators, one of few blemishes on an all-time great tournament resume. Florida had escaped early exits twice already in the tournament, more recently in a furious double-digit comeback in the waning moments of the Elite Eight against Texas Tech.
For a while, it appeared Auburn would get its revenge and secure the school’s first-ever national championship appearance, leading by nine early in the second half. Then, as the West Region learned first-hand, the never-give-up-Gators started circling their prey. An 11-0 run by Todd Golden’s team ensued a back-and-forth battle down the stretch before Walter Calyton Jr.’s sweet shooting stroke and Alijah Martin’s thunderous rack attacks pulled the Tigers into the swamp and out of the tournament.
Talent met tough in the second semifinal, with the young and flashy Duke Blue Devils getting out in front of the experienced and gritty Houston Cougars. Led by soon-to-be top NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg and multiple five-star recruits, the five-time national championship program had been setting records on the advanced metrics boards all season and appeared to have its Monday coronation set in stone, leading by nine with two minutes left.
Never a team to stop playing, eternal bridesmaid Houston cut the deficit to six but again appeared to be just out of reach of the bouquet with 30 seconds to play. Miraculously, shots were blocked, passes were stolen, free throws hit iron, and whistles were questionably blown to turn Duke’s dream into a nightmare within seconds.
In its backyard at the Alamo Dome, Houston seemed well on its way to avenging Phi Slamma Jamma with a 12-point lead over Florida in the national championship, whose dynamic offense had been dormant into the second half. However, as they had done all tournament, Florida upped the ante in the open floor, Walter Clayton woke up, and the game drew even with less than a minute to play. Houston would have a chance at an all-time moment, trailing by two as it took the ball out of bounds with 20 seconds on the timer.
Ironically, the tame game of the Cougars, whose practices went viral for loose-ball diving drills, watched a championship slip away, as they did 42 years ago this month, with the rock on the deck as the final horn sounded.
As it came back to stun Duke, Houston scored 15 points in the final two minutes and five seconds. As it collapsed in the same amount of time against Florida, they didn’t even get a shot up. In the three Final Four games overall, the combined margin of defeat came out to 11 points, tied for the second smallest in the past 50 years. The team that led at halftime and the under-four-minute timeout of the second half lost all three contests.
Madness.
Now, we all love a good underdog story. Every so often, a 2009 Davidson or 1985 Villanova is a true treat. But more frequently than not, those who wear the glass slipper feel cracks in the soles before reaching happily ever after.
11-seeded NC State’s persevering run to the Final Four last year was as improbable as its 1983 cinematics, but the infectious smile of DJ Burns was no match for the machine of Zach Edey and Purdue in a game that was never in question. No. 11 Loyola Chicago, for all the miracles delivered through their nun on the sidelines, exhausted their prayers by the semifinals, losing by double digits to Michigan. 16 seeds UMBC and FDU each had just one shining moment of their own.
A power Five/Six school has captured the championship every year since 1990, and the highest seed to ever win it all was an eight from the best league in the country at the time. If it’s inevitable, watching Walter Clayton Jr. hit nothing but net for three weeks against elite opposition and witnessing Duke’s inconceivable collapse is far more intriguing than Saint Peter’s getting run out of the arena in the Elite Eight.
Even with the lack of Cinderellas this year, the dance floor was choc-full of drama on the first weekend alone. St. John’s, who dominated the tenacious Big East to its best regular season this century, was bounced by 10-seeded Arkansas behind a revived John Calipari. Legendary coach Rick Pitino took fire for benching his leading scorer RJ Luis Jr. down the stretch for poor play, leading to the Big East Player of The Year’s immediate transfer from the Red Storm.
Colorado State and Maryland traded last-second shots before the Terps cashed the tournament’s first buzzer-beater to advance to their first Sweet Sixteen in nine years. Hours later, Maryland head coach Kevin Willard overtook the headlines with his impending move to Villanova, leaving his players out to dry against Florida the next game. Automatic qualifiers No. 11 Drake and No. 12 McNeese each scored first-round upsets, with a viral student manager and a bunch of former Division 2 hoopers stealing the show from Power Five opposition.
Classics were contested between former conference rivals Oregon and Arizona, BYU and Wisconsin engaged in a high-scoring shootout, and Houston held off Gonzaga in a battle of two elite programs. Three-peat hopeful UConn even had top-seeded and eventual national champion Florida down multiple possessions deep in the second half of the second round. The first of many Walter Clayton Jr. takeovers saved the Gators from drowning and sent the Huskies home with their tail between their legs.
In the second weekend, Texas Tech saved its season at the death against Arkansas, only for it to end similarly at Florida’s hands in the Elite Eight. Houston beat the buzzer on 2024 runner-up Purdue, Alabama put up a historic offensive showing, and Arizona gave Duke all they could handle before an enthralling final act in San Antonio.
March Madness didn’t give us a 2006 George Mason or 2011 VCU-type run in 2025. But at the game’s biggest stage, the best players from the best teams played the best basketball games of the season.
What more could you ask for?