The first weekend of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament is officially in the books, and the two teams in my bracket that I have playing in the championship game on April 7 in San Antonio are both still dancing.
Under the tutelage of first-year coach Mark Pope, “Big Blue Nation” has the tradition-rich Kentucky Wildcats for whom to root and support in nearby Indianapolis following wins over Troy and Illinois. Likewise, my alma mater, Michigan State is on its way to Atlanta where the Spartans will appear in their 16th Sweet 16 under legendary head coach Tom Izzo. MSU defeated Bryant and New Mexico during the first two rounds of the 2025 spectacle.
Two wins away from the Final Four, Kentucky and Michigan State are on polar opposite sides of the bracket and could only face each other with the national championship at stake.
To me, Kentucky is THE story of the 2024-25 season, with my Spartans also on the list of the best feel-good stories.
A year ago at this time, UK saw a 100-percent player defection in the wake of the resignation by John Calipari, the longtime head coach who had seemingly worn out his welcome in Lexington.
When Kentucky lured Pope away from a similar position at Brigham Young University, the UK grad and captain of the 1995 national championship team quickly went to work building a coaching staff and a roster of players. Within weeks, 10 veteran college players from the transfer portal committed to play for Pope at Kentucky. The lone Calipari recruit — Lyon County native Travis Perry — along with former South Carolina-commit and Harlan County High School legend Trent Noah became the final pieces of a puzzle that has been assembled in short order with outstanding results.
With wins this season over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville and Florida, along with two wins over rival Tennessee, Kentucky posted a winning record in the deepest and most talented conference in Division I — the SEC. The Wildcats also overcame injuries to multiple key players to finish as one of just a handful of teams that was ranked in the Top 25 every week during the regular season and earned a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Outstanding results, indeed.
Shortly after his arrival on campus last June, I sat down with Noah inside the Joe Craft Center and had the chance to talk to him about his thoughts and reactions just three practices into his college basketball experience. Looking back on what Noah said that day, it’s heartwarming to think how his initial comments have played out.
“Everybody is starting on the same page in a new system, and guys are already showing signs of being able to work together and develop team chemistry,” Noah said at the time. “I feel like I can say it’s like we’ve been together for multiple years.
“In just a few practices, we’ve already jumped leaps and bounds, so there’s no telling what could happen in a year. This season should be super fun.”
For my Michigan State Spartans, a team that was not ranked among the Top 25 until December, it’s been a journey that few outside the program and/or fan base could have imagined. Picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten, the Spartans reeled off 13 straight wins early in the season and won their first nine conference games. Michigan State finished the regular season with seven straight victories — six of which came against ranked teams — and won the Big Ten Conference championship by three games.
Despite a loss in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals to Wisconsin, MSU garnered a 2 seed in the South Region. In typical Izzo fashion, the Spartans continued to get better as the season progressed and are playing perhaps their best basketball at precisely the right time.
Looking ahead to this weekend, the SEC has a record seven teams remaining from the original 14 (another record) teams who heard their names called on Selection Sunday. To date, the SEC boasts a record of 15-7. The Big Ten, meanwhile, has four (of eight) teams still alive in the tournament and an overall record of 12-4.
Both UK and MSU play early-evening games Friday, with Kentucky tasked with beating Tennessee for a third time this season and Michigan State facing an SEC team — Ole Miss. With another win against the Volunteers on Friday, Kentucky would face the winner of the Houston-Purdue game, while MSU would face the winner of Auburn-Michigan.
Although all four No. 1 seeds (Houston, Auburn, Duke and Florida) still remain in this year’s tournament, the last time all four top-seeds played in the Final Four was 2008. This year’s Sweet 16 may very well again produce a scenario where the No. 1 seed fails to qualify for either the Elite Eight or the Final Four, and both Kentucky and Michigan State could factor into that conversation.
Regardless of outcomes this weekend, Kentucky and Michigan State players, coaches and fans can rightfully call the 2024-25 season a success. Neither will go down without a fight, and each has already proven they can compete with and/or defeat any team in the country.
On to the Sweet 16!
