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Nebrasketball Bracketology: How Does ESPN, Others View the Huskers With 3 Games Left

Major bracketologists have the Huskers still in the field but the margin for error has dwindled.
Kaleb Henry|
Feb 13, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg talks to guard Rollie Worster (24) during a timeout in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Feb 13, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg talks to guard Rollie Worster (24) during a timeout in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

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Nebraska Cornhuskers

With three games to go in the regular season, Nebraska men's basketball has plenty of work still to do.

Not just for the NCAA Tournament, but the Big Ten Conference Tournament as well. The Huskers are currently 11th in the league, but a collapse over this final stretch could see them missing Indianapolis.

That aside, most bracketology points to the Big Red making it back to the Big Dance. Here is where some of those projects and rankings have the Huskers

ESPN

Joe Lunardi for ESPN has Nebraska in the field as one of the Last Four Byes. That means the Huskers wouldn't be playing in Dayton during the First Four games.

Others in that same spot are Baylor San Diego State, and Arkansas. The Last Four In are Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio State, and Texas.

ESPN has Nebraska as an 11-seed. The Huskers would take on Kansas in Denver. Others in that pod would be Texas A&M and Utah Valley.

JBR

JBR Bracketology has the Big Red in the field as the lowest of the Last Four Byes. In his rankings, Nebraska is No. 42 overall, good for an 11 seed.

Others in that same area are West Virginia, Baylor, and Arkansas. The Last Four In are Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Ohio State.

JBR has Nebraska taking on Kansas in Providence. The rest of that pod would be St. John's and James Madison.

T3

T3 Bracketology also has Nebraska, sitting on the Bubble IN slot. The Huskers are joined in that column by Indiana, Ohio State, Boise State, VCU, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Drake, and UC San Diego

Those in the Bubble OUT column, and sitting behind Nebraska, are Wake Forest, North Carolina, Xavier, Cincinnati, George Mason, San Francisco, Texas, and Georgia.

In a response to former Husker football player Kenny Bell, T3 went further with his analysis of Nebraska over these final three games.

"Nebraska MUST beat Minnesota, would be a bad loss," T3 said. "Then go at least 1-1 in the remaining 2. That should do it given the good non conference win, other conference road wins, and home wins over Illinois and UCLA."

Bart Torvik

In Torvik's T-Ranketology, which is "an attempt to predict the actual bracket, not imagine what it would be if the season ended today," has Nebraska as one of the Last Four In. NU is in that position with Ohio State, Boise State, and Texas.

Teams ahead of Nebraska in the Last Four Byes category are Georgia, New Mexico, Baylor, and San Diego State. The First Four Out are Oklahoma, North Carolina, SMU, and Indiana.

Torvik has Nebraska currently as a 10-seed but as an 11-seed for Selection Sunday. The T-Ranketology score, which is the "estimated chance of receiving an at-large bid," as the Huskers at 46.4%.

Nebrasketball Brunch Show

Kaleb Henry and Jack Mitchell gave their confidence ratings for Nebraska getting back to the NCAA Tournament. In a rating of 1-10, with 10 being the most confident, Henry is currently at a 7.5 while Mitchell is at a 6.

Watch that full show below.

More from Nebraska On SI

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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