After all the games on Tuesday are finished, all 18 teams will be ranked 1-18.
Here is the criteria that will be used:
1 - Record
2 - Head-to-Head results
3 - Plus/Minus Tiebreaker (maximum of 20 points; so as not to encourage teams to run up the score)
4 - Total Points Scored
5 - Total Points Allowed
6 - AP ranking as of Monday, Nov. 24
Wednesday’s other games
The teams that finish ranked Nos. 5-14 after two rounds will also play on Wednesday.
There are some minor differences in how these matchups will be determined.
Games between teams from the same conference will be avoided. The tournament guarantees that.
The tournament will also attempt, but not guarantee, to avoid matchups between non-conference teams that play during the season. (Like Syracuse vs. Tennessee, which is part of the ACC/SEC Challenge next week).
Thursday’s stayovers
The bottom four teams will have to stay in Vegas and play on Thursday.
Those games will be played at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (Vegas time) in the Michelob Ultra Arena.
If UNLV does not qualify for the championship or third-place game, the Runnin’ Rebels will fill one of the two matchups regardless of ranking.
If a Thursday matchup pits two teams from the same conference or the teams play in 2025-26, the matchups will be switched.
If somehow the matchups cannot be switched, then the higher ranked team (based on the above criteria) will be moved to Wednesday and the lowest ranked team (No. 14) scheduled for Wednesday will move to Thursday.
