2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament Projections: Kansas Looking Strong, Nebraska Drops

The Kansas Jayhawks are on a roll, and guard Darryn Peterson is leading the way, albeit a little banged up. The Jayhawks are on a six-game win streak after topping then-No. 13 BYU over the weekend and beating new No. 13 Texas Tech on Monday. And in FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy’s latest men’s NCAA tournament bracket projection, Kansas is looking strong, moving up from a No. 4 seed to a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region. But it’s still behind No. 1 seeds Duke, Michigan, Arizona and UConn. As the 2025-26 regular season quickly winds down leading into March, DeCourcy shares his latest NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament projections. Here’s where his projected bracket stands through Feb. 3. EAST REGION SOUTH REGION MIDWEST REGION WEST REGION [MEN’S NCAA RANKINGS: Florida, Illinois Climbing; Purdue Falls] And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble. According to DeCourcy’s projections, Cal, UCLA, Miami (Fla.) and Santa Clara are the last four teams in the tournament, while Ohio State, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, and San Diego State are the first four out. As for conference representation, the Big Ten is back on top with 10 teams, followed by the ACC and the SEC with nine teams, the Big 12 with seven teams and the Big East and the West Coast with three. The Atlantic 10 and Mountain West conferences also have two teams each. Selection Sunday is less than two months away, and these projections will inevitably 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.