Where Purdue is Seeded in Latest March Madness Bracket Roundup (Feb. 24)

Heading into the final two weeks of college basketball's regular season, Purdue is in a great spot for March Madness. Right now, it's a consensus that the Boilermakers are a No. 2 seed for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Over the weekend, the NCAA selection committee ranked Purdue No. 8 in its top 16, giving it the final No. 2 seed in the bracket. Based on that projection, the Boilers would be in the West Region (San Jose) with Arizona as the No. 1 seed in the bracket.

Purdue also received some help over the weekend, with multiple teams ranked ahead of it losing. Illinois dropped a game to UCLA, Iowa State was defeated by BYU and Houston has now lost three straight (Iowa State, Arizona and Kansas).

So, where are the Boilermakers on the seed line after a chaotic weekend of college hoops? Everyone still has Matt Painter's team as a No. 2 seed, but region location and matchups differ across the board.

In the latest roundup, we look at where FOX Sports (Michael DeCourcy), CBS Sports, NCAA.com (Andy Katz) and ESPN (Joe Lunardi) have Purdue seeded for March Madness with four games remaining on the schedule.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) controls the ball. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

FOX Sports (DeCourcy)

Seed — No. 2
Region — West (San Jose)
Opponent — No. 15 Wright State

DeCourcy is sending Purdue out to the West Region in his latest bracket projection. If Purdue defeated Wright State in its first game, it would then take on the winner of No. 7 Villanova vs. No. 10 Texas. There are some quality teams in this bracket, especially with Gonzaga at the No. 3 seed, but this seems like a manageable bracket for the Boilermakers until a potential Elite Eight matchup against top-seeded Arizona.

ESPN (Lunardi)

Seed — No. 2
Region — East (Washington, D.C.)
Opponent — No. 15 Utah Tech

In Lunardi's updated projection, Purdue would be a little closer to home, playing in the East Region. The Boilermakers would start their postseason in St. Louis with a matchup against Utah Tech. If Purdue advances, it would then battle the winner of No. 7 Utah State and No. 10 UCF for a trip to the Sweet 16. As a No. 3 seed, Kansas would present some challenges, and Duke as the No. 1 would be a really tough matchup.

CBS Sports

Seed — No. 2
Region — South (Houston)
Opponent — No. 15 Merrimack

This is arguably the most favorable path for Purdue to get to the Final Four in Indianapolis. CBS Sports has Painter's squad as the No. 2 seed in the South, which would mean a trip to Houston for the Sweet 16. The Boilers would play the winner of No. 7 Villanova and No. 10 Texas A&M in the second round. There are some quality teams in this bracket, including No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Michigan State and No. 5 Tennessee. However, if Purdue could reach the Elite Eight, UConn might be the weakest No. 1 seed in this year's tournament.

NCAA.com (Katz)

Seed — No. 2
Region — West (San Jose)
Opponent — No. 15 Navy

Katz also has a relatively favorable path for Purdue until it reaches the Elite Eight round. Arizona as the No. 1 seed would present plenty of challenges for the Boilermakers, especially with its size on the interior. In this prediction, Purdue would open the tournament against Navy and would play the winner of No. 7 BYU and No. 10 SMU for a trip to the Sweet 16.

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