Illinois storylines in March Madness 2025: Illini, Notre Dame, Loyola, Bradley and ... DePaul?
Chicago Sports Overtime: Tina and Chris break down each region of the NCAA Tournament
FOX 32's Tina Nguyen and NCAA columnist Chris Kwiecinski discuss the 2025 NCAA Tournament, break down the bracket's four regions and give their Final Four picks.
This is March, as some say.
The NCAA Tournament brackets are out, as are the rest of the postseason brackets. It's time
Here are a few storylines as postseason tournaments begin.
Only two Illinois teams land in the dance
This number could have – you can maybe argue it should have – been around three to four teams.
Northwestern had high hopes but struggled with a litany of injuries to its best player and too much bad luck. Bradley made it to the MVC Championship game but lost to a Drake team that won 30 games.
Now, there are two teams from the Land of Lincoln to root for: the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
The Illini get a favorable seed as a No. 6 seed, playing the winner of Texas-Xavier, two teams that were on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. A win there would most likely mean a game against No. 3-seeded Kentucky, which featured a banged-up roster that won't be 100% if the Wildcats play Illinois.
SIU-E made its first-ever NCAA Tournament. The Cougars' reward is facing a juggernaut in Houston that sits at 30-4 overall, won the Big 12 regular season title and won the Big 12 Tournament championship.
NIT features a former MVC rivalry… again
Outside the NCAA Tournament, the NIT will have two Illinois teams to root for.
MVC Tournament runner-up Bradley and former MVC contender and current Atlantic-10 Conference member Loyola.
These two clashed in the MVC for the better part of a decade. They renewed that rivalry last March when the Ramblers played the Braves in the NIT first round in Peoria. It meant bragging rights for Braves fans, who were clearly reveling in that win.
Bradley took that round. But, both teams are in the NIT yet again. However, a lot needs to happen if both teams are to face off in the NIT again. Bradley and Loyola are on the same side of the NIT bracket, but a rematch would come if both teams advanced to the NIT semifinals at the Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Loyola will travel to San Jose State in round one. Bradley will host North Alabama.
Notre Dame women are primed for a title run
The Fighting Irish slumped in the final stretch of the season. At one point in February, they were the best team in America.
Notre Dame enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. The Irish will host Stephen F. Austin in the first round, and then play the winner of Michigan's round-one game against either Princeton or Iowa State.
That slump is the bad news. The good news is Notre Dame has the talent to bust out of it.
In the final stretch of the regular season, the Irish lost to NC State in a top-15 match up, Florida State in a top-25 matchup and then to Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals. Duke is also a top-10 team.
The Irish also slumped in November when they lost two games in a row to TCU and Utah in the 2024 Cayman Islands Classic. Notre Dame responded with a win over No. 4 Texas, Syracuse and No. 2 UConn in its next three games. On their resume, the Irish have wins over: UConn, Texas and USC. In all, Notre Dame has eight ranked wins in the 2024-2025 season.
ACC Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo is an offensive and defensive force. Olivia Miles is a trustworthy point guard who has the keys to Notre Dame's offense. Sonia Citron has seemingly unlimited range and hustle. Liatu King is a double-double machine, specializing in owning the glass. Freshman Kate Koval has played like anything but a freshman as the Irish's dependable center. Maddy Westbeld brings all important senior leadership.
Don't let the Irish's slide worry you. They'll be set for a lengthy tournament run.
Welcome to the postseason: DePaul?
There's a new postseason tournament this season. Welcome to the block: College Basketball Crown tournament.
The tournament's biggest games are played in Las Vegas. MGM Grand Garden Arena hosts the second round games. T-Mobile Arena will host the semifinals and championship game.
This bracket features teams from the Big East, Big 10 and Big 12. One of those teams is Chris Holtmann's DePaul Blue Demons.
This will mark the first postseason tournament game DePaul has played in since the 2019 College Basketball Invitational. Former DePaul coach Dave Leitao's Demons were the CBI runner-up that year. This could be a boon for the Demons.
The Blue Demons went 14-19 in Holtmann's first season, and they could use the extra games against non-Big East teams. DePaul went 4-16 in the Big East this year. The Demons open the tournament against Cincinnati on April 1. Some momentum here could lead to some welcome momentum this offseason as DePaul tries to become a team vying for NCAA Tournament berths.
Chicago connections to note
Need a rooting interest? Take note of these Chicago connections when making your bracket:
- Missouri head coach Dennis Gates (Chicago native and former Whitney Young basketball star)
- Duke head coach Jon Scheyer (Northbrook, Illinois, native and former Glenbrook North star)
- Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser (Naperville, Illinois, native and former Loyola head coach)
- Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (Joliet, Illinois native and former Joliet West star)
- Yale guard John Poulakidas (Naperville, Illinois, native and former Neuqua Valley High School star)
- Gonzaga forward Braden Huff (Glen Ellyn, Illinois, native and former Glenbard West star)
- Clemson forward Asa Thomas (Lake Forest, Illinois, native and former Lake Forest High School star)