Preseason Men’s Bracketology 2025-26

Welcome back to college basketball season! I’m mainly focused on college football for the next two months, but I’ll update my basketball bracketology periodicially over that time- expect another update after Feast Week.

I have some exciting changes planned for my bracketology this year. I hope to bring you a more mathematically rigorous and data-driven approach to bracketology this year. Details to come in a few months- I plan on working on this project over Christmas.

Enjoy the first few weeks of the season!

1: Houston, Duke, Florida, Purdue

2: Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Connecticut

3: UCLA, BYU, St. John’s, Tennessee

4: Louisville, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Arizona

5: Iowa State, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas

6: Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Wisconsin

7: Auburn, North Carolina, NC State, Oregon

8: Baylor, Ole Miss, USC, Creighton

9: Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, Virginia

10: Texas, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Clemson

11: (Maryland/Texas A&M), (Cincinnati/Utah State), Memphis, Saint Louis

12: Belmont, Liberty, Yale, Hawai’i

13: Chattanooga, Utah Valley, Charleston, James Madison

14: Akron, High Point, Portland State, McNeese

15: Youngstown State, South Dakota State, Siena, Florida Gulf Coast

16: Little Rock, Colgate, (Vermont/Southern), (Norfolk State/LIU)

First Four Out: Indiana, Iowa, SMU, Washington

Next Four Out: Marquette, Providence, Nebraska, Boise State

Also Considered: Oklahoma State, VCU, St. Mary’s, West Virginia

Bids by Conference:

SEC: 14

Big Ten: 10

Big 12: 8

ACC: 6

Big East: 3

Mountain West: 2