2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Nebraska's Rise Continues, Now a No. 2 Seed

For just the fourth time in more than 20 years, three of college basketball's biggest brands all went down on the same day. Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky each took a loss on Saturday in a rare convergence of blue-blood misery.

Following a weekend filled with chaos from start to finish, FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy is here to share his latest NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament projections.

Multiple ranked teams are in action this week, but here's where DeCourcy's projected bracket stands on Jan. 6.

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, Oklahoma State, TCU, Cal and Indiana are the last four teams in the tournament, while Ohio State, Baylor, George Mason and NC State 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, Big 12 and ACC with nine teams and the Big East with four teams. The West Coast Conference also has two teams.

Of course, we are still more than two months away from Selection Sunday, and these projections are certain to 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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