Nebraska Men’s Basketball Keeps Rolling, Now a 4-Seed in Latest ESPN Bracketology

Nebraska’s undefeated men’s basketball team continues to rise in the latest ESPN Bracketology released Tuesday.

The Huskers are now a 4-seed in Bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s projections for the NCAA Tournament. Thus, if seedings followed — which they never do; after all, it’s March Madness — Nebraska would be in the Sweet 16, uncharted terrain for a program that has never won an NCAA Tournament game in eight tries. To reach the Sweet 16, teams must win two games, three games if they are in the First Four.

Nebraska’s Bracketology projection improved for the sixth consecutive week after its 78-55 win Sunday over visiting North Dakota. The last six Bracketology projections:

* 11: Last four in
* 10: Last four byes
* 8
* 7
* 5
* 4

Nebraska also moved to 13th from 15th in this week’s AP poll. People have noticed the Huskers’ blazing start. Nebraska is one of only six undefeated teams in Division I.

Nebraska next plays New Hampshire on Dec. 30, then continues its Big Ten schedule at home with Michigan State on Jan. 2. Nebraska is 2-0 in the conference with a home win over Wisconsin and a road win at Illinois.

Lunardi’s other 4-seeds are Illinois, Louisville and Alabama.

Huskers in the NCAA

There is a long way until March, but for now here is where Nebraska fits in the NCAA Tournament.

Lunardi has the fourth-seeded Huskers playing 13-seed Quinnipiac (the automatic qualifier from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) in a first-round West Region game at San Diego. The Nebraska-Quinnipiac winner would play the winner of 5-seed Florida vs. 12-seed Utah Valley (the automatic qualifier from the Western Athletic Conference). Arizona is the top seed in the West.

Other No. 1 seeds, according to Lunardi, are Michigan (Midwest), UConn (East) and Iowa State (South).

Lunardi’s ”Last Four Byes” are UCF, Villanova, Miami and Indiana. His “Last Four In” are Baylor, Ohio State, Butler and Oklahoma. His “First Four Out” are Oklahoma State, Boise State, California and Arizona State. The “Next Four Out” are New Mexico, Virginia Tech, VCU and Wisconsin.

Ten Big Ten teams are in this week’s Bracketology projections (with seeding in parentheses and projected first-round opponents in):

* Michigan (1 vs. winner of 16 Long Island U and Lindenwood)
* Purdue (2 vs. 15 Stephen F. Austin)
* Michigan State (3 vs. 14 St. Thomas)
* Nebraska (4 vs. 13 Quinnipiac)
* Illinois (4 vs. 13 High Point)
* Iowa (6 vs. 11 Tulsa)
* USC (7 vs. 10 Villanova)
* UCLA (8 vs. 9 North Carolina State)
* Indiana (11 vs. 6 Arkansas)
* Ohio State (11 vs. 11 Baylor in First Four; winner vs. 6 St. John’s)

Selection Sunday is March 15. The Final Four is April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

ESPN’s power rankings

Nebraska moved up two places to 25th in ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index. The Huskers were 27th the past two weeks. Four weeks ago, Nebraska was 38th.

The projection for the Huskers’ wins and losses are 23.2 wins and 7.8 losses, the same as last week. In the Big Ten, the projection for Nebraska is to win 12.2 games with 7.8 losses.

Nebraska is given a 2.3 percent chance to win the Big Ten championship.

Six Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of Nebraska in the ESPN College Basketball Power Index:

* Michigan: 3
* Purdue: 8
* Illinois: 12
* Indiana: 19
* Michigan State: 20
* UCLA: 21
* Nebraska 25