With three returning starters and two five-star signees in the 2025 class, Arizona is projected to be one of the top teams nationally next season. Joe Lunardi of ESPN released his first 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracketology on Tuesday.
With the transfer portal closing last week and the deadline to enter the NBA Draft this past Saturday, college basketball rosters are somewhat solidified. Forward Koa Peat is eighth and guard Brayden Burries is 10th in On3 Industry Rankings. Burries and Peat will be a major part of the rotation for Arizona in 2026.
Lunardi projects Arizona as a three seed in San Diego versus 14th-seeded Troy, who the resident ESPN bracketologist picks to be the winner of the Sun Belt Conference. The Arizona-Troy winner would play whoever emerges victorious between sixth seed Alabama and 11th seed Memphis.
Arizona is projected to be in the East Regional for the second consecutive NCAA Tournament. The 2026 East Regional will be in Washington, D.C. The West Regional will be in San Jose and Lunardi projects Houston as the number one seed. Lunardi projects Kansas as the other Big XII team in the West Regional.
Duke is projected as the number one seed in the East Regional for the second straight season by Lunardi. Connecticut is projected by Lunardi as the second seed in the East, with MAAC Champion Siena as their first-round opponent as the 15th seed. The UConn-Siena winner would play either seventh seed North Carolina or 10th seed Maryland.
Lunardi projects Michigan State as the fourth seed and Arizona's Big XII rival Texas Tech as the fifth seed in Washington, D.C. Eight Big XII teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament by Lunardi. In addition to Arizona, Houston, Kansas and Texas Tech, Lunardi also projects Baylor, Cincinnati, Iowa State and BYU.