Arizona remains the number one seed in the West Region and the third overall seed by Joe Lunardi of ESPN in the latest Bracketology he posted on Tuesday. Michigan is the top overall seed by Lunardi, with Duke and Iowa State the other regional top seeds.
Lunardi projects Arizona as the current automatic qualifier from the Big XII. Houston is 34-4 in two seasons in the Big XII. The Cougars won the 2025 Big XII regular season and tournament titles. Houston was picked first in the Big XII preseason coaches poll.
Lunardi projects Arizona to play America East champion Vermont in the first round. Vermont is currently 198th in the ESPN Basketball Power Index. None of Vermont’s 11 games early in the 2025-26 season have been against Power Conference opponents…