Miami is one of the last four teams in, in the updated ESPN Bracketology posted on Tuesday. North Carolina is at Miami on Tuesday night for a game with huge implications for the Hurricanes in the ACC race and their NCAA Tournament resume.
ESPN resident bracketologist Joe Lunardi projects Miami as one of the last teams in the NCAA Tournament. Lunardi currently projects Miami as an 11th seed, playing New Mexico in the First Four in Dayton. The winner between Miami and New Mexico is projected to play Arkansas in the first round in Philadelphia.
Miami and New Mexico are projected to be a part of the Midwest Regional in Chicago. Miami was a 10th seed in the Midwest Regional in 2022 and advanced to the final game before losing to Kansas. Michigan State is projected as the third seed against 14th-seed North Dakota State in the Midwest Region.
The winner of Miami-New Mexico against Arkansas and Michigan State versus North Dakota are projected to play in the second round by Lunardi. Lunardi has Iowa State as the second seed on the same half of the Midwest Bracket as Miami. Miami defeated Iowa State in the 2022 Midwest Regional Semifinal in Chicago.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 10, 2026
Highlights of the rest of the Midwest Bracket
Michigan State is projected to play the winner of a blockbuster first-round game between legendary programs, seventh-seeded Kentucky and 10th seed UCLA. UCLA is first all-time with 11 NCAA Tournament championships and Kentucky is second with eight.
Lunardi projects Michigan as the top overall seed in the Midwest. North Carolina is the projected fourth seed and St. John's fifth. Greenville, South Carolina, where Miami advanced through in 2022, is hosting subregionals in 2026, but Lunardi projects the South Regional pod there.
Arizona is the projected top overall seed by Lunardi. Connecticut in the South and Duke in the East are the other projected top regional seeds. The ACC, with nine projected NCAA Tournament berths, is second behind the Big 10 and SEC, who Lunardi has with 10 bids each.