2026 NCAA Selection Show Discussion / Rants

[jncuse]

This thread is meant to discuss teams seedings / bubble / as they are announced.
Unless the brackets leaks early like it did in 2016 (I think it was 2016?)... hard to believe that was 10 years ago now.

In terms of the bubble, I always create a cheat sheet of sorts to track the bubble spots remaining and teams fighting for it as the show gets announced.

As of now, I'll be generous an include some longer shots at the end, and be conservative in who I'm locking in. But as per the matrix, there is a clear consensus on who the final 5, and final 3 in should be. Anybody not bolded below should be considered a real long shot to get an at-large. But the NCAA has went against the grain a number of times recently (Virginia, UNC), so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised if one of the long shots gets in, its just hard to identify which one.

(11 Teams, 5 Spots)
Santa Clara
Missouri
Miami
SMU
Texas
San Diego St
Auburn
Oklahoma
Stanford
Indiana
South Florida (if they lose)

 

[jncuse]

Latest daily updates per the matrix -- its a clear consensus right now. I suppose Texas can't feel 100% secure, and Miami is still a ? just because of the committee.

(out of 72)
Santa Clara 72
Missouri 72
SMU 70
Miami (Ohio) 69
Texas 62
---------- in/out -------
Auburn 6
San Diego St 4
Oklahoma 2
Indiana 1
Stanford 0

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Everyone have their blank brackets ready to fill out?

And two different highlighters to differentiate between Thurs-Sat and Fri-Sun games?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Jeffypoo !!!

 

[MSOrange]

GMac vs the Dukies!

 

[phil77]

USF got Louisville

 

[ROCcuse]

USF in Buffalo against Louisville!

Absolute Cinema!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

UConn a 2, St Johns a 5?

 

[Vorony]

USF in Buffalo against Louisville!

Absolute Cinema!

Easy 2 hour drive to Syracuse for the introductory press conference next Monday…

 

[rocfan44]

Siena being the lowest 16 is horrible for them. Thought they deserved at least at 15.

 

[nycfan]

St. John's dismantled UCONN and instead of moving up to a 3, dropped to a 5? (not to mention they won both the overall conference title and the BET)

 

[rocfan44]

UConn a 2, St Johns a 5?

That seems awfully low for St John’s too. Can’t argue with the two for UConn

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Siena being the lowest 16 is horrible for them. Thought they deserved at least at 15.

If they were the lowest, they'd be in a play-in game.

 

[rocfan44]

USF in Buffalo against Louisville!

Absolute Cinema!

JW’s parting gift?

 

[OrlandoCuse]

East is loaded.

 

[NineOneSeven]

UConn a 2, St Johns a 5?

Moronic

 

[jncuse]

Seth "UCF is #10, despite being a bubble team". Literally nobody had UCF on the bubble Seth.

People complained about John's 5 seed, Perhaps low, but that is a function of the mid Big East this year.

As for the bubble outlook.
(10 Teams, 5 Spots)
Santa Clara
Missouri
Miami
SMU
Texas
San Diego St
Auburn
Oklahoma
Stanford
Indiana

 

[rocfan44]

If they were the lowest, they'd be in a play-in game.

I forget about the play in games. How come then Duke wouldn’t have gotten one of them then?

 

[OrlandoCuse]

St. John's dismantled UCONN and instead of moving up to a 3, dropped to a 5? (not to mention they won both the overall conference title and the BET)

And kept them in the same bracket as UConn. Really idiotic to have the two best teams in the Big East in the same bracket.

 

[sabach]

First potential second round match up in Buffalo is Louisville/Michigan State.

 

[Dinkyspond]

USF in Buffalo against Louisville!

Absolute Cinema!

every Cuse fan get to Buffalo and rock your Cuse signs and gear, fill it with Orange, the NCAA knows how to make it dramatic, send Hodgson home where he is rumored to be the next coach

 

[jncuse]

UConn a 2, St Johns a 5?

What happened to the baseline bracketing rule... that the top 3 teams from each conference have to be in a different region (this was mandatory bracketing rule in the past).

They had changed the rule that teams from the same conference could be in the same group of 8, a number of years back, but the top 3 in 3 different regions always stayed.

If that changed, it had to be this year or last.

 

[Starman]

Man, I'm kinda tempted to get a ticket to Buffalo. I need to find someone to go with, though.

 

[llandz]

JW’s parting gift?

Just said that i another board. Need to put a bunch of Orange in the stands and loudly root for Hodgson.

 

[llandz]

First potential second round match up in Buffalo is Louisville/Michigan State.

But it will be S. Florida/Michigan State. I see S. Florida beating Louisville.