By Joe Lunardi Updated: 11/24/2025 at 9:00 a.m. ETWelcome to the 2025-26 season! We’ll have updated Bracketology projections every Tuesday through the end of the calendar year, with twice-weekly updates beginning in early January.
On the BubbleLast Four Byes Clemson Nebraska Virginia CreightonLast Four In Texas Georgetown SMU GeorgiaFirst Four Out Villanova San Diego St. Cincinnati Oklahoma St.Next Four Out Kansas State Miami Oklahoma Santa Clara
MIDWEST (CHICAGO)St. Louis1 Purdue – aq16 Long Island – aq/ Norfolk St. – aq8 USC9 ClemsonGreenville5 Kentucky12 Akron – aq4 Alabama13 High Point – aqPhiladelphia6 Kansas11 Liberty – aq3 Florida – aq14 Troy – aqSt. Louis7 Baylor10 Iowa2 Louisville15 Florida Gulf Coast – aq
EAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)Greenville1 Duke – aq16 Southern – aq/ SIU Edwardsville – aq8 Indiana9 Ole MissOklahoma City5 Auburn12 South Florida – aq4 Iowa State13 McNeese – aqBuffalo6 Vanderbilt11 Saint Louis – aq3 Michigan State14 East Tennessee St. – aqPhiladelphia7 Saint Mary’s10 Nebraska2 UConn – aq15 Siena – aq
Bracket WatchTop Overall SeedPurdueFirst Team OutVillanovaLast Team InGeorgiaThe headlines, oddly, have mostly focused elsewhere. Purdue has the top ranking, Arizona the flashy wins and Houston, well, perennial contender status. UConn and Florida have the past three national titles. So it doesn’t leave much oxygen for the No. 1 team according to KenPom, Torvik, the BPI and our projected NET. There they are, lurking unusually in the shadows: your Duke Blue Devils. In just his fourth season, Jon Scheyer has reached the Elite Eight and Final Four the past two years — and if not for a late meltdown, might have played for (and perhaps won) the school’s sixth NCAA crown. Don’t be surprised if we see another serious run. Arkansas, Florida, Michigan State and Texas Tech await before ACC play begins on New Year’s Eve, and the Blue Devils will be favored in each. They could easily be 12-0 before conference play, almost assuring another No. 1 seed on the road to Indianapolis — which just happens to be the site of Duke’s first and most recent championships.
First Four Out Villanova San Diego St. Cincinnati Oklahoma St.
Next Four Out Kansas State Miami Oklahoma Santa Clara
16Long Island16Norfolk St.16Southern16SIU Edwardsville12Georgetown12Georgia11Texas11SMU
WEST (SAN JOSE)San Diego1aq – Arizona16aq – Wright State8 Wisconsin9aq – Utah StateTampa5 North Carolina12 Georgetown Georgia/4 Tennessee13aq – UNC WilmingtonBuffalo6 Texas Tech11 Texas SMU/3 Illinois14aq – South Dakota StatePortland7 Ohio State10 Creighton2aq – Gonzaga15aq – Montana
Welcome to the 2025-26 season! We’ll have updated Bracketology projections every Tuesday through the end of the calendar year, with twice-weekly updates beginning in early January.
The headlines, oddly, have mostly focused elsewhere. Purdue has the top ranking, Arizona the flashy wins and Houston, well, perennial contender status. UConn and Florida have the past three national titles. So it doesn’t leave much oxygen for the No. 1 team according to KenPom, Torvik, the BPI and our projected NET. There they are, lurking unusually in the shadows: your Duke Blue Devils. In just his fourth season, Jon Scheyer has reached the Elite Eight and Final Four the past two years — and if not for a late meltdown, might have played for (and perhaps won) the school’s sixth NCAA crown. Don’t be surprised if we see another serious run. Arkansas, Florida, Michigan State and Texas Tech await before ACC play begins on New Year’s Eve, and the Blue Devils will be favored in each. They could easily be 12-0 before conference play, almost assuring another No. 1 seed on the road to Indianapolis — which just happens to be the site of Duke’s first and most recent championships.
By Joe Lunardi Updated: 11/24/2025 at 9:00 a.m. ETWelcome to the 2025-26 season! We’ll have updated Bracketology projections every Tuesday through the end of the calendar year, with twice-weekly updates beginning in early January.
Last Four Byes Clemson Nebraska Virginia CreightonLast Four In Texas Georgetown SMU GeorgiaFirst Four Out Villanova San Diego St. Cincinnati Oklahoma St.Next Four Out Kansas State Miami Oklahoma Santa Clara
Bracket WatchTop Overall SeedPurdueFirst Team OutVillanovaLast Team InGeorgiaThe headlines, oddly, have mostly focused elsewhere. Purdue has the top ranking, Arizona the flashy wins and Houston, well, perennial contender status. UConn and Florida have the past three national titles. So it doesn’t leave much oxygen for the No. 1 team according to KenPom, Torvik, the BPI and our projected NET. There they are, lurking unusually in the shadows: your Duke Blue Devils. In just his fourth season, Jon Scheyer has reached the Elite Eight and Final Four the past two years — and if not for a late meltdown, might have played for (and perhaps won) the school’s sixth NCAA crown. Don’t be surprised if we see another serious run. Arkansas, Florida, Michigan State and Texas Tech await before ACC play begins on New Year’s Eve, and the Blue Devils will be favored in each. They could easily be 12-0 before conference play, almost assuring another No. 1 seed on the road to Indianapolis — which just happens to be the site of Duke’s first and most recent championships.On the BubbleLast Four Byes Clemson Nebraska Virginia CreightonLast Four In Texas Georgetown SMU GeorgiaFirst Four Out Villanova San Diego St. Cincinnati Oklahoma St.Next Four Out Kansas State Miami Oklahoma Santa Clara
Photo illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, USA TODAY Sports, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock
Top Overall SeedPurdueFirst Team OutVillanovaLast Team InGeorgia
16Long Island16Norfolk St.16Southern16SIU Edwardsville12Georgetown12Georgia11Texas11SMU
16Long Island16Norfolk St.16Southern16SIU Edwardsville12Georgetown12Georgia11Texas11SMU
SOUTH (HOUSTON)Oklahoma City1 Houston16aq – Navy8 Missouri9 OregonSan Diego5 UCLA12aq – Northern Iowa4 St. John’s13aq – HawaiiPortland6 Arkansas11aq – Yale3 BYU14aq – California BaptistTampa7 NC State10 Virginia2 Michigan15aq – Vermont
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 Bracket16Long Island16Norfolk St.16Southern16SIU Edwardsville12Georgetown12Georgia11Texas11SMUMIDWEST (CHICAGO)St. Louis1 Purdue – aq16 Long Island – aq/ Norfolk St. – aq8 USC9 ClemsonGreenville5 Kentucky12 Akron – aq4 Alabama13 High Point – aqPhiladelphia6 Kansas11 Liberty – aq3 Florida – aq14 Troy – aqSt. Louis7 Baylor10 Iowa2 Louisville15 Florida Gulf Coast – aqEAST (WASHINGTON D.C.)Greenville1 Duke – aq16 Southern – aq/ SIU Edwardsville – aq8 Indiana9 Ole MissOklahoma City5 Auburn12 South Florida – aq4 Iowa State13 McNeese – aqBuffalo6 Vanderbilt11 Saint Louis – aq3 Michigan State14 East Tennessee St. – aqPhiladelphia7 Saint Mary’s10 Nebraska2 UConn – aq15 Siena – aqWEST (SAN JOSE)San Diego1aq – Arizona16aq – Wright State8 Wisconsin9aq – Utah StateTampa5 North Carolina12 Georgetown Georgia/4 Tennessee13aq – UNC WilmingtonBuffalo6 Texas Tech11 Texas SMU/3 Illinois14aq – South Dakota StatePortland7 Ohio State10 Creighton2aq – Gonzaga15aq – MontanaSOUTH (HOUSTON)Oklahoma City1 Houston16aq – Navy8 Missouri9 OregonSan Diego5 UCLA12aq – Northern Iowa4 St. John’s13aq – HawaiiPortland6 Arkansas11aq – Yale3 BYU14aq – California BaptistTampa7 NC State10 Virginia2 Michigan15aq – Vermont
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