A Sweet Sixteen Trio

12 Big Ten teams entered and three remain after a wild up-and-down weekend of the NCAA Tournament

Mar 25, 2025

What a weekend of basketball that was. My bracket is extremely mid, and some would say the same about both NCAA Tournaments due to the pure lack of true upsets that happened on either side.

While yes, the women’s side has no seed lower than a five still remaining, there were still so many excellent games that happened, especially ones with Big Ten teams and especially in that first round.

A dozen Big Ten teams entered the weekend, and only three survived. There were plenty of nail-biters and a handful of blowouts along the way, so let’s talk about it!

NCAA Tournament Preview: Lower Seeds

NCAA Tournament Preview: Hosting Teams

On the whole, the Big Ten finished the first week with a 13-9 record: 0-1 in the First Four, 10-1 in the Round of 64 and 3-7 in the Round of 32.

We’ll start with the teams that advanced and go from there:

Maryland

Round of 64: WIN, 82-69 over Norfolk State
Round of 32: WIN, 111-108 over Alabama (2OT)

Maryland was down at halftime against Norfolk State, but a big rebound advantage (41 to 26) and a big Sarah Te-Biasu performance (22 points, 7/11 FG) led the way to a comeback victory. It was a game worth talking about, but because of what happened next, I simply don’t have the time.

What I witnessed in Maryland’s double overtime win over Alabama was historic. Hyperbole is hard to avoid, but I think it’s hard to be hyperbolic about a game that was this unbelievably excellent down the stretch.

The final 15ish minutes of game action in this game were among the very, very best I have ever watched in the NCAA Tournament on either side of the aisle. Rarely do you see a game where both teams are exchanging haymakers at a rate like this.

The Terps were down 17 points in the middle of the third quarter. It felt like the Crimson Tide found an answer and that Maryland wouldn’t have the time to fix it. But Maryland kept battling, kept finding baskets and trips to the line, and slowly chipped away at that lead until they were tied at 80 with a minute to go.

Then Sarah Ashlee Barker hit a three, and it could have been all for naught. It looked that way when Kaylene Smikle’s wild three attempt was blocked. But Smikle found the ball, found Te-Biasu with space, and the veteran transfer guard splashed a game-tying three with 12 seconds to go. Overtime we go!

Overtime in a NCAA Tournament game is always a delight, but I think they are often a messy affair. These teams are tired, especially on the second game of the week, and it already took so much to even get it to this point.

None of that was the case here.

Alabama and Maryland were both continuing to exchange the same buckets they had been doing throughout the fourth quarter. The Terps got to the line well in the first overtime, but Barker and co. just continued answering every shot. Saylor Poffenbarger split a pair to put Maryland up three points late, and Barker missed a three as time expired.

The problem: Poffenbarger jumped into Barker on the shot, a clear foul in the shooting motion. Barker is a 70.9% free throw shooter on the season. She was 4 of 8 from the line in this game entering these shots. She splashed all three free throws in ice cold fashion. Double overtime we go!

Everything I said about NCAA Tournament overtimes can be, and you won’t believe this, doubled for a second OT. And yet, somehow, these teams continued splashing away. Te-Biasu had eight points in the second overtime, including a mid-range that put Maryland up 4 late. Barker continued fighting back with a pair of baskets that, along with some Maryland free throws, gave the Crimson Tide one more chance to extend the game. Down three in the final seconds, Maryland broke up the pass to Barker and the clock ran out on one of the greatest games I have ever seen.

Te-Biasu had 26 points, six assists and three steals on 9-of-17 shooting. She played all 50 minutes in a mammoth performance. Shyanne Sellers was also tremendous here with 28 points with a perfect 9-of-9 day from the line. She also played the final 16:09 of this game with four fouls, never receiving her fifth. In a game this close, with Kaylene Smikle and three Crimson Tide starters all fouled out, that was massive discipline in a crucial moment.

Smikle still had a great game before fouling out with 24 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Allie Kubek had 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers in 49 minutes of action. All of these unbelievable efforts were mostly to counteract Sarah Ashlee Barker, who finished with 45 points on 17-of-25 shooting.

The resolve Maryland showed here against a great team was remarkable. Alabama didn’t even get shut down in the fourth, the Terps just had more answers and found more ways to score. They get South Carolina in the next round, who (as we will discuss) struggled against Indiana for much of its most recent win. The Gamecocks will be favored and they should be, but this Maryland team has the length and versatility to give them some fits defensively, matchup well on the boards and are some strong shot-making performances away from really making it a game in my opinion. I also think a win like the one they just had could absolutely be a catalyst for something special.

UCLA

Round of 64: WIN over Southern 84-46
Round of 32: WIN over Richmond 84-67

Of the Big Ten teams still dancing, UCLA has the least to consider. That doesn’t mean it has been without storylines though, as the Bruins were tied with Richmond at halftime before coming out with an explosive third quarter that stole all the momentum.

It was a fantastic performance specifically for UCLA’s stars. Lauren Betts had 30 points and 14 rebounds on 14-of-17 shooting. Kiki Rice had 23 points and seven assists with one turnover. Those are the types of games the Bruins will need from this duo to get into the Final Four.

The Bruins will get Ole Miss first, who took down Baylor in a close one to get here. The Rebels are a dangerous defensive unit who turn teams over at a high rate and force them off the three-point line. Ole Miss lacks a signature scorer (Madison Scott leads with 12.1 PPG), and the core unit does not have the size to match up great with Betts. I think UCLA should handle business, but Ole Miss will make sure it doesn’t come easily.

With a win, UCLA would face the winner of NC State-LSU, whew. That should be an incredible game, as the Wolfpack come in red hot from a game we will soon talk about. LSU was up 1 at half against Florida State, then said “nevermind,” outscoring the Noles 31-6 in the third quarter in what ended up being a blowout. Both teams are filled with the athleticism and star talent to give each other, and then the Bruins, a real fight. Betts against Aneesah Morrow would be quite a matchup, as would Rice and co. against Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James. I think it will be the Wolfpack in the Elite Eight, and I like UCLA’s interior dominance to come through for the Final Four berth, but it will be quite a region to watch.

USC

Round of 64: WIN over UNC Greensboro 71-25
Round of 32: WIN over Mississippi State 96-59

On the surface, USC’s first two rounds were the least interesting of the bunch. Both of these games were over at halftime. But I’m sure as many of you already know, these wins were the clear secondary story to the Trojan’s run thus far.

Early against Mississippi State, JuJu Watkins drove toward the rim as she has done many times before. This time, with some incidental contact, her knee gave out on the way. It was announced this morning that Watkins tore her ACL and will be out for the near future.

This is devastating beyond words, for Watkins, for the Trojans and for college basketball as a whole. JuJu Watkins is the best player in the country in my eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to see what she was capable of, on a team with this much surrounding talent, in a NCAA Tournament field as wide open at the top as it has ever been.

USC, to its credit, never took its foot off the gas before or after that injury and steamrolled a Mississippi State that has beaten Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Utah and Cal, as well as only losing to Texas by four. That’s a good Bulldogs team, and the JuJu-less Trojans throttled them for their worst loss of the season. Kiki Iriafen had 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting.

This is still a deeply talented USC team, and I’m curious to see what Lindsay Gottlieb comes up with to make this team work without its transcendent superstar of an engine. The Trojans will face Kansas State first after the Wildcats survived an overtime war with Kentucky. Kansas State is the second-best three-point shooting team in the nation and has an interior weapon in Ayoka Lee to go with it. Serena Sundell is also among the best playmaking guards in the country with over seven assists per game.

With JuJu, I think USC has a solid advantage in spite of all of that. But without her, it’ll be up to Iriafen to take on a heavier load, and players like Kennedy Smith, Talia von Oelhoffen and Avery Howell will have to be hitting their shots. USC’s interior defense should be able to contain Lee, and it may come down to if Kansas State can keep their three-point percentage around 40 percent, or if the Trojans can make the game a slugfest.

Oklahoma had an incredible game against Iowa, but I will expect UConn to be awaiting the winner in the Elite Eight. The Huskies have been remarkable thus far, and I would have to be blown away by the Kansas State performance to think USC can take down UConn without Watkins.

Here’s to hoping for a full recovery for JuJu for next season. The basketball world isn’t the same without her playing.

Elimination Rundown

As said above, nine Big Ten teams were eliminated. I’m going to go through them all here, in less detail than they deserve just because I don’t want to make this a 5,000-word post.

Illinois

R64 WIN vs. Creighton, R32 LOSS vs. Texas

Taking down the Bluejays in the first round was a significant victory in its own right for the Illini as the program’s first in 25 years. This group of seniors absolutely deserved to be the ones to make that history.

Kendall Bostic, Makira Cook, Genesis Bryant and Adalia Mckenzie were at the forefront of this new-look Illinois team. Cook didn’t play in this game or much of this season, but she was among the largest spark plugs for this and deserves recognition all the same.

Shauna Green will now move forward with a lot of exciting talent coming through the door, all of which was possible thanks to her and this core. Exciting times are ahead for the Illini.

Indiana

R64 WIN vs. Utah, R32 LOSS vs. South Carolina

Another year, another NCAA Tournament win for Teri Moren’s Hoosiers, and they had to work to get this one. This team had a slow start to the season, but found its footing and continued Indiana’s NCAA Tournament victories streak for another year.

The Hoosiers also absolutely fought with the Gamecocks for the majority of the 40 minutes. Indiana led at halftime, and actually outscored South Carolina 39-38 in the first, second and fourth quarters. A 26-14 third quarter in favor of the Gamecocks turned the momentum and Indiana didn’t have enough to get it back, but the Hoosiers continue to prove to be a tough out, even against the very best teams in the country.

Iowa

R64 WIN vs. Murray State, R32 LOSS vs. Oklahoma

The Hawkeyes rode their hot end of the season into a dominant 92-57 victory over the Racers, but completely ran out of gas in a blowout defeat to the Sooners. After the amount of momentum the team had built up, it felt like a downer note to end on, but this is still quite a successful first campaign for head coach Jan Jensen.

Lucy Olsen’s lone season at Iowa should be remembered. It took some time to fully click, but once it did, Olsen was among the premier guards in the country and can be a truly elite playmaker. Like Illinois, the Hawkeyes have some talent on the way, and we saw some great bursts out of Iowa’s true freshmen against Murray State. Remember the name Ava Heiden in 2025-26.

Michigan

R64 WIN vs. Iowa State, R32 LOSS vs. Notre Dame

The Wolverines just went out there with a five-guard starting lineup, including three freshmen, and beat Audi Crooks and Iowa State. Yes they were the favorite, but that should be recognized for the feat that it is.

Shoutout Jordan Hobbs man. A career-high in the NCAA Tournament to get the job done. She stayed through all of the roster transition and was rewarded with a magnificent performance. The freshmen trio struggled early in that game, but all three of Mila Holloway, Olivia Olson and Syla Swords had moments down the stretch.

Yes, Michigan lost big to Notre Dame. No, I don’t care. The Irish were a horrific draw as a 3-seed and this team made it further than I ever thought it could in Year One of this new look. If the roster stays mostly together, the sky is truly the limit next season.

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Michigan State

R64 WIN vs. Harvard, R32 LOSS vs. NC State

The Spartans were probably a common pick to be upset in the first round, and I wouldn’t blame anyone who did. Harvard’s a great team that Michigan State was able to grind down and take down, holding the Crimson below 30 percent shooting. The Spartans then ran into a NC State team that could not miss and would not slow down. It happens.

Michigan State’s program is in a good place under Robyn Fralick, and while this feels like a touch of a letdown considering that the Spartans nearly competed for a Top 16 seed, getting a NCAA Tournament victory still remains significant. Julia Ayrault, you were one of my favorite players in his conference, and your all-around presence on the game will be missed.

Nebraska

R64 LOSS vs. Louisville

The Cornhuskers were extremely close to advancing here, taking the Cardinals right to the brink in a 63-58 defeat that was decided largely on the turnover battle, with Nebraska turning it over 24 times to just 13 from Louisville.

A tournament win would have been the ideal send-off for Alexis Markowski, but it was still an outstanding four-year career for her in Lincoln. There’s also plenty to be excited about with Nebraska’s future, which is likely to include Natalie Potts who was sorely missed this season.

Ohio State

R64 WIN vs. Montana State, R32 LOSS vs. Tennessee

The Buckeyes battled an early scare and handled business against Montana State, then squandered a nice second-half comeback to fall to the Vols by double digits.

I picked this upset, and I’m still disappointed. Two years in a row now where Ohio State starts the season looking like a contender to go deep in the tournament, and two years in a row the Buckeyes fall in Columbus in the second round. Tennessee is a great team and a tough matchup to get, but no excuses when you’re the home team.

On another note, someone please draft Taylor Thierry. I know she needs to shoot more but that is a pro-level defender with all the tools needed to take a leap

Oregon

R64 WIN vs. Vanderbilt, R32 LOSS vs. Duke

Of any Big Ten team that has already been eliminated, Oregon may have been the most impressive.

The Ducks took over, and then held on for dear life, against a Vanderbilt group with some of the best top-end talent in the country, then gave Duke an absolute war in a 59-53 defeat, and that was with Peyton Scott leaving the game early with an injury.

Deja Kelly had 20 points in both of these games, a great send-off for a player who has done an excellent job filling her role within this unit. Also credit to Kelly Graves, who bounced back from an abysmal 2023-24 to deliver a tournament win in Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten.

Washington

First Four LOSS vs. Columbia

This was an outrageously weird game. Washington shot 52.9 percent and lost because Columbia completely took away the three-point line. The Huskies, a team that has loved a perimeter-centric style most of the season, went just 3 of 13 from deep on the night.

The core four I had discussed often this season scored 59 of the team’s 60 points in the three-point loss, with Sayvia Sellers’ 21 points leading the way. This was Washington’s first time back in the tournament since their Kelsey Plum-led teams in the mid-2010s, so it’s still a great step in the right direction for the program to make it here in the first place.

Overall thoughts? These first two rounds were a bit of an amalgamation of the entire Big Ten season. This conference had so many good teams, but only a select few elite ones. It made for a wildly exciting regular season, and it made for 10 victories in the Round of 64. In the same breath, the lack of elite teams was displayed by the ensuing seven defeats in the Round of 32, many of which were not particularly close.

At the end of the day, three Big Ten teams are still dancing. We shall see if any remain to get the Big Ten into a third straight Final Four.

NOTE: Hoopla will (likely) release on TUESDAY to allow for the completion of the Elite Eight

Photo Credit: Maryland Athletics

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