The March Madness Selection Show will be on March 15, 2026, when the complete 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed.
Who will be the No. 1 seeds in the 68-team bracket for men’s college basketball?
Some teams have started to separate themselves from the rest of the field heading into the final stretch of the regular season and the conference tournaments.
Here’s a look at the current projections for the No. 1 seeds in March Madness and a quick look at the possible contenders to be the four top seeds in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Who is projected to be No. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament now?
As of Friday, Feb. 20, ESPN projected Michigan, Duke, Houston and Arizona to be the No. 1 seeds in March Madness.
USA TODAY Sports projected Duke, Houston, Michigan and Arizona to be the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
CBS Sports projected the No. 1 seeds to be Michigan, Duke, Houston and Arizona.
Potential No. 1 seeds in 2026 NCAA Tournament
Michigan: The Wolverines are 25-1 overall and 15-1 in the Big Ten. They have won 11 straight games. They have wins over Gonzaga, Villanova, Nebraska, Michigan State and Purdue.
Duke: The Blue Devils are 24-2 overall and 13-1 in the ACC. They have wins over Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan State and Louisville, whom they beat twice.
Houston: The Cougars are 23-3 overall and 11-2 in the Big 12. They have wins over Arkansas, Texas Tech and BYU.
Arizona: The Wildcats are 24-2 overall and 11-2 in the Big 12. They have wins over Florida, UConn, Alabama, BYU and San Diego State.
UConn: Listed as a No. 2 seed right now by ESPN, CBS Sports and USA TODAY Sports, the Huskies are 24-3 overall and 14-2 in the Big East. They have wins over BYU, Illinois, Kansas, Florida and Villanova.
Iowa State: Projected as a No. 2 seed right now by ESPN, CBS Sports and USA TODAY Sports, the Cyclones are 23-3 overall and 10-3 in the Big 12. They have wins over St. John’s, Purdue, Kansas and Houston.
Illinois: Currently a No. 2 seed in projections by ESPN, CBS Sports and USA TODAY Sports, the Fighting Illini are 22-5 overall and 13-3 in the Big Ten. They have wins over Texas Tech, Tennessee, Purdue and Nebraska.
Purdue: Projected to be a No. 2 seed by ESPN and CBS Sports, the Boilermakers are 21-5 overall and 11-4 in the Big Ten. They have wins over Alabama, Texas Tech, Auburn and Nebraska.
Florida: Currently projected as a No. 2 seed by ESPN, the Gators are 20-6 overall and 11-2 in the SEC. They have wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Kentucky.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Sign up for azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: March Madness projections for No. 1 seeds in men’s NCAA Tournament