Three of the four No. 1 seeds in this November’s bracket made it to San Antonio last April, the fourth was runner-up in 2024, and the top No. 2 seed claimed the title this season.
Happy 2025-26 college basketball season!
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Preseason bracketology is a crapshoot on the men’s side, so I didn’t put a ton of effort into this one. Last season, only 37 of the 68 teams in my November field made the real thing, so you can see how much winding the road to Selection Sunday typically ends up being.
With the move from Chorus to WordPress, I’m still trying to figure out the best way to do brackets in the new system (real life hasn’t helped me in this department), so this one will be text only.
(1) South (Houston, Thurs./Sat.)
Note: The Big 12 hosts the Houston regional, so the No. 1 overall seed Cougars can play at the Toyota Center.
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Oklahoma City (Thurs./Sat.)
(1) Houston (Big 12)
(16) LIU (NEC)/Norfolk State (MEAC)
(8) Virginia
(9) Texas
Buffalo (Thurs./Sat.)
(5) North Carolina
(12) Akron (MAC)
(4) Kentucky
(13) Yale (Ivy)
Greenville (Thurs./Sat.)
(6) Missouri
(11) Maryland/Mississippi
(3) Louisville
(14) Towson (CAA)
Buffalo (Thurs./Sat.)
(7) Oregon
(10) Memphis (AC)
(2) Michigan
(15) Vermont (AE)
(4) West (San José, Thurs./Sat.)
Greenville (Thurs./Sat.)
(1) Duke (ACC)
(16) Quinnipiac (MAAC)
(8) Georgia
(9) Iowa
Portland (Thurs./Sat.)
(5) Ohio State
(12) UC Irvine (BW)
(4) Arkansas
(13) High Point (Big South)
San Diego (Fri./Sun.)
(6) Gonzaga (WCC)
(11) Dayton (A 10)
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(3) UCLA
(14) Little Rock (OVC)
Portland (Thurs./Sat.)
(7) USC
(10) San Diego State (MW)
(2) BYU
(15) Cal Baptist (WAC)
(2) East (Washington, D.C., Fri./Sun.)
Tampa (Fri./Sun.)
(1) Florida (SEC)
(16) Milwaukee (Horizon)/Queens (ASUN)
(8) Wisconsin
(9) Texas A&M
Oklahoma City (Thurs./Sat.)
(5) Vanderbilt
(12) Illinois State (MVC)
(4) Iowa State
(13) McNeese (Southland)
Philadelphia (Fri./Sun.)
(6) Michigan State
(11) Mississippi State/Marquette
(3) St. John’s
(14) St. Thomas (Summit)
St. Louis (Fri./Sun.)
(7) Auburn
(10) Cincinnati
(2) Illinois
(15) Navy (Patriot)
(3) Midwest (Chicago, Fri./Sun.)
St. Louis (Fri./Sun.)
(1) Purdue (Big Ten)
(16) Montana (Big Sky)
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(8) Oklahoma
(9) Baylor
Tampa (Fri./Sun.)
(5) Kansas
(12) Liberty (CUSA)
(4) Tennessee
(13) James Madison (Sun Belt)
San Diego (Fri./Sun.)
(6) Creighton
(11) Indiana
(3) Arizona
(14) Chattanooga (SoCon)
Philadelphia (Fri./Sun.)
(7) Texas Tech
(10) NC State
(2) UConn (Big East)
(15) Bethune-Cookman (SWAC)
Conference Breakdown
There are only five multi-bid conferences in this projection.
SEC (13): Florida (auto bid), Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Auburn, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Mississippi State (First Four), Mississippi (First Four)
Big Ten (12): Purdue (auto bid), Michigan, Illinois, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan State, USC, Oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Maryland (First Four)
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Big 12 (8): Houston (auto bid), BYU, Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Cincinnati
ACC (5): Duke (auto bid), Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia, NC State
Big East (4): UConn (auto bid), St. John’s, Creighton, Marquette (First Four)
My next actual update will come in early January. But don’t go too far! I’ll be doing more actual blogging of the bracket and college hoops, thanks in no small part to the Feed, which will feature rapid analysis and updates, things I’m noticing, and the usual nonsense you’ve come to expect from me (non-political anyway).
