2026 NCAA Tournament Projections: How the Big Ten Can Become an 11-Bid Conference

As March looms, Ohio State and USC find themselves on the NCAA Tournament bubble, with pivotal games ahead that could determine how many Big Ten teams make the Big Dance. The Buckeyes have been a rollercoaster this season, currently sitting at 17-10 overall and 9-7 in Big Ten play. After an impressive 6-0 start, they’ve struggled to string together more than two wins in a row. With four regular-season games left, Ohio State has a golden opportunity to boost its résumé, starting Wednesday with a road test at Iowa. USC, once comfortably in the tournament mix, has now dropped three straight and fallen to 18-9 overall and 7-9 in Big Ten play. With four games remaining, the Trojans will need to turn things around quickly, starting with a road game at UCLA on Tuesday night. If both the Buckeyes and Trojans can finish strong, the Big Ten could see 11 teams in the Big Dance, challenging the SEC, which currently leads Mike DeCourcy’s projections with 11 bids of its own. With that, here are DeCourcy’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament projections. EAST REGION SOUTH REGION MIDWEST REGION WEST REGION And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble. According to DeCourcy’s projections, Auburn, Santa Clara, VCU and New Mexico are the last four teams in the tournament, while USC, Ohio State, TCU and Cal are the first four out. As for conference representation, the SEC leads the way with 11 teams, while the Big Ten has nine teams. The ACC has eight teams and the Big 12 has seven teams in DeCourcy’s latest tournament projections. The Big East and the West Coast have three teams represented, while the Mountain West and A-10 have two teams. Selection Sunday is less than one month away, and these projections will inevitably evolve. 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.