2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Projections: Vanderbilt Joins Mike DeCourcy’s No. 1 Seeds

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FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy is here to share his first men's college basketball bracket prediction of the new year and third edition overall.

Thanks to myriad upsets and enough ranked matchups to make it feel like we're already in March, there are plenty of updates from DeCourcy's second bracket in this third edition of NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament projections.

Who doesn't love some college chaos? Multiple ranked teams are in action this weekend, but here's where his projected bracket stands on Jan. 2.

Here is a look at DeCourcy’s region-by-region projections:

EAST REGION

SOUTH REGION

MIDWEST REGION

WEST REGION

And it’s never too early to check in on the bubble.

According to DeCourcy's early-season projections, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Ohio State and NC State are the last four teams in the tournament, while Miami (Fla.), Indiana, George Mason and Boise State are the first four out.

As for conference representation, the SEC leads the way with 10 teams in DeCourcy's third tournament projections, followed by the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC with nine teams and the Big East with four teams. The West Coast Conference also has two teams.

Of course, we are still a couple months away from Selection Sunday, and these projections are certain to evolve — and fast. But for now, DeCourcy’s third bracket offers a clear snapshot of who’s rising, who’s sliding and which programs are already building the résumés they’ll need when March finally arrives.

Michael DeCourcy covers college basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on NCAA Tournament bracket projections. He has appeared on FOX Sports college basketball game broadcasts, while also serving as a college basketball studio analyst with Big Ten Network. He has been covering college basketball for nearly three decades at the Sporting News. You can follow him at @tsnmike.

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