College Basketball

2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Nebraska Jumps to No. 1 Seed, Michigan Falls

13 Jan 2026, 20:58 · FOX Sports

Is Nebraska for real? That's the million-dollar question at the midway point of the 2025-26 men's college basketball season.

The Cornhuskers sit at 16-0 heading into a home matchup against Oregon on Tuesday night. They're one of just five remaining undefeated teams in Division 1, but is that enough for Fred Hoiberg's team to be pegged as a No. 1 seed?

With a loaded week of college basketball on deck, FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy is here to share his latest NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament projections.

Here's where DeCourcy's projected bracket stands on Jan. 13.

EAST REGION

SOUTH REGION

MIDWEST REGION

WEST REGION

And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble.

According to DeCourcy's projections, Texas A&M, Indiana, Missouri and Virginia Tech are the last four teams in the tournament, while UCLA, Ohio State, NC State and TCU are the first four out.

As for conference representation, the SEC leads the way with 10 teams in DeCourcy's latest tournament projections, followed by the Big Ten and ACC with nine teams, the Big 12 with eight teams and the Big East with four teams. The West Coast Conference and Atlantic 10 also have two teams each.

Selection Sunday is two months away, and these projections will inevitably evolve. But for now, DeCourcy’s latest bracket forecast offers a clear snapshot of who’s rising, who’s falling, and which programs are already building the résumés they’ll need when March arrives.

Michael DeCourcy covers college basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on NCAA Tournament bracket projections. He has appeared on FOX Sports college basketball game broadcasts, while also serving as a college basketball studio analyst with Big Ten Network. He has been covering college basketball for nearly three decades at the Sporting News. You can follow him at @tsnmike.

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