Last night, No. 1 overall Arizona survived a late charge by BYU to win 86-83 and extend the nation’s second-longest active win streak to 21. Tonight, the longest active streak at 24 games (thanks to a four-game
run to the College Basketball Crown title last April) is on the line, as Nebraska travels to Michigan. The 18-1 Wolverines are currently the fourth No. 1 seed—behind the aforementioned Wildcats, UConn, and Duke, while the 20-0 Cornhuskers are the top 2 seed. Naturally, a Husker win will see them take that fourth No. 1 seed on Friday, and that’s not an occurrence you can write off. Remember that Michigan’s lone loss came at home to Wisconsin back on January 10th.
The top 16 saw only one membership change, as Kansas replaces Florida, following the Gators’ home loss to Auburn Saturday. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, have won four in a row.
After the full bracket and rundown, you will find the finl midweek viewing guide for the first month of 2026.
NOTE: Changes since Friday’s projection are noted with (★) for new entrants, (▲) for teams moving up one or more seed lines, and (▼) for teams moving down one or more seed lines.
(1) West (San José, Thurs./Sat.)
San Diego (Fri./Sun.)
(1) Arizona (Big 12)
(16) LIU (NEC)
(8) Saint Mary’s
(9) Utah State
Tampa (Fri./Sun.)
▼(5) Florida
(12) Liberty (CUSA)
(4) Virginia
▲(13) UNCW (CAA)
Philadelphia (Fri./Sun.)
▼(6) Louisville
(11) Texas/Ohio State
(3) Illinois
(14) ETSU (SoCon)
St. Louis (Fri./Sun.)
(7) UCF
▲(10) Virginia Tech
(2) Purdue
★(15) Lipscomb (ASUN)
(4) South (Houston, Thurs./Sat.)
Buffalo (Thurs./Sat.)
(1) Michigan
▼(16) UT Martin (OVC)
(8) Villanova
(9) Saint Louis (A 10)
San Diego (Fri./Sun.)
(5) Arkansas
(12) Stephen F. Austin (Southland)
(4) Texas Tech
(13) Hawai’i (Big West)
Portland (Thurs./Sat.)
▲(6) Kentucky
(11) San Diego State (MW)
(3) BYU
(14) North Dakota State (Summit)
Portland (Thurs./Sat.)
(7) Georgia
(10) NC State
(2) Gonzaga (WCC)
(15) Navy (Patriot)
(2) East (Washington, D.C., Fri./Sun.)
Philadelphia (Fri./Sun.)
(1) UConn (Big East)
★/— (16) UMBC (AE)/Maryland-Eastern Shore (MEAC)
(8) Texas A&M (SEC)
▲(9) USC
Greenville (Thurs./Sat.)
▲(5) North Carolina
(12) Yale (Ivy)
(4) Vanderbilt
(13) Troy (SBC)
Buffalo (Thurs./Sat.)
(6) Tennessee
★/★(11) UCLA/TCU
(3) Michigan State
(14) Winthrop (Big South)
Oklahoma City (Thurs./Sat.)
(7) Clemson
▼(10) Wisconsin
(2) Houston
(15) Portland State (Big Sky)
(3) Midwest (Chicago, Fri./Sun.)
Greenville (Thurs./Sat.)
(1) Duke (ACC)
★/— (16) Merrimack (MAAC)/Bethune-Cookman (SWAC)
(8) Auburn
(9) Iowa
Tampa (Fri./Sun.)
(5) Alabama
(12) Murray State (MVC)
▲(4) Kansas
(13) Florida Atlantic (AC)
Oklahoma City (Thurs./Sat.)
(6) SMU
(11) Miami (Ohio) (MAC)
(3) Iowa State
★ (14) UT Arlington (WAC)
St. Louis (Fri./Sun.)
▼(7) St. John’s
(10) New Mexico
(2) Nebraska (Big Ten)
(15) Wright State (Summit)
Rundown
Last Four Byes: Wisconsin, NC State, Virginia Tech, New Mexico
Last Four IN: Texas, Ohio State, UCLA, TCU
First Four OUT: Santa Clara, California, Miami, Seton Hall
Next Four Out: Stanford, VCU, Missouri, Baylor
ARRIVALS (6): Lipscomb (ASUN), Merrimack (MAAC), TCU, UCLA, UMBC (AE), UT Arlington (WAC)
DEPARTURES: Queens (ASUN), Saint Peter’s (MAAC), Seton Hall, Stanford, Utah Valley (WAC), Vermont (AE)
The revolving door that is the Cut Line continues to circulate with Seton Hall’s four consecutive losses and Stanford’s consecutive home losses to Duke and Cal knocking them out, with UCLA (victorious over Purdue on Tuesday, then Northwestern on Saturday) and TCU (who defeated both Oklahoma State and Baylor last week) jumping into the field for now.
Conference Breakdown
SEC (10): Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M (auto bid), Texas (First Four)
Big Ten (10): Michigan, Nebraska (auto bid), Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, USC, Wisconsin, Ohio State (First Four), UCLA (First Four)
ACC (8): Duke (auto bid), Virginia, North Carolina, Louisville, SMU, Clemson, NC State, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (8): Arizona (auto bid), Houston, Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech, Kansas, UCF, TCU (First Four)
Big East (3): UConn (auto bid), St. John’s, Villanova
MW (3): Utah State, New Mexico, San Diego State (auto bid)
WCC (2): Gonzaga (auto bid), Saint Mary’s
24 one-bid conferences
Games to Watch
All times are p.m. Eastern unless noted. Games are listed in rough order of bracket importance.
Tuesday
Nebraska at Michigan, 7 (Peacock ($)/NBCSN)
Arkansas at Oklahoma, 7 (ESPN)
Virginia at Notre Dame, 7 (ESPN2)
Arizona State at UCF, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Michigan State at Rutgers, 6:30 (FS1)
Syracuse at NC State, 7 (ESPNU)
Wake Forest at Pitt, 6 (ACCN)
Richmond at VCU, 7 (CBSSN)
Northwestern State at Stephen F. Austin, 4 (CBSSN)
McNeese at Southeastern Louisiana, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Toledo at Akron, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Providence at UConn, 7:30 (TNT/TruTV)
Missouri at Alabama, 8 (SECN)
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, 8 (ACCN)
George Washington at Saint Louis, 8 (FanDuel Midwest Extra/ESPN+ ($))
Purdue at Indiana, 9 (Peacock ($)/NBCSN)
Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 9 (ESPN)
Kansas State at West Virginia, 8:30 (FS1)
Creighton at Marquette, 9:30 (TNT/TruTV)
UMass at Miami (Ohio), 9 (ESPNU)
Besides the aforementioned Game of the Night, Peacock also has a crucial showdown in the Hoosier State. Purdue has lost touch with the top seed line, and a loss in Bloomington will only extend that gap, while giving Indiana a much needed high-quality win. In the SEC, meanwhile, resurgent Kentucky, winner of five in a row, heads to Nashville to take on a reeling Vanderbilt squad, who finally ended its three-game skid by torching Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday, 88-56.
New Mexico at UNLV, 11 (CBSSN)
Grand Canyon at Nevada, 10:30 (FS1)
Wednesday
Texas at Auburn, 7 (ESPN2)
Tennessee at Georgia, 7 (SECN)
USC at Iowa, 7 (BTN)
Butler at St. John’s, 7 (Peacock ($)/NBCSN)
Baylor at Cincinnati, 6:30 (FS1)
California at Florida State, 7 (ACCN)
Mississippi State at LSU, 7 (SECN+)
Davidson at George Mason, 7 (CBSSN)
Navy at Boston U., 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Xavier at Seton Hall, 7:30 (Peacock ($))
North Texas at Tulsa, 8 (ESPN+ ($))
Belmont at Valparaiso, 8 (ESPN+ ($))
Houston at TCU, 9 (ESPN2)
Minnesota at Wisconsin, 9 (BTN)
Stanford at Miami (Fa.), 9 (ACCN)
Florida at South Carolina, 9 (SECN)
Wyoming at Utah State, 9 (CBSSN)
Illinois State at Murray State, 9 (ESPN+ ($))
South Florida at Tulane, 9 (ESPNU)
UCLA at Oregon, 11 (BTN)
Colorado State at San Diego State, 10:30 (FS1)
San Francisco at Santa Clara, 11 (CBSSN)
Wednesday’s slate is fairly bubbly, ranging from head-to-head matchups (Texas-Auburn, USC-Iowa, Stanford-Miami, Baylor-Cincinnati) to potential a marquee win opportunity for TCU (Houston at home) to potential trap games (Cal at FSU, Minnesota-Wisconsin, UCLA-Oregon, Xavier-Seton Hall).
Thursday
Colorado at Iowa State, 7 (FS1)
Liberty at Middle Tennessee, 7 (CBSSN)
James Madison at Troy, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Western Carolina at ETSU, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Lipscomb at Jacksonville, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
UMBC at Vermont, 7 (ESPN+ ($))
Florida Atlantic at Memphis, 8 (ESPN2)
Southern Utah at UT Arlington, 8 (ESPN+ ($))
Utah Valley at Tarleton, 8 (ESPN+ ($))
UT Martin at Eastern Illinois, 8:30 (ESPN+ ($))
Washington at Illinois, 9 (FS1)
Hawai’i at UC Irvine, 11 (ESPNU)
Presbyterian at High Point, 9 (ESPNU)
UNCW at Towson, 9 (CBSSN)
Montana at Portland State, 10 (ESPN+ ($))
Plenty of single-bid conference leaders are scheduled to be tested on Thursday night. The most intriguing of these games may very well be Hawai’i’s rematch with UC Irvine, a team the Rainbow Warriors edged by a bucket in Honolulu on January 10th. In terms of the at-large pool, both Iowa State and Illinois play winnable home games in the hours before Friday’s update.
