How ESPN’s Bracketology predicts the Big 12 will place in March Madness

· Yahoo Sports

The Big 12 is close to ending its men’s basketball tournament, with the No. 2 Houston Cougars (28-5) facing the No. 1 Arizona Coyotes (31-2) in the championship. It’s a heavyweight bout between two of the top teams in the country. With the regular-season matchup ending with a narrow seven-point win for Arizona, it’s sure to be a tight one.

Visit fishroad-app.com for more information.

Whoever wins clinches their spot in the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. However, with ESPN’s Bracketology, there is reason to believe that there will be several teams in the Big 12 in the tournament. In fact, the Big 12 is projected to earn eight spots in the dance, the third most of any conference behind the SEC and Big Ten. Here is how ESPN’s bracketology predicts the selections to shake out.

Tier 1: Top Seeds

The Big 12 is full of teams in the top quadrant of the bracket. Of the eight projected teams, six are projected to be top-eight seeds, and four are projected to be top-four seeds.

More: How to live stream UConn vs St. John’s: Big East Tournament final, TV channel

Mar 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) shakes hands with guard Milos Uzan (7) against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

More: How to live stream Houston vs Arizona: Big 12 Tournament final, TV channel

Arizona is expected to win the tournament, so ESPN predicts them to have a No. 1 seed, with Houston getting a No. 2 seed. The Iowa State Cyclones also get a No. 2 seed in the East. They would’ve made the Big 12 championship if not for Arizona guard Jaden Bradley knocking a buzzer-beater to eliminate them.

Kansas earns a No. 4 seed in the Midwest side of the bracket after losing 69-47 to Houston in the semifinals. Behind the Jayhawks, the Texas Tech Red Raiders move down to a No. 5 seed. That’s due to a hyped matchup with Iowa State in the quarterfinal, which ended in a 75-53 blowout. With star guard Christian Anderson suffering an injury slipping on the LED glass court, the Red Raiders enter March Madness hobbled.

Tier 2: Likely In

Behind them, the BYU Cougars are projected as a No. 6 seed. With projected No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa, they could be a sneaky team in the tournament. 

More: Dick Vitale selects ‘All Rolls Royce PTPERS’ for 2025-26 college basketball season

Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) looks on during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Marriott Center. Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

More: How to live stream Michigan vs Ohio State: Big Ten tournament, TV channel

The bottom half of the bracket features some Big 12 teams that should make the tournament. TCU is situated as the No. 9 seed in the East, while UCF is expected to land the No. 10 seed. The Knights are one of the last four teams expected to skip the first-four round after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats 66-65 in overtime.

Tier 3: Just Missed

As a result, ESPN projects the Bearcats to miss the tournament completely. They blew a 58-50 lead with 2:17 left to go in regulation, eventually losing in overtime. The choke has cost head coach Wes Miller his job after five seasons at the helm.

More: Bold predictions for the College Basketball conference tournaments

Iowa State Cyclones guard Dominick Nelson (11) goes for a layup around Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Parsa Fallah (22) during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

More: Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark announces sudden change ahead of semifinals

The rest of the teams weren’t mentioned on the bracketology at all. Oklahoma State seemed like the closest of that group, earning a 19-14 record. However a 6-12 record in conference held them back, and a 95-88 loss against put their March Madness aspirations to rest.

Tier 4: Not Close

West Virginia (18-14) was in a similar vote to Cincinnati. They went 9-9 in conference, but they could’ve strengthened their argument with more wins in the Big 12 tournament. However, they lost vs. BYU 68-48 in their lone game in the tournament.

Colorado (17-15), Arizona State (17-16), and Baylor (16-16) each finished with near .500 records, and they didn’t do enough in the tournament to move the needle. Kansas State and Utah

NFL: Predicting the first three 2026 NFL Free Agency signings

MARCH MADNESS: ACC Tournament men’s basketball bracket, schedule revealed

MLB: Former Blue Jays pitcher, 39, announces he’ll retire immediately after WBC

NBA: Boston Celtics reveal massive Jayson Tatum update before NBA Playoffs

SPORTS MEDIA: NHL gets TV ratings bump after thrilling USA-Canada clash for Olympic gold


VIRAL: NFL star Joe Burrow cozies up with Jessica Alba at Las Vegas casino

The post How ESPN’s Bracketology predicts the Big 12 will place in March Madness appeared first on The Big Lead.

Read full story at source