Nebraska basketball teams expected to make NCAAs in 2025

ESPN college basketball analysts Joe Lunardi and Charlie Creme released in early May their first projected brackets. CU men’s basketball, which returns three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner, is a No. 3 seed in Denver against projected 14th seed Lipscomb. The No. 6 seed in Denver is Rutgers, which signed two of the nation’s top five freshmen. While Wichita, Kansas, would be the closest region to both CU and NU, ESPN projects Kansas and Houston to take spots there. 

Nebraska men’s hoops, an 8 seed in 2024, is again projected as an 8 in Providence, to play 9 seed Texas Tech. Two-time defending national champion Connecticut is also in Providence as a No. 1 seed. 

On the women’s side, both NU and CU are projected as No. 5 seeds. For NU, that’s a spot in Norman, Oklahoma, in a four-team pod with No. 4 seed Oklahoma. For CU, it’s a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, for a four-team pod with West Virginia. The Huskers are projected to play Gonzaga, while the Bluejays draw Florida Gulf Coast. 

ESPN projects nine of the 18 Big Ten women’s teams will make the NCAA Tournament, including newcomers USC (No. 1 seed) and UCLA (No. 2 seed). Iowa, a 2023 and 2024 national finalist playing without Caitlin Clark for the first time since the 2019-2020 season, is an 8 seed. ESPN projects just two Big East women’s teams will make the tournament, including Connecticut (No. 1 seed). 

On the men’s side, ESPN projects 12 of the 18 Big Ten men’s teams will make the tournament, though none are higher than Nos. 4 seeds Purdue and Indiana. ESPN projects five Big East teams, including UConn, CU, and No. 5 seed Marquette. 

In the 2024-2025 season, Creighton men’s and women’s teams are set to host Nebraska. The men’s game is set for Nov. 22 at CHI Health Center Omaha.