If the East Region looks talent-heavy, the South Region looks downright brutal.
This bracket features the defending champion Florida Gators, a physical title contender in the Houston Cougars, a dangerous scoring team in Illinois Fighting Illini, and several upset threats capable of shaking things up early.
By the time the dust settles, however, one thing becomes clear: this region will likely be decided by toughness, defense, and physicality. And that formula favors Houston.
Early Round Chaos
The top seed Florida opens the tournament against Prairie View A&M Panthers / Lehigh Mountain Hawks and advances comfortably.
But the second round provides a real test when Florida faces Clemson Tigers.
Clemson’s physical defense and veteran guards give the Gators a battle, pushing the game deep into the second half. Ultimately Florida’s offensive balance and size carry them through a tense matchup to reach the Sweet 16.
Elsewhere in the top half of the bracket, Vanderbilt Commodores defeats McNeese Cowboys before surviving an upset attempt by Troy Trojans, who shockingly eliminate Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The bottom half also delivers an early surprise when VCU Rams knock out North Carolina Tar Heels. The Tar Heels enter the tournament short-handed after star freshman Caleb Wilson was ruled out for the season, and the absence proves costly.
Meanwhile, Illinois and Houston both advance comfortably in their opening matchups.
Sweet 16: Revenge and Power Programs
Florida’s Sweet 16 matchup becomes one of the most intriguing storylines of the region.
The Gators face Vanderbilt in a rematch of the SEC Tournament semifinal, where the Commodores previously knocked Florida out.
This time, however, Florida flips the script.
With revenge on their minds and the defending champions’ experience showing late, the Gators pull away to eliminate Vanderbilt and reach the Elite Eight.
On the other side of the bracket, Illinois and Houston deliver one of the best games of the region.
Illinois’ offense, led by Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic, goes blow-for-blow with Houston’s physical defense. But in typical Houston fashion, the Cougars slowly take control with defensive stops and rebounding.
Houston survives a tight battle and advances.
Elite Eight: A National Championship Rematch
That sets up one of the most compelling matchups of the entire tournament.
Florida vs Houston — a rematch of last year’s national championship game.
Florida’s balanced offense keeps the game close for much of the night, with Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh creating scoring opportunities inside.
But Houston thrives in games exactly like this.
The Cougars slow the pace, dominate the glass, and force difficult shots. Guard play from Kingston Flemings and Emanuel Sharp keeps the offense just efficient enough to maintain control.
In the final minutes, Houston’s defense becomes overwhelming.
The Cougars close the game with a flurry of stops and advance to the Final Four by defeating the defending champions.
Why Houston Wins the South
Houston simply plays the style of basketball that travels best in March.
Elite defense.
Relentless rebounding.
Physical half-court offense.
Those traits consistently show up in tight tournament games, and the Cougars lean on them to grind through one of the toughest regions in the bracket.
Florida pushes them to the limit, but Houston’s toughness ultimately proves decisive.
And if the South Region plays out this way, Houston won’t just reach the Final Four — they’ll look like a serious national title threat.
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