Field of 68 Projection: Seven Weeks from Selection Sunday, 19 Teams Pretty Much Locked In

[SelectionSunday]

ROAD TO SELECTION SUNDAY, MN – I started this week’s Field of 68 projection by placing all NET top 75 teams with eight or more combined Quad 1&2 wins directly into the field. Essentially that means I have 19 virtual NCAA Tournament “locks” as we enter Week 13 of the regular season: Alabama; Arizona; BYU; Clemson; Duke; Florida; Gonzaga; Houston; Illinois; Iowa State; Kansas; Michigan; Michigan State; Nebraska; Purdue; Texas Tech; UConn; Vanderbilt; and Virginia.

There are 11 new entrants into the field, including conference leaders Belmont (Missouri Valley), Lipscomb (ASUN), Merrimack (MAAC), Navy (Patriot), Tulsa (American), UT-Arlington (WAC), and Winthrop (Big South). UT-Arlington is the only team appearing in the projection for the first time.

Automatic qualifiers in multiple-bid conferences (noted with an *) hold the best conference record or, in the event of a tie, best NET ranking (in parentheses).

FIELD OF 68 PROJECTION (1/26/26)
America East (1): Vermont (203)

American (1): Tulsa (49)

ACC (8): *Duke (3), Virginia (14), Louisville (17), North Carolina (23), NC State (27), Clemson (31), SMU (33), Miami (37)

ASUN (1): Lipscomb (152)

Atlantic 10 (1): Saint Louis (19)

Big East (3): *UConn (8), Saint John’s (25), Villanova (34)

Big Sky (1): Portland State (133)

Big South (1): Winthrop (124)

Big Ten (10): Michigan (2), *Nebraska (5), Illinois (6), Michigan State (9), Purdue (10), Iowa (21), Ohio State (36), Wisconsin (41), UCLA (42), USC (51)

Big XII (8): *Arizona (1), Iowa State (7), Houston (11), BYU (12), Kansas (15), Texas Tech (18), UCF (38), TCU (44)

Big West (1): Hawaii (92)

Coastal (1): UNC-Wilmington (104)

Conference USA (1): Liberty (81)

Horizon (1): Wright State (131)

Ivy (1): Yale (57)

MAAC (1): Merrimack (214)

MAC (1): Miami (48)

MEAC (1): UMES (321)

Missouri Valley (1): Belmont (62)

Mountain West (3): Utah State (26), New Mexico (43), *San Diego State (47)

NEC (1): LIU (202)

OVC (1): UT-Martin (190)

Patriot (1): Navy (179)

SEC (9): Vanderbilt (13), Florida (16), Arkansas (20), Alabama (22), Tennessee (24), Kentucky (28), Auburn (29), Georgia (32), *Texas A&M (40)

SoCon (1): East Tennessee State (122)

Southland (1): Stephen F. Austin (84)

SWAC (1): Bethune-Cookman (249)

Summit (1): North Dakota State (117)

Sun Belt (1): Troy (103)

WCC (3): *Gonzaga (4), Saint Mary’s (30), Santa Clara (45)

WAC (1): UT-Arlington (127)
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Last 4 In: Ohio State (36), New Mexico (43), TCU (44), Santa Clara (45)

First 4 Out: Texas (40), Virginia Tech (52), Missouri (68), Stanford (72)

8 to Watch: Indiana (35), Butler (50), Akron (53), VCU (54), Cal (55), Seton Hall (56), Creighton (61), Oklahoma State (73)

Last 4 Automatic Qualifiers: Vermont (203), Merrimack (214), Bethune-Cookman (249), UMES (321)

Non-Power 5 At-Large Bids (4): Utah State (26), Saint Mary’s (30), New Mexico (43), Santa Clara (45)

Multiple-Bid Conferences (7): Big Ten (10), SEC (9), ACC (8), Big XII (8), Big East (3), Mountain West (3), WCC (3)

Movin On ‘In (11): Belmont, Lipscomb, Merrimack, Navy, Ohio State, Santa Clara, TCU, Tulsa, UCLA, UT-Arlington, Winthrop

Droppin’ Out (11): Colgate, FAU, High Point, Missouri, Murray State, Queens, Saint Peter’s, Seton Hall, Texas, Utah Valley, Virginia Tech
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Big Ten & Summit League Projected NCAA Tournament Seeds
#1 Michigan
#1 Nebraska
#2 Illinois
#2 Michigan State
#3 Purdue
#8 Wisconsin
#9 Iowa
#10 UCLA
#10 USC
#11 Ohio State
#14 North Dakota State

Next Field of 68 Projection: Monday, February 2