Big Ten Confirms USC Women's Basketball Opponents for 2025-26

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has released his first Bracketology projections for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, highlighting strong representation from both the SEC and Big Ten. Lunardi predicts 13 SEC teams could make the tournament, with only LSU, South Carolina, and Texas A&M (as First Four Out) missing the cut, following the conference's record 14 teams in 2025. For the Big Ten, he projects 12 out of 18 teams in the field, with Purdue pegged as the No. 1 overall seed and other high seeds including Michigan, USC, UCLA, and Michigan State. Tennessee, representing the SEC, is projected as a No. 3 seed in the West Region, continuing the program's recent success under coach Rick Barnes. These early projections reflect the impact of transfer portal activity and recruiting but acknowledge that much could change before the tournament. Fans can look forward to several traditional powerhouses and competitive conference showings in the upcoming March Madness.