After making program history on Monday as the unanimous number one team in both polls, Arizona continues to be the projected top overall seed in the updated ESPN Bracketology on Tuesday. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi projects Arizona as the top seed in the West Region.
Navy, currently 13-6 overall and 5-1, leading the Patriot League is the projected 16th seed as the first round opponent for Arizona. The Midshipmen have made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances with an 8-12 record. Navy has not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 1998.
Lunardi projects 15-2 Utah State as the eighth seed and 17-3 St. Mary's as the ninth seed in the West Region. St. Mary's and Utah State would currently earn at-large berths. Arizona is 5-2 all-time versus St. Mary's and 1-3 against Utah State, but has never played Navy.
The Arizona, Navy, St. Mary's, Utah State subregional is projected to be in San Diego. The winner of those four teams would advance to the West Regional in San Diego. The 2026 Final Four is at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) January 20, 2026
Lunardi projects Virginia as the fourth seed and Alabama fifth in the West. Arizona defeated Alabama 96-75 in December in Birmingham. Other teams of note in the West Region are second-seeded Gonzaga, third-seed Michigan State, sixth-seeded Tennessee and seventh-seed Iowa.
A look at the rest of Bracketology
The other projected number one seeds by Lunardi are Michigan in the Midwest, as the second overall seed, Connecticut in the South and Duke in the East. Lunardi projects seven Big XII teams in his field. That is the fourth most of any conference behind the SEC with 10, the Big 10 with nine and the ACC with eight.
Lunardi projects Houston as a two-seed, Iowa State three, BYU and Texas Tech as fours, Kansas five and Central Florida eight as the other Big XII teams in the NCAA Tournament. Among other 2025-26 Arizona opponents not previously mentioned, Florida is projected as a three seed and Auburn as an eight.