March Madness picks: Midwest men's teams you should (and shouldn't) bet on
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The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins Tuesday night, and sports fans across the country are rushing to get their brackets filled out before the big dance.
- We've tapped our Axios Midwest colleagues to help you with this endeavor.
Here are some quick arguments for why you should (and shouldn't) pick your favorite team to go all the way this March:
Akron Zips
Why to pick 'em: Akron is the only university in the tournament with a mascot named for rubber galoshes, writes Axios Cleveland's Sam Allard.
- They have momentum from a thrilling victory in the MAC Tournament final and carry that extreme underdog energy vs. Big 12 powerhouse Arizona in Round 1.
Why not to pick 'em: Arizona has more national championships (2) than Akron has total NCAA tournament wins (0).
Arkansas Razorbacks
Why to pick 'em: John Calipari. The new coach had 865 wins as of December,
writes Axios NW Arkansas' Worth Sparkman.
- He's led six teams to the Final Four and more than 40 of his players were first-round picks in the NBA Draft.
Why not to pick 'em: We're playing Kansas in the first round. We beat them in an exhibition game in the fall and they will have their vengeance in this life or the next.
Drake Bulldogs
Why to pick 'em: The Bulldogs are already an amazing story, having made the tournament with one of the best defenses in the country and a roster largely full of former Division II players, writes Axios' Everett Cook.
Why not to pick 'em: Drake qualified by winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on March 9. They don't play again until Thursday, March 20.
- Momentum dies during 11 days off.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Why to pick 'em: The Illini are making their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and are looking to improve upon last year's Elite 8 appearance, writes Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann.
- The Illini have won big games this year and have been ranked in the AP Poll's Top 25.
Why not to pick 'em: They haven't been the same since freshman Morez Johnson Jr. broke his wrist blocking a shot in February.
Iowa State Cyclones
Why to pick 'em: They're a talented No. 3 seed that might be flying under the radar, writes Axios' Everett Cook.
Why not to pick 'em: The Cyclones are flying under the radar because they've lost four of their last seven games and starting point guard Keshon Gilbert is out for the tournament.
Marquette
Why to pick 'em: The Golden Eagles have been one of the better teams in the Big East under coach Shaka Smart. They have been consistently ranked in the AP Poll since 2023 and they have loads of tournament experience, which is why they are favored to beat New Mexico in the first round.
Why not to pick 'em: They stumbled in the Big East Tournament, which ended their impressive AP Poll streak. If they can get by New Mexico, they will have a tough task taking on the No. 2 seeded Michigan State Spartans, if the Spartans also advance.
Michigan Wolverines
Why to pick 'em: The otherworldly talent of Michigan's frontcourt duo of Vlad Goldin (who wears No. 50) and Danny Wolf (No. 1) has earned them the nickname "Area 51", Axios Detroit's Joe Guillen writes.
Why not to pick 'em: The Wolverines snapped out of a shooting funk in the Big Ten Tournament, but their guards go cold from three-point range too often.
Michigan State Spartans
Why to pick 'em: In today's NIL era, Tom Izzo built his squad the old-school way, with homegrown talent and a star freshman in Jase Richardson with family ties to the program, writes Axios Detroit's Joe Guillen.
Why not to pick 'em: The Spartans have all the ingredients for a deep run, but they might be a notch below elite teams like Duke and Auburn in terms of overall talent.
Purdue Boilermakers
Why to pick 'em: Experience is a difference maker for the Boilermakers, writes Axios Indianapolis' Justin Mack.
- Purdue made it to the national title game in 2024, and has reached the Sweet 16 seven times under coach Matt Painter.
Why not to pick 'em: Despite all his deep tournament runs, Painter has yet to win the big one in his two decades as Purdue's leader.
Robert Morris Colonials
Why to pick 'em: The Horizon League champs are on a 10-game winning streak and have won 16 out of the last 17 games, writes Axios Pittsburgh's Ryan Deto.
- The Colonials are red hot!
Why not to pick 'em: RMU has never made it past the first round in eight previous tourney appearances. Their only wins came in 2015 in the First Four and a preliminary round win in 1983.
Saint Francis Red Flash
Why to pick 'em: Who doesn't love an underdog? The Red Flash is one of about two dozen teams with a losing record to ever make the men's basketball tournament, writes Axios Pittsburgh's Ryan Deto.
- None of those teams has ever made it out of the first round before.
Why not to pick 'em: The team's mascot, Frankie the Friar, is arguably the most terrifying creation in the history of college basketball.
Southern Illinois Edwardsville Cougars
Why to pick 'em: The Cougars pushed their way through the Ohio Valley Conference to punch their first-ever ticket to the NCAA Tournament, writes Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann.
- Houston, who plays the Cougars in the first round, will have its hands full with Ray'Sean Taylor, SIUE's all-time leading scorer.
Why not to pick 'em: Houston is considered by analysts to be a contender to win it all, while SIUE has no experience handling the bright lights of March Madness.
Wisconsin Badgers
Why to pick 'em: The Badgers played well in the newly expanded Big Ten conference, writes Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann.
- The talented group is ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll heading into the tournament and has favorable matchups paving the way to the Sweet 16.
Why not to pick 'em: We've heard it before. Wisconsin hasn't made it to the Sweet 16 since 2017.
Xavier Musketeers
Why to pick 'em: The Musketeers are March Madness veterans, having reached the tourney 28 times in the past four decades, according to Axios Columbus.
Why not to pick 'em: They haven't done much with those opportunities, reaching the Elite Eight in just three of those 28 trips.
- Oh, and head coach Sean Miller sweats too much.
Go deeper: Midwest women's teams you should (and shouldn't) pick
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Marquette.