Feb 28, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson coaches against the Colorado Buffaloes in the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

What Latest Bracketology Says About Houston’s NCAA Seeding

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Kolton Becker | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 10:10 AM ET

In ESPN's Bracketology with Joe Lunardi, the Houston Cougars are currently sitting at No. 2 on the seed line, the sixth overall team in the top 16.

Lunardi, ESPN’s bracketologist for several years now, has listed head coach Kelvin Sampson’s team as one that would be visiting the Midwest after moving up following the victory over Colorado, 102-62.

With one week left in the regular season before making a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, for the Big 12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Center, the program is hoping it can move up a few spots in the next release, but everyone knows that to do that, they’ll need some help with other schools losing.

Securing a No. 1 seed is still not out of the question, but it's likely not going to happen. What’s certain is that if they don’t lose, the selection committee will likely not punish Houston for what it has done throughout the season.

Latest Projections

pic.twitter.com/60DzFr15Zi
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 2, 2026

As of the morning of March 2, Lunardi has listed three other programs that are also No. 2 seeds and those teams include Michigan State, Florida, and Illinois.

The Spartans are listed as the seventh team in the top eight, with a date to the east against the Gators in the south at No. 5, which is ideally where the Cougars would want to be, considering the geography. For the Illini, they are the last team slated in this category at No. 8 in the west region.

If these predictions were to be accurate and stand as is, it would put Houston facing a No. 15 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, setting up a matchup vs the No. 7 vs No. 10 winner of that region. There is still a lot to be determined, and less than two weeks before the NCAA Selection Committee makes its final choice on which teams make it in and which make it out, and where each will be placed.

For the Cougars to move up further, their best shot is to win out and reach the conference title game. Standing in their way are two teams left in the regular season, which are the Bears and Cowboys, before meeting whoever they’ll wait to play.

There are a few teams that have an outside chance at catching Houston, who are listed as No. 3 seeds, which would help if all lost, including Iowa State, Purdue, Nebraska, and Kansas.

The Boilermakers are listed in the south in Lunardi’s No. 3 seeds, while the Cyclones are in the east, the Cornhuskers are in the midwest, with the Jayhawks topping it off in the west.

Math is simple for Houston.

Win and likely don’t have to worry about not dropping below a No. 2 seed, unless the NCAA Selection Committee views it differently.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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