Paul Finebaum predicts a SEC team will win March Madness, 2025 National Championship

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum naturally picked the SEC over the rest of the college basketball field to win a national title this season.

But, the long-time voice of the Southeastern Conference has a point. It’s been the most dominant conference in basketball this season and features the top two teams in the country: Auburn and Alabama.

And no, this isn’t football. The hardwood runs through the schools in the south so Finebaum opted for the SEC over the field.

“You have to go with the SEC right now, because, I mean, they have more than almost 25% percent of the field, or they should a month from today,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter. “So I think if you look at it, these are easily the two best teams in the country. There are a couple of others in the SEC. But right now, Auburn looks like the best team. Johni Broome has been unbelievable. The other school you have to watch out for his Duke of course with Cooper Flagg playing. But right now you’d be crazy, and I’m not that crazy, to go against the SEC.”

Going into Saturday, Auburn and Alabama are the top two teams in the country. As far as the rest of the SEC, they have No. 3 Florida, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 15 Kentucky,  No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 21 Missouri and No. 22 Mississippi State.

SEC team bound to win March Madness?

Yeah, the SEC is pretty good.

All that has set the stage for Saturday’s epic No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in Coleman Coliseum between the bitter cross-state rivals. Saturday will mark the 11th meeting between Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl, with the Alabama coach holding a slight 6-5 advantage over his Auburn counterpart over the past five seasons of the Iron Bowl of basketball series, including winning three of the last four.

“For the first time since we were at Tennessee, College GameDay has a 1 vs. 2 matchup,” Auburn assistant Steven Pearl said. “It’s the first time, I think in SEC basketball history, that there’s been a 1 vs. 2 game. … And it’s two teams in the state of Alabama, historically football schools. It’s the first Iron Bowl of any sport where there’s a 1 vs. 2 matchup.

“The rivalry, obviously, is well and alive, and while both fan bases are going to want to tear each other apart, I think you’ve got to appreciate how far both programs have come and where it’s at right now.”Paul Finebaum predicts a SEC team will win March Madness, 2025 National Championship