ESPN television personality Stephen A. Smith has unveiled his March Madness bracket and expert picks for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Smith’s Final Four features Duke, Houston, Florida, and Michigan State. Stephen A. also has Florida defeating Duke for the National Championship.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Picks
- Final Four — No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Florida, No. 1 Houston, and No. 2 Michigan State
- No. 1 Florida Over No. 1 Duke for National Championship
Stephen A. Smith March Madness Bracket 2025
Who ya got???https://t.co/Q5m6LjXT3F pic.twitter.com/XwRvBv9TC1
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 19, 2025
Stephen A. Smith March Madness 2025 Picks And Predictions
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Houston, No. 1 Florida, and No. 2 Michigan State reaching the Final Four. He feels that everyone is currently underrating the Blue Devils because of injuries.
“Here’s why I would say the field as opposed to the SEC… The bottom line is, if you say the SEC, then you [are] ruling out Duke, and I can’t rule out Duke. I think [Cooper] Flagg’s gonna be back, of course. … Duke is a bona-fide threat,” Smith said Monday on First Take.
Final Four — No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Houston, No. 1 Florida, And No. 2 Michigan State
Florida went 30-4 this season and defeated Tennessee in the SEC tournament championship to win its first conference championship since 2014. The Gators are entering the NCAA Tournament on a six-game win streak, with five victories coming against teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
“When I look at my brackets right here, I got Duke coming out. I got Houston, not Tennessee, [Chris “Mad Dog” Russo] Doggy. Of course I got Florida, and I’m not betting against [Michigan State head coach] Tom Izzo. … I mean, [head coach] Bruce Pearl in Auburn.
“… The further he advances, I think is just phenomenal for the game itself. I got Tom Izzo and Michigan State, and I got them going to the Final Four. I got Michigan State, Duke, Florida, and Houston.”
Houston also went 30-4 this season and defeated Arizona to win the Big 12 tournament championship. The Cougars are one of the best defensive teams in the nation, ranking second with opponents being held to an average of just 58.5 points per game. They’ve won 22 of their last 23 games.
Despite Cooper Flagg’s injury with Duke, he believes the Blue Devils will return to the Final Four and give Florida a competitive game this year. But he still thinks the Gators will win it all.
No. 1 Duke Over No. 1 Florida For National Championship
No. 1 Duke finished the regular season with a record of 31-3 (19-1 in ACC), while No. 1 Florida went 30-4 (14-4 in SEC). The Gators ended non-conference play with a 13-0 record and No. 6 ranking in the AP Poll, which was their highest ranking in seven years.
While Florida suffered early losses to Kentucky and Missouri, the Gators found their rhythm and went on to win nine of their last 10 regular-season games.
During this stretch, they picked up wins on the road against No. 1 Auburn and No. 7 Alabama. It was the first time the Gators defeated a No. 1 team on the road in program history.
Last season, Florida went 24-12 (11-7 in SEC) to finish in sixth place. In the SEC Tournament, the Gators beat Georgia, Alabama, and Texas A&M to advance to the championship game, where they would fall to Auburn.
The Gators earned an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the South Region, where they lost to Colorado 102-100 in the First Round.
According to the ESPN Tournament Challenge, Duke remains the favorite to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament National Championship, with 25.2% of participants picking the Blue Devils.
Florida is close behind at No. 2 with 20.2% of picks, while Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed, has received 11.3% of picks despite losing three of its last four games. These numbers are subject to change as more brackets come in.
