Nebraska Men’s Basketball Stays a 4-Seed in ESPN’s Bracketology Despite a Loss at Iowa

Nebraska remained a 4-seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology, which was released Friday morning. Nebraska had dropped by one spot in each of the last three projections.

The Huskers’ 57-52 loss at Iowa on Tuesday night did not affect their projected seeding.

With only five regular-season games remaining, Nebraska might wind up between a 3-seed and a 5-seed. Its schedule still includes home games vs. Penn State and Maryland, a West Coast trip to USC and UCLA, and the regular-season finale at home vs. Iowa.

This late in the season, do not expect dramatic changes in projected seeding. One of the reasons the Huskers are a 4-seed is because of their entire body of work this season. Another loss or two likely won’t drop Nebraska below a 5-seed.

The Huskers, who have lost 4-of-6 games, could sweep their remaining five games, but the West Coast games won’t be easy and Iowa is Iowa —always tough. If the Huskers go 5-0 heading into the Big Ten Tournament, they likely will be a 3-seed, but probably not rise to a 2-seed.

Nebraska (22-4, 11-4 Big Ten) plays Penn State on Saturday (1 p.m. CT, on Big Ten Network). Penn State is in last place in the Big Ten (11-16 overall, 2-14 in the conference), so the Nittany Lions are potentially a good opponent at home for a Huskers team that has lost to four ranked teams since Jan. 27.

The Huskers are three games behind first-place Michigan in the loss column. They are ranked ninth in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

In CBS Sports’ Bracketology, dated Friday morning, Nebraska remained a 3-seed. In CBS Sports’ projections, Nebraska would play 14-seed Portland State in the West Region. The Nebraska-Portland State winner would play the winner of 6-seed BYU vs. a First Four winner.

Huskers projected in Big Dance

Here are Nebraska’s last 21 Bracketology projections, where you can see the Huskers’ status through the season:

* Nov. 18: 11 (Last four in)
* Nov. 25: 10 (Last four byes)
* Dec. 2: 8
* Dec. 9: 7
* Dec. 16: 5
* Dec. 23: 4
* Dec. 30: 4
* Jan. 6: 3
* Jan. 9: 3
* Jan. 13: 3
* Jan. 16: 2
* Jan. 20: 2
* Jan. 23: 2
* Jan. 27: 2
* Jan. 30: 2
* Feb. 3: 3
* Feb. 6: 2
* Feb. 10: 2
* Feb. 13: 3
* Feb. 17: 4
* Feb. 20: 4

For now, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the fourth-seeded Huskers playing 13-seed Stephen F. Austin, of Southland Conference, in a first-round South Region game at Oklahoma City. The Nebraska-Stephen F. Austin winner would play the winner of 5-seed Arkansas vs. 12-seed Liberty.

Houston is the No. 1 seed in the South, Illinois is the 2-seed and Florida is the 3-seed. South Region Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played at Houston.

Michigan (Midwest) is the overall No. 1 seed. Arizona (West) and Duke (East) are the other No. 1 seeds.

Big Ten teams in the Big Dance

Ohio State is the only Big Ten school in Lunardi’s ”Last Four Byes.” The others: UCF, Texas A&M and Auburn. “Last Four Byes” teams skip the First Four round. Ohio State was not in the projected field on Tuesday, Lunardi’s previous Bracketology.

Lunardi’s “Last Four In” are UCLA, USC, Santa Clara and Missouri. They would play First Four games. USC is Lunardi’s last team in.

Lunardi’s “First Four Out” are TCU, San Diego State, New Mexico and VCU. These teams are ranked 69-72 and would miss the cut for the 68-team field.

His “Next Four Out” are California, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall and West Virginia.

Lunardi has 11 Big Ten teams — the most of any conference along with the SEC — in his latest Bracketology (with seeding and projected first-round opponents in parentheses):

* Michigan (1 vs. winner of 16 Maryland Baltimore County vs. 16 Southeast Missouri State)
* Purdue (2 vs. 15 Merrimack)
* Illinois (2 vs. 15 Troy)
* Nebraska (4 vs. 13 Stephen F. Austin)
* Michigan State (4 vs. 13 High Point)
* Iowa (8 vs. 9 Saint Mary’s)
* Wisconsin (7 vs. 10 Georgia)
* Indiana (9 vs. 8 Clemson)
* Ohio State (11 vs. 6 North Carolina)
* USC (11 vs. 11 Missouri; winner to play 6 Louisville)
* UCLA (11 vs. 11 Santa Clara; winner to play 6 Kentucky)

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

ESPN’s power rankings

Nebraska remained at 18 in the latest ESPN College Basketball Power Index.

The projection for the Huskers’ wins and losses decreased slightly: 25.8 wins and 5.2 losses, from 26.3 wins and 4.7 losses. In the Big Ten, Nebraska’s projections decreased slightly: 14.8 wins and 5.2 losses, from 15.3 wins and 4.7 losses.

Nebraska forward Rienk Mast reacts against Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday night. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska’s projection to win the Big Ten championship decreased to a minuscule 0.2 percent from 6.5 percent.

Four Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of Nebraska in ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index. Nebraska has defeated two of the teams ranked ahead of it, Illinois and Michigan State, and lost to Michigan, Illinois and Purdue.

* Michigan: 2
* Illinois: 5
* Purdue: 9
* Michigan State: 13
* Nebraska: 18

Duke (24-2) is the top-ranked team with Michigan (25-1) second, Houston (23-3) third, Arizona (24-2) fourth, and Illinois (22-5) fifth.

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