ESPN Way-Too-Early 2026 Bracketology

[BigTenGuy]

BIG teams:

UCLA 1
Maryland 3
Michigan 4
USC 5
Iowa 5
Michigan St 6
Washington 6
Ohio St 7
Indiana 8
Minnesota 8
Nebraska 9
Oregon 9

Illinois first four out.

So basically every team except the holdover bottom five has a good chance to make the tourney.

 

[samloupete]

This team is talented but much depends on whether or not both Braun and Woodson can stay healthy for the whole year. If they can the team will do more than make the tournament. They will advance well into the tournament just like the 2004 team featuring Whalen and McCarville.

 

[Whytetale]

I think it's going to be the Braun and McKinney show.

 

[Katogopher]

Maybe I’m being a homer, but I truly believe that if Braun and Woodson comeback healthy, I think an 8 seed is too low.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Maybe I’m being a homer, but I truly believe that if Braun and Woodson comeback healthy, I think an 8 seed is too low.

If they are healthy and there is a true 9 player rotation that allows the team to stay fresh, they should be top half of the league.

 

[Gopher Mac]

Maybe I’m being a homer, but I truly believe that if Braun and Woodson comeback healthy, I think an 8 seed is too low.

I think a lot of people last year saw them score 90 points a game in their weak non-confernce schedule and thought wow this team is good. Once they played big ten teams this team really had scoring issues. I think Tori will improve and having a healthy Mara will be a big help. I still think talent wise they are around 8th place. Hope they prove me wrong.

 

[BigTenGuy]

If they are healthy and there is a true 9 player rotation that allows the team to stay fresh, they should be top half of the league.

. . . I think Tori will improve and having a healthy Mara will be a big help. I still think talent wise they are around 8th place. Hope they prove me wrong.

A lot of opportunity to move up in the BIG next year. The legacy BIG teams had a bad year last year (0 Sweet 16s, very few marquee victories). The league was run by USC and UCLA, and UCLA and Maryland seem like the top 2 for next year. After that, with JuJu's injury, there is opportunity.

Minnesota, Michigan and maybe Nebraska all look like they should/could be better. Iowa and Indiana are worse post-Clark and Holmes, and OSU's best player left for the SEC. Illinois should be worse next year. MSU scored again in the portal, so perhaps about the same. If Mara Braun in a way-more-functional offense can improve to just a B in terms of offensive efficiency, the Gophers could be significantly improved.

 

[Hoopsmom]

in addition to Juju‘s injury, both UCLA and USC have several players in the transfer portal this year. Only one with more than a handful of starts, but when you factor in graduation, they are going to be looking for a new team chemistry.

 

[ISUnorth]

A lot of opportunity to move up in the BIG next year. The legacy BIG teams had a bad year last year (0 Sweet 16s, very few marquee victories). The league was run by USC and UCLA, and UCLA and Maryland seem like the top 2 for next year. After that, with JuJu's injury, there is opportunity.

Minnesota, Michigan and maybe Nebraska all look like they should/could be better. Iowa and Indiana are worse post-Clark and Holmes, and OSU's best player left for the SEC. Illinois should be worse next year. MSU scored again in the portal, so perhaps about the same. If Mara Braun in a way-more-functional offense can improve to just a B in terms of offensive efficiency, the Gophers could be significantly improved.

League was a little top heavy but next year it will be "middle heavy" with a lot of teams in the top 30 or so but just outside of the 16 that will get to host. League play will still be a tough slough. Still, the Gophers should be as good as a lot of those behind the the UCLA and Maryland favorites. Will be interesting to see how the coaches and media do their Big Ten picks next fall after all of the dust settles on the portal adds and loses for each team.

 

[BigTenGuy]

League was a little top heavy but next year it will be "middle heavy" with a lot of teams in the top 30 or so but just outside of the 16 that will get to host. League play will still be a tough slough. Still, the Gophers should be as good as a lot of those behind the the UCLA and Maryland favorites. Will be interesting to see how the coaches and media do their Big Ten picks next fall after all of the dust settles on the portal adds and loses for each team.

Agree. Even this year, lots of top 35 teams, but still a weak tourney showing for the legacy BIG after the best 4 years in a long time (and not just Iowa - Michigan, Indiana and OSU all had impressive tourney success during the period 2021-2024).