Out of the millions of brackets created for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, zero remain perfect through the Sweet 16.
This year's edition of March Madness has brought us a limited amount of upsets. For the first time since 2017, zero of the No. 13-16 seeds advanced to the round of 32. And only one double-digit seed (No. 10 Arkansas) advanced to the Sweet 16.
Now that the Elite Eight has been set, just one celebrity was able to correctly predict the final eight teams, at least according to NCAA March Madness.
That honor goes to former Duke Blue Devils star Paolo Banchero, now with the Orlando Magic.
"Paolo knows ball btw," NCAA March Madness wrote on X.
Paolo knows ball btw #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/126rSP3vJd
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2025
Banchero has the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans emerging from the South Region and reaching the Final Four after defeating the No. 1 overall seed Auburn Tigers. He predicts Michigan State will face the No. 1 seed Florida Gators in the semifinals, with Florida expected to beat the No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the West Region.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Banchero went with his former team, No. 1 seed Duke, to beat No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Region finals. In the Final Four, Banchero has the Blue Devils facing No. 1 seed Houston, defeating No. 2 seed Tennesse Volunteers in the Midwest Region.
But Banchero ultimately remained loyal to his school, predicting Duke to win it all.
In his lone season with Duke (2021-22), Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He went on to become the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, selected by the Magic.
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM.