Joe Lunardi dropped his latest bracketology update this week, and the Big 12 continues to show up in a major way. ESPN’s longtime NCAA Tournament projection guru has eight teams from the league included in the latest field, with several sitting near the top of their respective regions.
Houston leads the pack as a No. 1 seed, continuing to sit in the driver’s seat as the highest-ranked Big 12 program in the projections. The Cougars have been consistent from the jump this season, and Lunardi’s bracket reflects that. Not far behind is Arizona at No. 2, followed by BYU as a No. 3 seed and Iowa State at No. 4.
Texas Tech slots in at No. 5, while Kansas lands at No. 6 in the updated field. Baylor comes in at No. 8, and Cincinnati rounds out the group with a No. 11 seed. All eight are safely in the projected tournament field for now.
This marks one of the more balanced showings for the Big 12 in recent bracket updates. While Houston and Arizona continue to hold top-tier placement, BYU and Iowa State are right on their heels. The Cougars have jumped into the national conversation quickly with their strong early-season run, and Iowa State has turned a few heads with how they’ve handled business through the first few weeks.
Texas Tech and Kansas, both sitting in that middle seed range, bring tournament pedigree and have the kind of rosters that can cause problems in March. Baylor, though slightly lower in the bracket this time, still holds strong positioning, and Cincinnati’s inclusion gives the Big 12 a presence all the way down the seed line.
Lunardi’s bracket doesn’t guarantee anything. But eight teams in the field at this point in the season gives the conference a clear presence. The next team pushing for a spot in Lunardi’s rankings is Kansas State, which checked in among the Next Four Out category.
The full update from Lunardi includes all 68 teams and regional projections, with movement across several Power Four conferences. As of now, the Big 12 is well-represented and firmly in the spotlight.
