2025 College Basketball Crown: Picks and analysis from FOX Sports talent

The 2025 College Basketball Crown is set to get underway on Monday in Las Vegas. That means it's time for college hoops fans to break out their pens and paper and fill out their brackets before the first game tips off at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.

The 16-team bracket features teams spread across the following seven conferences: Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, WCC, Mountain West, A-10 and AAC. 

Arizona State, Cincinnati, UCF, Utah and Colorado represent the Big 12, while Georgetown, Villanova, DePaul and Butler are from the Big East. Nebraska and USC will join the event from the Big Ten. Washington State and Oregon State both hail from the WCC, and Boise State comes from the Mountain West. Rounding out the field is George Washington from the A-10 and Tulane from the AAC.

Before the action gets underway, we asked members of our FOX Sports college basketball broadcast team to provide their expert picks.

[MORE: College Basketball Crown: Guide to all 16 teams in the tournament ]

Let's get to it!

LaPhonso Ellis' bracket analysis:

On Butler: Butler's ability to switch 1-5 with one of the Big East's BEST all-around defenders, Jahmyl Telfort, and most versatile offensive players, Pierre Brooks, will be too much for Utah.

On Boise State: Senior stud Tyson Degenhart is on a roll, scoring 22 points in each of his last two games. He will carry the Broncos to a first-round win over George Washington.

On Nebraska: The Cornhuskers feature a super duo of big-time scorer Brice Williams and do-everything forward Juwan Gary. Those two are poised to will the Cornhuskers to the Crown finals.

On USC: USC's small-ball offensive attack, led by super transfer Desmond Claude and talented freshman Wesley Yates, will catapult USC to the finals. Look for