NCAA Tournament Midwest Region: 3 Potential First Round Upsets

The 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket has officially been released.

As we survey the landscape of the matchups, the Midwest Region has a handful of games that could very well result in upsets. Let’s take a look at three of those potential region-altering games.

No. 10 Utah State vs. No. 7 UCLA (-4.5)

UCLA should win the game on paper. The Bruins are more battle-tested, far bigger up front, and are one of the better defensive teams in the country. Having said that, the Bruins don’t have a ton of NCAA Tournament experience outside of inconsistent PG Dylan Andrews. UCLA has had tendencies to stall on offense — and that could open the door for the Aggies to pull the upset.

Two guards with past Pac-12 experience in Ian Martinez (Utah) and Dexter Akanno (Oregon State) both light it up from beyond the arc. In fact, the team’s top-four scorers all shoot 38-percent or better from three. It’s a veteran bunch with moxie and confidence, and it’s proven already this year capable of beating bigger programs (St. Mary’s, Iowa, SDSU, Boise State, South Florida).

No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Texas/Xavier

Illinois probably has more talent than any team in the Big Ten. Kasparas Jakucionis is a likely lottery pick, and Will Riley will be a first-round pick when he decides to leave school. When throwing in stretch five Tomislav Ivisic, Tre White, and heady guard Kylan Boswell, this team can score the basketball exceptionally well. On the other hand, how did this team finish 8th in its conference?

The inconsistency Illinois operates with is a real problem. It’s good enough to beat anyone on any given day. It’s also vulnerable enough to get tripped up. Texas has some real NBA talent, and Xavier has a very good coach in Sean Miller. The Musketeers play with toughness and energy, and the Longhorns can match Illinois’ athleticism and explosiveness. Neither are a good matchup for the Fighting Illini.

No. 5 Clemson (-7.5) vs. No. 12 McNeese

No one would be surprised in the slightest if McNeese wins this game. Will Wade is expected to leave for another job at a bigger school — but that doesn’t discount how brilliant he’s been at the tiny school in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In two years, he’s accrued a record of 49-8 at the school. This year’s team has gone 27-6 — winning its last 11 games. The Cowboys are led by guards Javohn Garcia and Sincere Parker.

Clemson had a great year going 18-2 in the ACC. It also has good wins over the likes of Duke and Kentucky. There’s no doubt the Tigers are good. Chase Hunter leads a good offense, and Russian center Viktor Lakhin has given the team a real rim-protecting presence. Having said that, the ACC was horrible this year — and we don’t really know how good Clemson is. McNeese is exceptionally well-coached, and there will be no fear in playing a team from a bigger conference. Don’t sleep on the Cowboys.