March Madness usually lives up to the name. We expect the chaos. We want the 15-seeds to ruin everyone’s brackets. But 2025? It was a little different. It felt like a return to the old guard. If you’re looking for a quick answer on who won March Madness 2025, the Florida Gators pulled off a gritty comeback to take the men's title, while the UConn Huskies cemented their status as a dynasty by winning the women's championship.
It wasn't just about the wins, though. It was about how they happened.
Florida’s Cardiac Gators Take the Men’s Title
Todd Golden did it. Honestly, in only his third season, he brought the trophy back to Gainesville. The Gators beat a very tough Houston team 65–63 in San Antonio. It was a nail-biter. Imagine being down by 12 points late in the second half. Most teams fold. Florida didn't.
They just kept chipping away.
Walter Clayton Jr. was the hero. He didn’t even score in the first half. Zero points. Then, the second half started, and he just erupted for 11 points, including the game-saving defensive stop that basically ended Houston’s hopes. The Cougars went cold. They didn't hit a single basket in the final two minutes. Emanuel Sharp had a couple of late turnovers that really hurt.
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Florida’s path wasn't easy:
- They had to survive a 77–75 thriller against UConn in the second round.
- They came back from 10 down to beat Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.
- They knocked off Auburn 79–73 in a battle of SEC giants in the Final Four.
Walter Clayton Jr. walked away with the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award. He led the tournament in scoring with 134 total points. The Gators finished the year 36–4. It was their first title since the back-to-back years of 2006 and 2007. Florida fans have been waiting a long time for this.
UConn Women Prove They Are Still the Standard
If the men’s game was a back-and-forth scrap, the women’s final was a statement. The UConn Huskies dominated South Carolina 82–59. This wasn't supposed to be a blowout. South Carolina was the defending champ! They had a 71-game home winning streak that UConn had already snapped earlier in the season.
Paige Bueckers finally got her ring.
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She’s been through so much with injuries, but she finished her college career at the top. She had 17 points in the final. But she wasn't alone. Azzi Fudd was incredible. She dropped 24 points and took home the Final Four MOP. And Sarah Strong? The freshman was a beast. 24 points and 15 rebounds. In a national championship game. As a freshman.
Geno Auriemma now has 12 titles. That is just absurd.
The Huskies finished 37–3. They basically dismantled a South Carolina team that many thought was unbeatable. UConn led 36–26 at the half and just never let the Gamecocks back into it. In the third quarter, Fudd, Strong, and Bueckers combined for 23 of the team's 26 points. It was a masterclass in modern basketball.
Why 2025 Felt Different
Most years, we see a "Cinderella" make a deep run. This year, the glass slipper didn't fit. For the first time since 2008, all four #1 seeds made the Men’s Final Four: Florida, Duke, Houston, and Auburn. It made for incredibly high-level basketball, even if the upsets were a bit scarce.
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Arkansas was the only double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16. They were a 10-seed.
On the women’s side, it was a similar story of powerhouses clashing. We saw UCLA and Texas make deep runs, but when the dust settled, it was the two best programs of the last decade facing off in Tampa.
Key Takeaways from the 2025 Tournament
- Defense Wins Titles: Florida held Houston scoreless for the final two minutes of the championship.
- Star Power Matters: Paige Bueckers and Walter Clayton Jr. showed why they were preseason All-Americans. They delivered when the lights were brightest.
- The SEC and Big East Dominance: These two conferences basically owned the month of March.
If you’re looking to apply some of what we saw this year to your own basketball knowledge or even future bracket strategy, pay attention to "second-half teams." Florida trailed by 6 or more points in the second half of four different tournament wins. Resilience is a stat you can't always see on paper, but it's why they are the champions.
To stay ahead for the 2026 season, start tracking the returning rosters for Florida and the incoming recruiting class for UConn, as they’ll both be hunting for a repeat.