The 2025 NCAA Tournament is officially in the books. No. 1 seed Florida defeated No. 1 seed Houston 65-63 in a dramatic comeback victory to claim the program’s first national title since 2007. The Gators trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half before flipping the switch behind a big performance from All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr.
It is time to look back on some of the best (and worst) moments from the Big Dance. No. 1 seed Duke looked well on its way to playing for the championship before squandering away a 14-point lead with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation against Houston. That loss ended Duke’s season and likely Cooper Flagg’s tenure at the school, too.
Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is expected to be one-and-done and will exit college basketball after one of the best freshmen seasons ever. Flagg missed a turnaround jumper in the final 20 seconds that would’ve served as the go-ahead bucket against Houston.
One of the biggest winners of the NCAA Tournament was Clayton Jr., who raised his draft stock with standout performances en route to a national title. He scored 34 points in a win over Auburn in the national semifinals and scored all 11 of his points in the national championship after halftime. Clayton could be a first-round pick when it’s all said and done.
With the 2024-25 college basketball season over, here are the biggest winners and losers from the NCAA Tournament this year.
Winner: Florida caps tournament with another comeback win
In the national title game against Houston, Florida led for just 1:04. But it didn’t matter.
The Gators took their first lead since the early minutes of the first half with 46 seconds remaining after Alijah Martin knocked down two free throws. Backup guard Denzel Aberdeen split a pair 30 seconds later to extend the lead to two. Florida then got a defensive stop to secure the national title.
Comebacks were a theme throughout Florida’s title run. The Gators rallied past UConn in the second round, erased a 10-point deficit against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and eliminated Auburn after trailing by as many as nine. Their 12-point comeback against Houston was the third-largest in national championship game history. — Cameron Salerno
Loser: Duke squanders double-digit lead in the Final Four
With just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, Duke led by 14 points and looked to be headed for its first national title appearance since 2015. But the Blue Devils made just one field goal in the final 10 minutes and lost 70-67.
The loss will go down as a massive “what if” for Duke, which looked like the better team until Houston mounted a relentless rally to pull off one of the most stunning comeback wins in Final Four history. — Salerno
Cooper Flagg has left the building: Duke superstar’s college career ends in devastating Final Four collapse
Isaac Trotter
Winner: Walter Clayton Jr. raises his NBA Draft stock
The NCAA Tournament provides a springboard for prospects looking to raise their NBA draft stock. One of the biggest beneficiaries might be Clayton, who bypassed the 2024 NBA draft to return to school.
Clayton earned All-America honors during his final season at Florida and delivered one of the best NCAA Tournament runs in the modern era. He could land in the mid-to-late first round this summer after entering the season as a potential second-round pick. He was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. — Salerno
Loser: ACC goes out with a whimper
The ACC’s other representatives fell apart long before Duke squandered a 14-point second-half lead in a Final Four loss to Houston. No. 8 seed Louisville and No. 5 seed Clemson each faltered against lower-seeded opponents on the opening day of the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina also lost in the first round after sneaking into the First Four as a No. 11 seed. Getting just four teams into the field of 68 was already a disappointment, and the early exits of three made for a painful end to a lackluster season. — David Cobb
Winner: Better days are ahead for BYU
BYU was one of the biggest winners of the NCAA Tournament, and there’s reason to believe better days are ahead for the program — possibly as soon as next season.
AJ Dybantsa, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, will arrive on campus soon. Year 1 of coach Kevin Young’s tenure showed why he might be able to build something special in the Big 12. There is strong financial support behind the program, giving the Cougars a chance to sustain this success.
It wouldn’t be surprising if BYU emerged as a legitimate national title contender next season. — Salerno
Loser: Big Ten title drought continues
The Big Ten’s men’s national championship drought stretches all the way back to 2000. This year, the league failed to place a team in the Final Four. It’s the longest title drought among major college basketball conferences.
The Big Ten was represented by No. 2 seed Michigan State, No. 3 seed Wisconsin, and No. 4 seeds Maryland and Purdue, among others. Only Michigan State reached the Elite Eight. — Kyle Boone
Winner: Maryland’s Derik Queen earns March immortality
The NCAA Tournament got its first buzzer-beater in the second round when Maryland’s star big man hit a game-winner over Colorado State as time expired. The shot wasn’t without controversy, as there were questions about whether Queen traveled before getting it off.
The win was the last for coach Kevin Willard at Maryland. He departed just days after a season-ending loss to Villanova in the Sweet 16. — Salerno
Loser: John Calipari’s first season at Arkansas ends in heartbreak
Behind every thrilling comeback is an agonizing collapse. In this case, Arkansas was on the wrong end of one of the biggest in NCAA Tournament history. The Razorbacks led by as many as 16 points midway through the second half against Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 but lost 85-83 in overtime.
Arkansas overachieved in Year 1 of the Calipari era after starting 0-5 in SEC play, but the loss will sting heading into a critical offseason for the program. — Salerno
How John Calipari wasted one of his best NCAA Tournament coaching jobs as Arkansas blows lead vs. Texas Tech
Cameron Salerno
Winner: Kentucky returns to the second weekend
No. 3 seed Kentucky returned to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, as first-year coach Mark Pope guided a hobbled squad to the Sweet 16. The Wildcats will aim for deeper runs in the future as Pope becomes more established, but comfortable wins over Troy and Illinois in this year’s tournament marked a promising start.
After a string of early exits under Calipari, Kentucky officially took a step back toward prominence in 2025. — Cobb
Loser: Cinderella didn’t show up to the Big Dance this year
One major talking point of this year’s tournament was the lack of upsets and deep runs by double-digit seeds. Arkansas was the only double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16, and all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2008.
There were only a handful of notable upsets. No. 12 seed Colorado State defeated No. 5 seed Memphis — though the Rams were the betting favorite — and No. 12 seed McNeese upset No. 5 seed Clemson. The latter was more surprising and arguably the biggest upset of the tournament.
College basketball fans have grown accustomed to Cinderella stories, but this tournament was more of a one-off than a new norm. — Salerno
Winner: SEC backs up the hype
The SEC placed a record 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament and validated its heavy representation with a strong run. Eight of the 14 teams reached the second round, seven made the Sweet 16 and four advanced to the Elite Eight. The Final Four featured Auburn against Florida in a matchup between the conference’s regular-season champion and tournament champion.
No. 10 seed Arkansas made a particularly surprising Sweet 16 run, highlighted by a first-round win over blueblood Kansas and a second-round victory over No. 2 seed and Big East champion St. John’s.— Cobb
Winner: Ole Miss’ first Sweet 16 since 2001
Ole Miss made its best NCAA Tournament run in nearly 25 years under second-year coach Chris Beard. The Rebels upset North Carolina and Iowa State to reach the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2001. The Rebels got even more good news after their tournament exit when Beard, one of the top candidates to succeed Buzz Williams at Texas A&M, chose to remain at Ole Miss. – Salerno
