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BRACKET BREAKDOWN: March 11th

This is March.

Between now and Selection Sunday, every day I’ll give a “BRACKET BREAKDOWN” with my 68 projected teams for the 2026 NCAA Tournament along with my Top 16 seeds as well as emerging trends.

The team who’s currently in first place in their respective league will be listed as that league’s “automatic qualifier”.

Teams that have already clinched an automatic berth will be listed in BOLD.

The Current Field

America East (1)
UMBC (AQ)
American Conference (1)
South Florida (AQ)
ASUN (1)
Queens (AQ)
Atlantic 10 (1)
Saint Louis (AQ)
ACC (8)
Duke (AQ), Louisville, North Carolina, Clemson, SMU, Virginia, Miami, NC State
Big 12 (8)
Arizona (AQ), BYU, Texas Tech, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, UCF, TCU
Big East (3)
St. John’s (AQ), UConn, Villanova
Big Sky (1)
Montana (AQ)
Big South (1)
High Point (AQ)
Big Ten (10)
Michigan (AQ), Illinois, Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin, UCLA, Indiana, Ohio State
Big West (1)
UC Irvine (AQ)
CAA (1)
Hofstra (AQ)
Conference-USA (1)
Liberty (AQ)
Horizon League (1)
Wright State (AQ)
Ivy League (1)
Yale (AQ)
MAAC (1)
Siena (AQ)
MAC (1)
Miami (OH) (AQ)
MEAC (1)
Howard (AQ)
Missouri Valley (1)
Northern Iowa (AQ)
Mountain West (1)
Utah State (1)
NEC (1)
LIU (AQ)
OVC (1)
Tennessee State (AQ)
Patriot League (1)
Lehigh (AQ)
SEC (11)
Florida (AQ), Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M, Texas, Missouri
Southern (1)
Furman (AQ)
Southland (1)
Stephen F. Austin (AQ)
SWAC (1)
Bethune Cookman (AQ)
Summit (1)
North Dakota State (AQ)
Sun Belt (1)
Troy (AQ)
WCC (3)
Gonzaga (AQ), Santa Clara, Saint Mary’s
WAC (1)
Utah Valley (AQ)

First Four Out

VCU, New Mexico, Cincinnati, Stanford

Top 16 Seeds

1: Duke (No. 1 overall seed), Michigan, Arizona, Florida
2: UConn, Houston, Michigan State, Illinois
3: Iowa State, Nebraska, Purdue, Alabama
4: Gonzaga, Virginia, Kansas, Texas Tech

Five Things To Know

  • The first thing that came to my mind when Duke announced on Tuesday that Caleb Foster is out indefinitely with a foot injury? If Michigan wins the Big Ten Tournament and the Blue Devils lose early in the ACC Tournament then the Wolverines could be the top overall seed on Selection Sunday.
  • Gonzaga has won 30 or more games in a season nine times under Mark Few.
  • Arkansas’ Darius Acuff (undisclosed) will be available for the Razorbacks’ first SEC Tournament game later this week, John Calipari told College Hoops Today on Tuesday. The 6-3 Acuff — who was named SEC Player of the Year earlier this week — did not play in Arkansas’ last game and averages 22.2 points and 6.4 assists.
  • Louisville’s Mikel Brown (undisclosed) will be OUT for the entirety of the ACC Tournament with the goal of being ready for the NCAA Tournament, the school announced on Tuesday. The 6-5 Brown averages 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. The Cards will face SMU today in Charlotte.
  • This will be Santa Clara’s first appearance in March Madness since 1996.

Leftovers