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With 68 teams in the March Madness field, it takes a lot of talent to make it to the Final Four. It might take even more luck, though.
Not all paths to the Final Four are made equal in the NCAA Tournament, and that is certainly the case this year. Some teams have a seemingly easy path to a deep tournament run, while other programs get stuck with tough matchups right away. Here are the hardest and easiest roads to the Final Four in 2025.
Easiest road to Final Four: South
Creighton (nine-seed)
Elite big men often dominate during the NCAA Tournament. Look at the March Madness bracket from just last season. Both Donovan Clingan (UConn) and Zach Edey (Purdue) played in the national championship game. Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of the best centers in NCAA basketball, evidenced by the fact that he was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth time this season.
Creighton will be an underdog if they were to make a Cinderella run, but they have the potential to do just that. The team has made it to at least the Sweet 16 in each of the last two seasons, including an Elite Eight run in 2023. Louisville is Creighton's first-round matchup, but the ACC just wasn't what it normally is this season. Things certainly wouldn't be easy in round two, as one-seeded Auburn would likely be waiting for them.
However, that would be a big man vs. big man clash in which Kalkbrenner would have a chance to win over Johni Broome. If Creighton could beat Auburn, it might be smooth sailing after that. Michigan, Michigan State, Texas A&M, and Iowa State are the other threats in the South region, but this region is widely viewed as the weakest in the bracket this year.
Low seeds making deep March Madness runs is never easy, but it is becoming more and more common these days. Creighton isn't your average low seed, either, considering their recent success in the Big Dance.
Hardest road to Final Four: South
Ole Miss (six-seed)
Ole Miss, despite being a six-seed, isn't guaranteed to get out of the first round. They will play either SDSU or UNC (whoever wins in the First Four) in the Round of 64. Many fans will argue that UNC doesn't deserve to be dancing because of their lack of Quad 1 success, but at the end of the day, UNC is UNC. This is a team with tons of tournament experience and prestige.
SDSU, on the other hand, has been pretty darn good in the tournament in their own right recently. The Aztecs were March Madness runner-ups as recently as 2023. Either team is an unfortunate matchup for Ole Miss. If they do win, then Iowa State will be waiting for them. KenPom has them ranked in the top 10, and they have a top 20 efficiency rating on both offense and defense. Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert, and Joshua Jefferson form an impressive big four for the Cyclones.
It is easy to see Ole Miss struggling on the offensive end during the NCAA Tournament. They lack in both size and self-creation. The team only scores 77.2 points per game, which ranks 92nd in the country.
Easiest road to Final Four: East
Duke (one-seed)
Of course, the big question mark with Duke is the health status of Cooper Flagg. The future number-one overall pick is arguably the best player in the nation, but he sprained his ankle in the ACC Tournament. Reports indicate that Flagg will be ready for the tournament, but Duke fans have to be worried about whether or not he will be 100%.
If Flagg is truly good to go, then the Blue Devils could have a cakewalk to the Final Four. The team finished the season ranked number one on the AP Poll, and they are loaded with talent. In addition to Flagg, both Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel are NBA Draft prospects. Sion James and Tyrese Proctor are the experienced veterans who will keep the squad's eyes on the prize.
The team will play either Mississippi State or Baylor in the second round, both of whom lack on the defensive end. Oregon is the five-seed in the East, and they might be somewhat fluky for such a high-seed. The Ducks only finished ninth in defensive efficiency in the Big Ten, and their offensive efficiency ranked even lower (10th in the Big Ten).
Other teams in the South tend to struggle on one end of the floor, too. Alabama, Arizona, BYU, and Saint Mary's are all offense-based, while VCU makes their money on defense. Duke is by far the most complete and balanced team in the East region, so don't be surprised by a Blue Devil run to the Final Four.
Hardest road to Final Four: East
Saint Mary's (seven-seed)
Saint Mary's has had some tournament luck in recent seasons, but this may be the year that that ends. While they have a winnable game against Vanderbilt in the first round, things will not be easy in the Round of 32 and beyond. Most notably, their likely second-round matchup would be against Alabama and the number one offense in the nation.
Even an unlikely win against the Crimson Tide would lead them to even more offensive firepower in the form of BYU or Wisconsin. Even 14-seeded Montana is a threat. While Montana is the lowest ranked non-16-seed according to KenPom, they still won't be an easy out because they have seemingly turned a corner after a slowish start. Not to mention, Money Williams has a story made for March.
Even as far as the Elite Eight, Saint Mary's would likely have Duke waiting for them. But at that point, Cooper Flagg would certainly be healthy.
Easiest road to Final Four: West
Kansas (seven-seed)
Kansas was the preseason number-one team in the nation. They have since disappointed in a big way, which led to them only being a seven-seed in the NCAA Tournament. They just may have the right road to living up to the early expectations, though. Kansas is playing another talented but dysfunctional team in Arkansas in the first round.
Their round-two matchup would likely be against the Rick Pitino-led St. John's squad. While St. John's plays great defense, they really struggle to shoot the deep ball (30.4%), and that will likely come back to haunt them. Missouri and Drake are on their side of the bracket, too. They are fun teams, but they are only six and 11-seeds for a reason. Texas Tech is a threat, but Hunter Dickinson can likely neutralize JT Toppin's effectiveness in the painted area, both as a scorer and as a rebounder.
The Jayhawks' top four scorers are all seniors, and the team was so highly touted coming into the season for a reason. There is still a deep tournament run in there somewhere with this Kansas team.
Hardest road to Final Four: West
UConn (eight-seed)
UConn became a rare team to go back-to-back in March Madness last year, but becoming the second team to ever three-peat (UCLA won seven straight under John Wooden) seems unlikely. The Huskies simply aren't as good as they've been in years past, and a tough NCAA Tournament schedule doesn't help them, either.
Lots of people are predicting Oklahoma to knock the Huskies off of their title defense in the first round. Even a win against the Sooners would put them on a crash course with number-one seed Florida. The Gators have star power, they are deep, and they are well-balanced. Florida is one of only three teams to rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Easiest road to Final Four: Midwest
Kentucky (three-seed)
Kentucky has been more known for producing NBA players than finding March Madness success in recent years, but they are a three-seed in their first season without John Calipari at the helm. Mark Pope is the team's coach now, and he has changed up the Wildcats' philosophies, deploying a rotation of upperclassmen rather than one-and-done prospects.
The team's experience will help in making a deep run, and they have a favorable path to the Final Four, too. While Troy was dominant in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, they are a beatable team that has never won an NCAA Tournament game. The lower part of the Midwest region includes UCLA and Tennessee, but Kentucky has a chance to beat those teams if they avoid turning the ball over. Utah State is also considered the worst 10-seed, as KenPom only ranks them 52nd in the nation. The upper region in the Midwest is stacked, but they might be worn down by the time Kentucky gets to the Elite Eight.
Hardest road to Final Four: Midwest
Purdue (four-seed)
The upper half of the Midwest region is arguably the toughest section in the entire NCAA Tournament bracket. Purdue might have made it to the national championship game last year, but their road to the Final Four will be a lot more difficult this year, especially since they don't have somebody like Edey to lean on.
Purdue's first-round matchup is against the hottest team in the nation, as 14-seed High Point's 14-game winning streak is the longest in college basketball. Speaking of 14 wins, Clemson is a possible second-round matchup for Purdue, and they won 14 of their last 15 regular season games. Gonzaga is always a threat in March, and Houston still has championship admirations. There just doesn't seem to be a path for the Boilermakers to avenge their championship loss from last season.
