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Joe Lunardi
Any reactions we’ve got to the 2025-26 males’s school basketball season can be thought of untimely, being simply three nights in.
What will not be an overreaction is an early gauge of the facility conferences.
Last season we appropriately predicted the SEC could be the very best, by energy, variety of bids, common seeding — and eventual champion. This yr, as an alternative of measuring simply by NCAA bids and potential seeding, we’re rating the facility conferences based mostly on answering on a single query: Which league is almost definitely to supply the 2026 nationwide champion?
Given its historical past this century, the No. 1 selection would possibly shock you. Completely happy hoops!
Word: “Present bids” refers back to the variety of bids a convention has within the latest Bracketology. “Projected bids” refers back to the variety of bids a convention might have on Selection Sunday
5. ACC
Present bids: 5
Projected bids: 6
Common seed: 6.2
Bid share: 33.3%
Championship caliber: Duke is a respectable and apparent nationwide championship contender, however do not sleep on Louisville. It is laborious to consider the Cardinals had been a Quad 4 staff simply two years in the past.
Joey Brackets says: In some ways, the ACC has just one technique to go. The convention hasn’t despatched a minimum of half of its groups to the NCAA match since 2018, and it hasn’t come near that benchmark since ballooning to 18 members two years in the past. However the backside has been hit (we’re certain this time!) and a rising variety of bubble groups might result in the league in exceeding its projection for March.
Sport of the yr: Duke at Louisville (Jan. 6, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
4. Large East
Present bids: 5
Projected bids: 4
Common seed: 4.8
Bid share: 36.4%
Championship caliber: In the event you dwell within the Northeast, buckle in for an rising UConn–St. John’s rivalry neither aspect is making an attempt to downplay. Each have rosters adequate to play in April, and each have coaches with a number of nationwide championships.
Joey Brackets says: The Large East is a lot extra enjoyable with slightly (loads of?) friction. The years of Jay Wright and Villanova because the Sara Lee of faculty basketball (“No one does not like them”) are gone. All we want now’s for Danny Hurley to hitch Rick Pitino in a Louie Carnesecca sweater at Madison Sq. Backyard. That hype would possibly cover the lengthening NCAA tourney droughts for the likes of Nova (three years), Seton Hall (three) Georgetown (4), Butler (5) and, gulp, DePaul (we stopped counting at 20).
Sport of the yr: UConn at St. John’s (Feb. 6, 8 p.m. ET, Fox)
3. Large 12
Present bids: 8
Projected bids: 8
Common seed: 4.3
Bid share: 50.0%
Championship caliber: Surprisingly, the Large 12 groups most talked about as Last 4 or higher candidates this season are latest additions (Houston, Arizona and BYU). Mini-slides by Kansas and Baylor, not enlargement, have led to the convention dropping its long-standing grip on the highest spot of our rankings. If and when Kansas returns to kind — which could possibly be this season — look out.
Joey Brackets says: The late Large 12 video games each Monday throughout convention play are my favourite two hours of the week. There’s little, if any, competitors, and never a lot to do besides be a fan of chilly winter nights in old-school gyms. However the basketball stays distinctive, together with the Large Monday name from Boog Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla.
Sport of the yr: Houston at Kansas (Feb. 23, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
2. SEC
Present bids: 11
Projected bids: 12
Common seed: 6.3
Bid share: 75.0%
Championship caliber: Florida‘s very affordable try to go back-to-back for the second time this century is sufficient to put the SEC close to the highest of our record. As much as a half-dozen others are Last 4 (and past?) good. I am simply unsure any are “lower down the nets” good.
Joey Brackets says: Let’s give remaining props to the SEC’s motherlode of NCAA bids final season (a document 14), prime seeds (two 1s, two 2s), Last 4 groups (two) and, in fact, the champion Gators. To go from solely three NCAA groups (2016) to 14 of 16 final season is past outstanding. It may also be unrepeatable, because the pendulum of energy tends to swing each methods.
Sport of the yr: Florida at Kentucky (March 7, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
1. Large Ten
Present bids: 11
Projected bids: 10
Common seed: 5.5
Bid share: 55.6%
Championship caliber: It is clearly too early to essentially know, however Purdue, Michigan and Illinois certain appear like severe Last 4 contenders. And all have the star energy to win as soon as they get there, particularly in Indianapolis, the place there ought to lastly be sufficient juice for the Large Ten to finish its 25-year NCAA title drought.
Joey Brackets says: The SEC could have higher numbers, however the Large Ten this season would possibly lastly commerce slightly amount for high quality on the prime finish of the bracket. Purdue slicing down the nets in Indy is the simplest storyline to trace, however I am sticking with my preseason pick of Michigan. And, on opening night, Illinois might need been probably the most spectacular of all.
Sport of the yr: Illinois at Purdue (Jan. 24, 3 p.m. ET, Fox)
