Sandwiched between the two Mitten State teams is Maryland, which won seven of its final eight games and 11 of its last 13 to wrap its regular season. The Terrapins went 14-6 in Big Ten play and matched their program record for most wins in the conference after joining the league from the ACC in 2013.

"Despite being ranked No. 1 and entering the NCAA Tournament as a favorite, Duke basketball’s 2025 March Madness run faces a critical flaw—lack of tough competition. With a light ACC schedule and mixed results against top-tier teams,

It's possible Duke and Houston will end up as No. 1 seeds in the 2025 NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in their respective conference tournaments, in part because both have gone all season without taking a loss outside of Quadrant 1.