NCAA Tournament No. 1 Seeds: Breaking Down Auburn, Duke, Florida & Houston

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 6:31 PM ET

The NCAA Tournament brackets and seeds are out. What should you expect out of the top teams getting the 1 seeds?

Auburn, Duke, Florida, Houston - if you're in this bunch, it's Win The National Title, Or Bust, but realistically, get to the Final Four, and the job is done.

If you're just getting to know these teams, what do you need to know, who are the best players, and what are all of the strengths and weaknesses?

NCAA Tournament No. 1 Seeds: Strengths, Weaknesses & Players to Watch

Duke

Duke has the best player in the nation in Cooper Flagg, it’s deep, it’s big, explosive, and does a little of everything right. All three losses were close.

Record: 31-3
Strengths: Scoring, Shooting from three
Concerns: Getting to the line, Forcing turnovers
Top Player To Know: (Besides Cooper Flagg) Kon Kneuppel, Fr. F
NCAA Tournament Expectations: Win the national title
CFN Final Top 68 Rank: 1
KenPom Rank: 1
Region: East
First Round Opponent: American or Mount St. Marys

Houston

It's one of the nastiest teams going with balanced scoring, elite defense, and outstanding ability from three.

Record: 30-4
Strengths: Suffocating defense, Hitting threes
Concerns: Size, Getting to the free throw line
Top Player To Know: LJ Cryer, Sr. G
NCAA Tournament Expectations: Win the national title
CFN Final Top 68 Rank: 3
KenPom Rank: 3
Region: Midwest
First Round Opponent: SIU Edwardsville

Auburn

The Tigers do everything right. They have senior guards who attack, a superstar in Johni Broome inside, and explosion from everywhere.

Record: 28-5
Strengths: Interior presence, Versatile scoring ability
Concerns: Too many fouls, Not enough takeaways
Top Player To Know: Johni Broome, Sr. F
NCAA Tournament Expectations: Win the national title
CFN Final Top 68 Rank: 5
KenPom Rank: 4
Region: South
First Round Opponent: Alabama State or St. Francis

Florida

It doesn’t get as much hype as other SEC teams, but the SEC Tournament champ is loaded with a great scoring punch, lots of fast break points, 3-and-Ds as well as anyone.

Record: 29-4
Strengths: Getting on the move, Rebounds
Concerns: Free throw shooting, Too many fouls
Top Player To Know: Walter Clayton, Sr. G
NCAA Tournament Expectations: Win the national title
CFN Final Top 68 Rank: 2
KenPom Rank: 2
Region: West
First Round Opponent: Norfolk State

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