What Are the Toughest and Easiest Regions in the Men’s College Basketball Tournament?

The 2025 men's college basketball tournament is finally here.

The bracket is fresh, but there's plenty of time to sift through the 68 tournament teams ahead of Thursday's tip-off.

Still, we already have a pretty clear idea of what the toughest and easiest regions are. With a little help from KenPom and Bart Torvik let's break down the four regions, ranking them from toughest to easiest.

All odds via the college basketball odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Ranking the Regions in the 2025 Men’s Tournament

1. West Region

KenPom Net Rating: 17.3 (2nd)
1 Seed KenPom Net Rating: 35.8 (2nd)
Top 8 Seeds Net Rating: 24.8 (4th)
Bottom 8 Seeds Net Rating: 9.9 (2nd)

There's not an obvious top region this year, but the West sits above the rest in my book. They have the second-highest adjusted net rating overall (per KenPom) and that strength is seen up-and-down the seed lines.

1 seed Florida jumped to second on KenPom after winning the SEC Championship, while 2 seed St. John's won the Big East and didn't suffer a single loss by more than three points.

Based on KenPom net ratings, the West has the best 3 (Texas Tech), 4 (Maryland), 6 (Missouri), and 7 (Kansas) seeds of the four regions. They also have the top 10 seed (Arkansas) and second-best 12 seed (Colorado State).

Memphis is a pretty uninspiring 5 seed by the numbers, but they're riding an eight-game win streak and did beat a 2, 4, and 6 seed in non-conference play.

Oh, and the West has the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies as an 8 seed.

It doesn't hurt to have four teams (Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas) from the best conference in basketball (the SEC), either. The Gators notably have the second-shortest odds to win the National Championship at +410.

From top to bottom, the West appears to be the most difficult region.

2. Midwest Region

KenPom Net Rating: 18.2 (1st)
1 Seed KenPom Net Rating: 35.4 (3rd)
Top 8 Seeds Net Rating: 26.4 (1st)
Bottom 8 Seeds Net Rating: 11.0 (1st)

You won't hear any qualms from me if you declare the Midwest the top region in this year's tournament. It has the highest average net rating in total, for the top 8 seeds, and for the bottom 8 seeds. But for me, the Midwest lacks the firepower at the top to be considered the most difficult region in the 2025 tournament.

2 seed Tennessee is KenPom's highest-rated team to not be named a 1 seed, and they have the sixth-shortest odds to win the National Championship (+1900).

Gonzaga may wind up being the under-seeded team in the field. They're 9th overall on KenPom and sport a higher adjusted net rating than three of the four 3 seeds, yet only earned the 8 seed in this region.

Clemson is comfortably the best 5 seed on KenPom, and they are one of just three teams to beat the betting favorite, Duke, during the regular season.

The only real weakness of the Midwest Region is at the very top. Houston is only the third-best No. 1 seed according to KenPom, though the Cougars are Bart Torvik's top-rated team. Still, they have the longest odds to win the National Championship (+750) among the 1 seeds.

The Midwest also has the lowest rated 3 seed (Kentucky) and 4 seed (Purdue), so there isn't a wealth of National Championship contenders here.

Even so, there's just a ton of depth at the bottom in the Midwest. This region has the second-best 13 (High Point) and 14 (Troy) seeds, as well as the best 15 seed (Wofford).

That makes it a middle-of-the-road region overall, even if it lacks a multitude of title contenders.

3. South Region

KenPom Net Rating: 16.2 (3rd)
1 Seed KenPom Net Rating: 35.0 (4th)
Top 8 Seeds Net Rating: 25.2 (3rd)
Bottom 8 Seeds Net Rating: 9.0 (3rd)

The South is really deep in the middle with several of the top double-digit seeds in the field. They fall off, however, at the very top, even if there's not much hope for a 15 or 16 seed upset here.

1 seed Auburn looked like the top team in the land for much of the year, but they dropped three of four to end the regular season and lost in the semifinals of the SEC tournament. They still have the third-shortest odds to win the National Championship at +500 but are no longer the clear favorite.

Michigan State has the second-worst net rating among the 2 seeds, and they're one of the 5 most overrated teams in the 2025 men's college basketball tournament.

Iowa State is a strong 3 seed -- as is Michigan at 5. But 4 seed Texas A&M has some glaring flaws, and Ole Miss is the worst 6 seed by adjusted net rating.

The South does have some strength in the middle, as the 8/9 and 7/10 games both feature strong teams on both sides. Louisville would be the clear best 8 seed if Gonzaga wasn't around, while 9 seed Creighton is fresh off a runner-up finish at the Big East tournament. 7 seed Marquette and 10 seed New Mexico both flashed real upside during the regular season, even if the consistency was lacking.

The play-in game between 11 seeds North Carolina and San Diego State is stellar here, too. Say what you will about whether North Carolina deserved to be in the field, but we have to recognize them as a threat now that they're here. The Tar Heels have already faced three of the four 1 seeds this season, so they're nothing if not battle-tested. SDSU has become a staple of March, and they're just two years removed from a national runner-up finish.

Even so, there's just not an overwhelming amount of strength here, and I can't help but feel that the top four seeds in the South aren't playing their best basketball right now.

4. East Region

KenPom Net Rating: 16.1 (4th)
1 Seed KenPom Net Rating: 38.2 (1st)
Top 8 Seeds Net Rating: 25.7 (2nd)
Bottom 8 Seeds Net Rating: 7.6 (4th)

So, yes, the East region has current National Championship favorite Duke as the 1 seed, and the Blue Devils are the clear top team on KenPom. And yes, the 2 seed (Alabama) has the fifth-shortest odds to win the title and finished the regular season sixth on KenPom. That's enough to make this region respectable, at least.

But other than Duke and 'Bama, the East is pretty bland. They have the best 9 (Baylor) and 11 (VCU) seeds, but the East doesn't have the best team from any other seed line.

The 3 (Wisconsin) and 4 (Arizona) seeds here are fine, but neither scream title contender. Oregon would be the worst 5 seed if Memphis wasn't so overseeded, and there's not much strength in the double-digit seeds.

The East region has the second-worst 10 seed (Vanderbilt) and the worst 12 (Liberty), 13 (Akron), and 14 (Montana) seeds.

Considering the lack of depth, as well as the shortage of true contenders, my hunch is the East winds up being the chalkiest of the four regions. With how strong Duke and Alabama have been, it won't be hard to pencil them into the regional finals.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.