On Tuesday, the first two “First Four” matchups of the 2025 NCAA tournament took place. Everyone is chiming in with their Final Four predictions, and NBA champion Dwight Howard has jumped on the conversation with his March Madness picks.
The 38-year-old has taken the Kentucky Wildcats to make it in his Final Four predictions – Kentucky last made the Final Four 10 years ago in 2015. That is one of his several picks we’ll take a look at below.
Dwight Howard’s picks:
- Georgia to reach the Elite 8
- Kentucky to reach the Final Four
- UConn to make the National Championship game
- Duke to win the National Championship
Dwight Howard’s March Madness Bracket 2025
Dwight Howard’s bracket!
Duke 👑
UConn to the title game 👀
Georgia 👉 Elite 8 🔥#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/gd3JFPHEPr— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2025
Georgia to make the Elite 8
Fourteen of the 16 teams in the SEC made the NCAA tournament in 2025. The Georgia Bulldogs were one of them. In 2024-25, they finished 20-12 and 8-10 in SEC play. For the 2025 NCAA tournament, Georgia was given the #9 seed in the Midwest. This is the Bulldogs’ first March Madness appearance since 2014-15. Leading Georgia in points per game this season was Asa Newell with (15.3) points per game. His (6.8) rebounds per game also led the Bulldogs in 2024-25. Dwight Howard predicts Georgia will make the Elite 8. He has them beating Gonzaga in the Round of 64 and then a major upset in the round of 32 against #1 Houston. If the Bulldogs can beat Houston, they can make a deep run in the tournament.
Final Four Predictions: Kentucky to Make it
The 2024-25 season was Mark Pope’s first year as head coach of Kentucky. John Calipari left the school this offseason and Pope took over. Pope was a captain on the 1995-96 Wildcats team that won the National Championship under head coach Rick Pitino. The last time Kentucky made it past the first weekend was in 2018-19. Since then, the Wildcats have either lost in the Round of 64 or Round of 32. Mark Pope hopes to change that in 2024-25. The Wildcats went 22-11 during the regular season and 10-8 in SEC play. Kentucky is a #3 seed in March Madness for 2025. Dwight Howard predicts that Kentucky will make a trip to the Final Four. He has the Wildcats beating Troy, Illinois, UCLA, and Georgia to advance to the Final Four. How far can Kentucky make it under Mark Pope?
UConn to make the National Championship Game
The UConn Huskies are reigning back-to-back National Champions. However, the team is not close to being the powerhouse they were the previous two seasons. Still, head coach Danny Hurley got his team a spot in March Madness. That’s all they need to make a run. The Huskies finished 23-10 this season and 14-6 in Big East play. Three players average at least 14+ points per game for the Huskies in 2024-25. They are Solo Ball, Liam McNeeley, and Alex Karaban. In March Madness for 2025, the Huskies are an #8 seed out of the West Region. To make the National Championship game, the Huskies will need some major upsets. Dwight Howard has UConn taking down #1 Florida in the Round of 32. That would be a massive win for the Huskies. Howard has UConn beating Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four.
Duke to win the National Championship
Duke – who are second-favourites to win March Madness according to NBA betting sites – finished the 2024-25 season 31-3 and 19-1 in ACC play. The Blue Devils dominated their opponents this season and rightfully earned a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg has been Duke’s best player all season. The 18-year-old is currently dealing with an ankle injury and could miss Duke’s first two games of the tournament. However, Duke does expect Flagg to make a return at some point. The Blue Devils were without Flagg and forward Maliq Brown for the ACC championship game vs. Louisville. Duke still dominated that game have high expectations in the 2025 NCAA tournament. Dwight Howard has picked the Ble Devils to win it all. He has them beating Kentucky in the Final Four and then the UConn Huskies in the National Championship.
