Inside the NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal, known commonly as Shaq, has released his March Madness bracket and expert picks for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Shaq’s Final Four features No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Michigan State, and No. 2 Tennessee. The Los Angeles Lakers legend also has Florida defeating Duke in the National Championship.
Inside The NBA’s Shaq Picks
- Final Four — No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Michigan State, and No. 2 Tennessee
- No. 1 Florida Over No. 1 Duke for National Championship
Shaq March Madness Bracket 2025
Shaq’s full bracket can be viewed here as well.
Shaq March Madness 2025 Picks And Predictions
Shaquille O’Neal has No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Michigan State, and No. 2 Tennessee reaching the Final Four. The former four-time NBA champ predicts that Duke will knock off Tennessee to advance to the national title game, while Florida will eliminate Michigan State to face the Blue Devils.
Since O’Neal’s alma mater, LSU, did not receive an NCAA Tournament invite, he’s riding with another SEC school, Florida, to win it all over Duke by a final score of 85-80.
Final Four — No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Michigan State, And No. 2 Tennessee
In addition to Duke and Florida advancing to the Final Four, O’Neal also has Michigan State and Tennessee going the distance. Shaq’s biggest upset pick in his March Madness bracket appears to be No. 13 Yale over No. 4 Texas A&M in the First Round.
The Gators and the Blue Devils are the two hottest, most consistent teams entering the NCAA Tournament. Both teams are coming off conference championships and have been dominating over the last two months.
Florida went 30-4 this season and defeated Tennessee in the SEC Tournament championship to win its first conference championship since 2014. The Gators are entering the NCAA Tournament on a six-game win streak, with five victories coming against teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
Meanwhile, Duke finished 31-3 (19-1 in ACC) in the regular season. The Blue Devils have won their last 11 games. Their last loss came on Feb. 8, when they suffered a 77-71 setback at Clemson.
How far Duke advances in this year’s NCAA Tournament might depend on the health of freshman phenom and National Player of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg, who suffered an ankle sprain in the ACC Tournament, causing him to miss the final two games.
During Flagg’s absence, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel stepped up for the Blue Devils to help them win the ACC championship. Knueppel was named ACC Tournament MVP.
No. 1 Florida Over No. 1 Duke For National Championship
Shaquille O’Neal is trusting No. 1 Florida considering the team ended its regular season with a record of 30-4 (14-4 in SEC). The Gators ended non-conference play with a 13-0 record and No. 6 ranking in the AP Poll, which was their highest ranking in seven years.
The Gators were able to defeat five top-10 teams, two of which were against No. 1 squads (Auburn and Tennessee). Shaq ended his bracket picking Florida to defeat Duke for the National Championship.
Last season, Florida went 24-12 (11-7 in SEC) to finish in sixth place. In the SEC Tournament, the Gators beat Georgia, Alabama, and Texas A&M to advance to the championship game, where they would fall to Auburn.
The Gators earned an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the South Region, where they lost to Colorado 102-100 in the First Round.
Florida opens with Norfolk State on Friday, and Duke also plays on Friday against Mount St. Mary’s. Shaq also has the Blue Devils defeating No. 9 Baylor, No. 4 Arizona, No. 3 Wisconsin, and No. 2 Tennessee en route to the national title game.
Duke is seeking to win its sixth national championship in men’s basketball.
