We’re back to rank the remaining 32 teams in the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament. We scrapped reseeding and asked: who are the best teams left? The answer is complicated by injuries (Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II, Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson, UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau, UConn’s Silas Demary Jr.) and roster disruptions (Alabama/Aden Holloway). The bracket isn’t chalky: top four seeds in each region all advanced again, all four 9-seeds moved on, and several double-digit seeds remain. Rankings below reflect opening-round results and the full body of work to date.
1. Arizona Wildcats — No. 1 (West). Defeated Long Island 92-58. Balanced scoring (Bradley limited, Burries and Peat strong), 10-game streak, 39% from 3 in the streak. Up next: Utah State (Sun, 7:50 ET).
2. Duke Blue Devils — No. 1 overall (East). Defeated Siena 71-65. Short-handed without Ngongba II; Cameron Boozer carried them. Elite defense remains a strength. Up next: TCU (Sat, 5:15 ET).
3. Florida Gators — No. 1 (South). Defeated Prairie View A&M 114-55. Running hot (13 of 14 wins), dominant late-season form, no team playing better recently. Up next: Iowa (Sun, 7:10 ET).
4. Michigan Wolverines — No. 1 (Midwest). Defeated Howard 101-80. Frontcourt dominance (Aday Mara), Big Ten regular-season title, strong 3-point shooting in the opener. Up next: Saint Louis (Sat, 12:10 ET).
5. Houston Cougars — No. 2 (South). Defeated Idaho 78-47. Defensive pressure smothers opponents; Kingston Flemings stepped up. A national contender despite February skid. Up next: Texas A&M (Sat, 6:10 ET).
6. Iowa State Cyclones — No. 2 (Midwest). Defeated Tennessee State 108-74. Scored 108 despite Joshua Jefferson exiting with a sprained ankle; team is much better with him. Up next: Kentucky (Sun, 2:45 ET).
7. Illinois Fighting Illini — No. 3 (South). Defeated Penn 105-70. Possibly the best offense in the country; explosive second half and big games from David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler. Up next: VCU (Sat, 7:50 ET).
8. Purdue Boilermakers — No. 2 (West). Defeated Queens 104-71. Preseason expectations reignited; Trey Kaufman-Renn on roll and offense clicking after a late surge. Up next: Miami (Sun, 12:10 ET).
9. St. John’s Red Storm — No. 5 (East). Defeated Northern Iowa 79-53. Improved chemistry from last year, Zuby Ejiofor leading, long winning streak and top-40 offense during run. Up next: Kansas (Sun, 5:15 ET).
10. UConn Huskies — No. 2 (East). Defeated Furman 82-71. Not as dominant in opener; Tarris Reed Jr. huge when featured, Silas Demary Jr. missed the game. Still three-time-title potential if healthy. Up next: UCLA (Sun, 8:45 ET).
11. Michigan State Spartans — No. 2 (East). Defeated Bryant 92-67. Jeremy Fears Jr. runs the offense; hot 3-point stretch recently and consistent scoring led to a comfortable win. Up next: Louisville (Sat, 2:45 ET).
12. Arkansas Razorbacks — No. 4 (West). Defeated Hawai’i 97-78. Darius Acuff Jr. has been exceptional; SEC tournament champs, potent offense and streaking. Up next: High Point (Sat, 9:45 ET).
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers — No. 4 (South). Defeated Troy 76-47. Big Ten’s best defense, stifled Troy and earned program’s first NCAA tournament win; Pryce Sandfort a key scorer. Up next: Vanderbilt (Sat, 8:45 ET).
14. Vanderbilt Commodores — No. 5 (South). Defeated McNeese 78-68. Tyler Tanner leads; offense improved with Duke Miles’ return, top-10 offensive stretch since his return. Up next: Nebraska (Sat, 8:45 ET).
15. Virginia Cavaliers — No. 3 (Midwest). Defeated Wright State 82-73. Ryan Odom’s crew fires many 3s now with efficient defense; Thijs De Ridder reliable recently. Up next: Tennessee (Sun, 6:10 ET).
16. Gonzaga Bulldogs — No. 3 (West). Defeated Kennesaw State 73-64. Scrappy, elite defensive efficiency and paint dominance (Graham Ike); worst 3-point Gonzaga mark under Few but still dangerous. Up next: Texas (Sat, 7:10 ET).
17. Alabama Crimson Tide — No. 3 (Midwest). Defeated Hofstra 90-70. Aden Holloway suspended; LaBaron Philon Jr. erupted but turnovers and poor 3-point shooting show missing Holloway will matter. Up next: Texas Tech (Sun, 9:45 ET).
18. Texas Tech Red Raiders — No. 5 (Midwest). Defeated Akron 91-71. Still an elite 3-point unit even without JT Toppin; Jaylen Petty and Christian Anderson stepped up. Second-weekend upside. Up next: Alabama (Sun, 9:45 ET).
19. Kansas Jayhawks — No. 4 (East). Defeated Cal Baptist 68-60. Darryn Peterson prolific but Kansas remains inconsistent; capable of big runs but needs 40 minutes of cohesion. Up next: St. John’s (Sun, 5:15 ET).
20. Kentucky Wildcats — No. 7 (Midwest). Defeated Santa Clara 89-84 (OT). Chaotic but talented; Otega Oweh exploded for 35, defense and size help, chemistry uneven. Up next: Iowa State (Sun, 2:45 ET).
21. Tennessee Volunteers — No. 6 (Midwest). Defeated Miami (OH) 78-56. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led; elite offensive rebounding and a stout defense in recent weeks make them dangerous. Up next: Virginia (Sun, 6:10 ET).
22. Louisville Cardinals — No. 6 (East). Defeated South Florida 83-79. Mikel Brown Jr. out; depth (McKneely, Hadley, Conwell) has sustained Louisville through much of the season. Up next: Michigan State (Sat, 2:45 ET).
23. Miami Hurricanes — No. 7 (West). Defeated Missouri 80-66. Jai Lucas’ first-year squad balanced; Malik Reneau productive inside, steady ACC efficiency on both ends. Up next: Purdue (Sun, 12:10 ET).
24. UCLA Bruins — No. 7 (East). Defeated UCF 75-71. Tyler Bilodeau missed opener; defense forced 17 turnovers and several scoring options stepped up. They need Bilodeau back for deeper run. Up next: UConn (Sun, 8:45 ET).
25. Saint Louis Billikens — No. 9 (Midwest). Defeated Georgia 102-77. Explosive offense under Josh Schertz; multiple reliable 3-point shooters and high efficiency when rolling. Up next: Michigan (Sat, 12:10 ET).
26. VCU Rams — No. 11 (South). Defeated North Carolina 82-78 (OT). Massive comeback from 19 down; Terrence Hill Jr. and Lazar Djokovic spearheaded a 7-game win streak. Balanced on both ends. Up next: Illinois (Sat, 7:50 ET).
27. Utah State Aggies — No. 9 (West). Defeated Villanova 86-76. Mason Falslev and MJ Collins Jr. combine for dynamic scoring; Mountain West’s best offense and improved defense lately. Up next: Arizona (Sun, 7:50 ET).
28. Texas A&M Aggies — No. 10 (South). Defeated Saint Mary’s 63-50. Slower tempo, dominant inside with Rashaun Agee; can win in multiple styles. Up next: Houston (Sat, 6:10 ET).
29. TCU Horned Frogs — No. 9 (East). Defeated Ohio State 66-64. Beating top teams this season, gritty style, strong offensive rebounding and balanced scoring without an NBA star. Up next: Duke (Sat, 5:15 ET).
30. Iowa Hawkeyes — No. 9 (South). Defeated Clemson 67-61. Bennett Stirtz led; back-to-back tournament coaching pairings producing wins—steady and scrappy. Up next: Florida (Sun, 7:10 ET).
31. Texas Longhorns — No. 11 (West). Defeated BYU 79-71. Entered tournament cold but showed defensive improvement and hot hands from Miller’s rotation; Dailyn Swain and Tramon Mark reliable. Up next: Gonzaga (Sat, 7:10 ET).
32. High Point Panthers — No. 12 (West). Defeated Wisconsin 83-82. Big upset powered by elite defensive turnover rate and efficient offense; Rob Martin and Terry Anderson combined for big scoring nights. Up next: Arkansas (Sat, 9:45 ET).
