We're not even halfway through the month of May, and CBS Sports' Andy Katz is projecting how college basketball is going to look next March. I love college basketball.
BYU, still led by Kevin Young but absent of AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders, has unsurprisingly returned to the field, as the net is wider than ever to catch even the most undeserving of power conference participants.
I'm going to try to put my feelings for the 76-team bracket aside. The NCAA Tournament will be the NCAA Tournament, regardless of how many more teams they wish to add. I will keep any comments about diluting the talent pool and minimizing the accomplishment of reaching March Madness to myself. I will not mention how conference champions are being unjustly cast aside into the play-in rounds so that more .500 power conference teams like Auburn and Oklahoma can compete for a chance at the national championship.
I'm not going to say any of that.
Because led by a core of Robert Wright III (now without his signature hairstyle), Bruce Branch III, Collin Chandler, and some mysterious 7-foot NBA-ready center we're all desperately waiting on, the Cougars are projected as a 7-seed in Katz's vision.
🚨 FIRST 76-TEAM BRACKET PREDICTION 🚨@TheAndyKatz makes his first bracket prediction for the 2027 tournament, complete with matchup projections for the new Opening Round 🔮 pic.twitter.com/hNeK8q7QDe
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 8, 2026
We all understand that Bracketology has never been an exact science. Not even in the moments prior to the Selection Sunday reveal show has Katz or Joe Lunardi been able to go 68-for-68 on their projections. Sure, it's a fun talking point, but over-analyzing these results as early as 10 months ahead of time is an exercise in futility.
Still, the 7-seed line is a fascinating measuring stick for the Cougars. After crawling to the 6-spot that has been reserved for BYU in their last four tournament appearances, did BYU reach that height thanks to AJ Dybantsa alone, or was their seed reflective of late-season wins over Texas Tech and Iowa State? After finishing 10th in the Big 12 Conference, shouldn't the Cougars of tomorrow be expected to surpass last year's injury-haltered result?
Wouldn't you expect as much with another McDonald's All-American and another year of experience under Kevin Young's belt?
Time will tell, but I find myself endlessly optimistic that Katz has low-balled the Cougs for the upcoming season.
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