Nebraska's men's basketball team has slipped to a No. 4 seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology, marking the third consecutive decline in projections. The Huskers, who recently won against Northwestern, now face a tougher projected path in the NCAA Tournament. They prepare for a key matchup against Iowa on Tuesday night.
Nebraska has experienced a downturn in recent performances, losing three of its last five games, which has impacted its seeding in expert projections. In the ESPN Bracketology released on Tuesday morning, the Huskers fell from a No. 3 seed to a No. 4 seed, as determined by bracketologist Joe Lunardi. This drop follows two prior declines in consecutive updates. Despite a 68-49 victory over Northwestern on Saturday, the team's overall record stands at 22-3, with an 11-3 mark in the Big Ten conference, placing them two games behind leader Michigan in the loss column.
The Huskers hold the No. 9 spot in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. In Lunardi's projection, Nebraska is slated as a No. 4 seed in the South Region, facing No. 13 Yale in the first round at Philadelphia. The winner would advance to play the victor of No. 5 Virginia versus No. 12 South Florida. The South Region features UConn as the No. 1 seed, Houston as No. 2, and Florida as No. 3, with Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games set for Houston. Michigan leads as the overall No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, alongside Arizona in the West and Duke in the East.
Contrasting this, CBS Sports' Bracketology, also from Tuesday, keeps Nebraska at a No. 3 seed in the East Region, matched against No. 14 UC Irvine, with a potential second-round matchup against the winner of No. 6 Kentucky and an 11th-seeded First Four team.
Nebraska's seeding history in ESPN projections shows volatility: starting as an 11-seed on November 18, peaking at No. 2 in late January, and now at No. 4. The team ranks 18th in ESPN's College Basketball Power Index, with projected season totals of 26.3 wins and 4.7 losses, including 15.3 Big Ten wins. Their chance to win the Big Ten title is estimated at 6.5 percent.
A critical test awaits Tuesday when Nebraska travels to face Iowa, which holds an 18-7 overall record and 8-6 in conference, projected as an 8-seed. The game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena tips off at 8 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. Notably, Huskers leading scorer Pryce Sandfort transferred to Nebraska after two seasons at Iowa.
Lunardi's field includes 10 Big Ten teams, matching the SEC, with Nebraska among them. Selection Sunday is scheduled for March 15, and the Final Four will occur April 4-6 in Indianapolis.
