ESPN Bracketology update - 3/3

[Dawgg]

Charlie Creme has bumped the women back to “Last Four Byes”, meaning the field of 64:

Women's Bracketology: South Carolina debuts as No. 1 overall seed for 2026-27

With the additions of Jordan Lee and Oliviyah Edwards, the Gamecocks top our first look at next season's NCAA tournament.

www.espn.com

Joe Lunardi still has the men in “Last Four In”, meaning the field of 68 (and playing in the “First Four”):

Men's Bracketology: Texas is ahead of schedule

One reclassification has strengthened Texas' case to be a Final Four contender.

www.espn.com

 

[Drebin]

Charlie Creme has bumped the women back to “Last Four Byes”, meaning the field of 64:

Women's Bracketology: South Carolina debuts as No. 1 overall seed for 2026-27

With the additions of Jordan Lee and Oliviyah Edwards, the Gamecocks top our first look at next season's NCAA tournament.

www.espn.com

Joe Lunardi still has the men in “Last Four In”, meaning the field of 68 (and playing in the “First Four”):

Men's Bracketology: Texas is ahead of schedule

One reclassification has strengthened Texas' case to be a Final Four contender.

www.espn.com

Seems to me that the line between 'number one seed' and 'last four in' is very, very thin this year.

We almost (and if we could hit a free throw, would have) beat Alabama.
Memphis, minus their best player for the game, almost (and should have) beaten Houston, and gets another shot at them at full strength this weekend.
Wisconsin almost (and should have) beaten Purdue.

All three examples are/were bubble teams against candidates for overall number one seed.

We may see some really good first and second round games in the tourney this year.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Women are basically a 10 seed.
Men got to win.

 

[anon1758050382]

Enough of the bubble teams will win to make Saturday a must-win.

Everything is possible at this point:

• left out altogether
• play-in game
• bye to the first round

 

[Drebin]

Enough of the bubble teams will win to make Saturday a must-win.

Everything is possible at this point:

• left out altogether
• play-in game
• bye to the first round

I think it's a control-your-own-destiny thing. If we lose to Vandy, I still think we're in, but we're far enough down on the bubble to have to sweat it.

 

[Seinfeld]

Enough of the bubble teams will win to make Saturday a must-win.

Everything is possible at this point:

• left out altogether
• play-in game
• bye to the first round

Yeah, and people need to bear in mind that there are 4-5 teams every year that come out of nowhere and end up winning their conference tournament, stealing what would’ve been an at large bid from the field. There’s no way for guys like Lunardi to project that at this point, but it happens every year

 

[FlotownDawg]

I don’t understand how Lunardi’s still has Wisconsin in the last four in. They’re 8-11 in conference, 16-13 overall, and ranked 77th in the NET. What am I missing?

 

[The Cooterpoot]

I don’t understand how Lunardi’s still has Wisconsin in the last four in. They’re 8-11 in conference, 16-13 overall, and ranked 77th in the NET. What am I missing?

Rigged system to allot X number of teams from certain conferences.

 

[msudawg1200]

I don’t understand how Lunardi’s still has Wisconsin in the last four in. They’re 8-11 in conference, 16-13 overall, and ranked 77th in the NET. What am I missing?

Do you not realize the B1G is the greatest basketball conference ever? A 16-13 B1G team is equal to a 26-3 SEC team. Just you see when they put 10 B1G teams in and only one or two make it to the second weekend. Happens every year.

 

[stateu1]

Charlie Creme has bumped the women back to “Last Four Byes”, meaning the field of 64:

Women's Bracketology: South Carolina debuts as No. 1 overall seed for 2026-27

With the additions of Jordan Lee and Oliviyah Edwards, the Gamecocks top our first look at next season's NCAA tournament.

www.espn.com

Joe Lunardi still has the men in “Last Four In”, meaning the field of 68 (and playing in the “First Four”):

Men's Bracketology: Texas is ahead of schedule

One reclassification has strengthened Texas' case to be a Final Four contender.

www.espn.com

Doesn't Lunardi use projection at the end of the season using assumptions as opposed to what it looks like today?? If so, I wonder what his assumption about our game is?

 

[Ranchdawg]

Charlie Creme has bumped the women back to “Last Four Byes”, meaning the field of 64:

Women's Bracketology: South Carolina debuts as No. 1 overall seed for 2026-27

With the additions of Jordan Lee and Oliviyah Edwards, the Gamecocks top our first look at next season's NCAA tournament.

www.espn.com

Joe Lunardi still has the men in “Last Four In”, meaning the field of 68 (and playing in the “First Four”):

Men's Bracketology: Texas is ahead of schedule

One reclassification has strengthened Texas' case to be a Final Four contender.

www.espn.com

On the men's side Wisconsin I mentioned how tough it was going to be for them to get in with their schedule. Well, they've lost the first 2 of 3 games and we've won the first 2 or 3 games and they are still on even footing with us.

 

[Dawgg]

Yeah, and people need to bear in mind that there are 4-5 teams every year that come out of nowhere and end up winning their conference tournament, stealing what would’ve been an at large bid from the field. There’s no way for guys like Lunardi to project that at this point, but it happens every year

The SEC Women's Tournament is proving that right now. Both of the teams that won on Wednesday (#13 A&M and #14 Kentucky) also won on Thursday (beating #5 State and #6 Bama).

 

[mstateglfr]

Yeah, and people need to bear in mind that there are 4-5 teams every year that come out of nowhere and end up winning their conference tournament, stealing what would’ve been an at large bid from the field. There’s no way for guys like Lunardi to project that at this point, but it happens every year

If upsets come from a 1 bid league, then it doesnt matter.
It only matters if St Mary's and then Gonzaga are knocked off by LMU, which puts 3 WCC teams in the NCAAT instead of the projected 2. Or if USCe runs the table at the SEC Tournament.
If Delaware State somehow takes the MEAC title in a wild upset, only 1 team was coming from there regardless so that doesnt change anything.

Fingers crossed the upsets come from the OVC, MEAC, NEC, etc.

 

[Dawgg]

If upsets come from a 1 bid league, then it doesnt matter.
It only matters if St Mary's and then Gonzaga are knocked off by LMU, which puts 3 WCC teams in the NCAAT instead of the projected 2. Or if USCe runs the table at the SEC Tournament.
If Delaware State somehow takes the MEAC title in a wild upset, only 1 team was coming from there regardless so that doesnt change anything.

Fingers crossed the upsets come from the OVC, MEAC, NEC, etc.

You're right for the most part, but it's still a decent size list of 'multi-bid' conferences and that doesn't take into account something like Conference USA, where if anybody other than Florida Atlantic (NET 15) gets in, they're looking at 2 bids.

CONFERENCE	TEAMS​
Big Ten	10​
SEC	8​
Big 12	7​
ACC	5​
Big East	5​
Pac-12	3​
Mountain West	3​
WCC	2​
American	2​

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Jerry Palm on CBS has us as the highest seed in the last four in (play in games)

Bracketology 2026 - NCAA Tournament Predictions

CBS Sports is helping you get ready for March Madness with the latest news, picks, and predictions for the 2026 NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket.

www.cbssports.com

The Athletic has us as a 10 seed. 10!

NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: Bid thieves who might steal a bubble team’s dream

Are there any true mid-major leagues that will get more than one bid on Selection Sunday?

theathletic.com