By Joe Lunardi Updated: 10/28/2025 at 9:00 a.m. ETThe 2025-26 campaign will finally tip off Nov. 3, which means what follows is the last preseason edition of Bracketology before weekly updates begin Nov. 11. Happy hoops!
SOUTH (HOUSTON)Oklahoma City1 Houston – aq16 Montana – aq8 Missouri9 USCPortland5 Gonzaga – aq12 Akron – aq4 Alabama13 Utah Valley – aqSt. Louis6 North Carolina11 VCU – aq3 Tennessee14 James Madison – aqBuffalo7 Creighton10 Mississippi St.2 Michigan15 Youngstown St. – aq
MIDWEST (CHICAGO)St. Louis1aq – Purdue16aq – Norfolk St.aq – Long Island University/8 Baylor9 Ole MissSan Diego5 Arkansas12aq – Northern Iowa4 Arizona13aq – UC IrvineSt. Louis6 Kansas11 Marquette Washington/3 Louisville14aq – UNC WilmingtonPhiladelphia7 Wisconsin10 Saint Mary’s2 St. John’s15aq – Siena
EAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)Tampa1aq – Florida16aq – Vermont8 N.C. State9 VanderbiltOklahoma City5 Michigan St.12aq – Yale4 Texas Tech13aq – McNeeseSan Diego6 Auburn11aq – Memphis3 UCLA14aq – FurmanPhiladelphia7 Ohio State10 Virginia2aq – UConn15aq – Florida Gulf Coast
Bracket WatchTop Overall SeedHoustonFirst Team OutOklahomaLast Team InVillanovaHow often does the best version of a team actually win a championship? In college basketball, were the 2003 champions the best team of Jim Boeheim’s career? Of UConn’s six titlists and multiple additional contenders, where would Kevin Ollie’s 2014 champions rank? You get the idea. Champions need to be good and timely. Since the pandemic, one could reasonably place Purdue as the nation’s second-best program, after UConn. That includes the Boilermakers falling well short of UConn in the 2024 title game as well as their head-scratching NCAA tournament exits at the hands of North Texas, Saint Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson — all of which is to note the 2025-26 version of Purdue might not be Matt Painter’s best team of this era, but it could be the timeliest. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.
On the BubbleLast Four Byes Cincinnati Iowa Virginia Saint Mary’sLast Four In Marquette Washington Boise State VillanovaFirst Four Out Oklahoma Indiana Clemson Texas A&MNext Four Out SMU Maryland Utah State Georgia
Last Four Byes Cincinnati Iowa Virginia Saint Mary’s
Last Four In Marquette Washington Boise State Villanova
The 2025-26 campaign will finally tip off Nov. 3, which means what follows is the last preseason edition of Bracketology before weekly updates begin Nov. 11. Happy hoops!
How often does the best version of a team actually win a championship? In college basketball, were the 2003 champions the best team of Jim Boeheim’s career? Of UConn’s six titlists and multiple additional contenders, where would Kevin Ollie’s 2014 champions rank? You get the idea. Champions need to be good and timely. Since the pandemic, one could reasonably place Purdue as the nation’s second-best program, after UConn. That includes the Boilermakers falling well short of UConn in the 2024 title game as well as their head-scratching NCAA tournament exits at the hands of North Texas, Saint Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson — all of which is to note the 2025-26 version of Purdue might not be Matt Painter’s best team of this era, but it could be the timeliest. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.
By Joe Lunardi Updated: 10/28/2025 at 9:00 a.m. ETThe 2025-26 campaign will finally tip off Nov. 3, which means what follows is the last preseason edition of Bracketology before weekly updates begin Nov. 11. Happy hoops!
Bracket WatchTop Overall SeedHoustonFirst Team OutOklahomaLast Team InVillanovaHow often does the best version of a team actually win a championship? In college basketball, were the 2003 champions the best team of Jim Boeheim’s career? Of UConn’s six titlists and multiple additional contenders, where would Kevin Ollie’s 2014 champions rank? You get the idea. Champions need to be good and timely. Since the pandemic, one could reasonably place Purdue as the nation’s second-best program, after UConn. That includes the Boilermakers falling well short of UConn in the 2024 title game as well as their head-scratching NCAA tournament exits at the hands of North Texas, Saint Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson — all of which is to note the 2025-26 version of Purdue might not be Matt Painter’s best team of this era, but it could be the timeliest. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.On the BubbleLast Four Byes Cincinnati Iowa Virginia Saint Mary’sLast Four In Marquette Washington Boise State VillanovaFirst Four Out Oklahoma Indiana Clemson Texas A&MNext Four Out SMU Maryland Utah State Georgia
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
Top Overall SeedHoustonFirst Team OutOklahomaLast Team InVillanova
Last Four Byes Cincinnati Iowa Virginia Saint Mary’sLast Four In Marquette Washington Boise State VillanovaFirst Four Out Oklahoma Indiana Clemson Texas A&MNext Four Out SMU Maryland Utah State Georgia
16Navy16Southern11Boise State11Villanova16Norfolk St.16Long Island University11Marquette11Washington
WEST (SAN JOSE)Greenville1 Duke – aq16 Navy – aq/ Southern – aq8 Texas9 CincinnatiBuffalo5 Iowa State12 Liberty – aq4 Illinois13 High Point – aqPortland6 Oregon11 Boise State/ Villanova3 BYU14 St. Thomas – aqGreenville7 San Diego St. – aq10 Iowa2 Kentucky15 Little Rock – aq
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
68-Team Bracket16Navy16Southern11Boise State11Villanova16Norfolk St.16Long Island University11Marquette11WashingtonSOUTH (HOUSTON)Oklahoma City1 Houston – aq16 Montana – aq8 Missouri9 USCPortland5 Gonzaga – aq12 Akron – aq4 Alabama13 Utah Valley – aqSt. Louis6 North Carolina11 VCU – aq3 Tennessee14 James Madison – aqBuffalo7 Creighton10 Mississippi St.2 Michigan15 Youngstown St. – aqWEST (SAN JOSE)Greenville1 Duke – aq16 Navy – aq/ Southern – aq8 Texas9 CincinnatiBuffalo5 Iowa State12 Liberty – aq4 Illinois13 High Point – aqPortland6 Oregon11 Boise State/ Villanova3 BYU14 St. Thomas – aqGreenville7 San Diego St. – aq10 Iowa2 Kentucky15 Little Rock – aqMIDWEST (CHICAGO)St. Louis1aq – Purdue16aq – Norfolk St.aq – Long Island University/8 Baylor9 Ole MissSan Diego5 Arkansas12aq – Northern Iowa4 Arizona13aq – UC IrvineSt. Louis6 Kansas11 Marquette Washington/3 Louisville14aq – UNC WilmingtonPhiladelphia7 Wisconsin10 Saint Mary’s2 St. John’s15aq – SienaEAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)Tampa1aq – Florida16aq – Vermont8 N.C. State9 VanderbiltOklahoma City5 Michigan St.12aq – Yale4 Texas Tech13aq – McNeeseSan Diego6 Auburn11aq – Memphis3 UCLA14aq – FurmanPhiladelphia7 Ohio State10 Virginia2aq – UConn15aq – Florida Gulf Coast
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