As Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament approaches, the fans' thirst for a bracket begins to ramp up. Therefore, the NCAA has begun the practice of revealing its top 16 seeds to give a preview of how the top of the field of 68 is shaping up.
Saturday, the first bracket preview was officially released. Fortunately, the Texas Tech basketball team was included.
In the first preview, the Red Raiders check in as a No. 4 seed in the South Region. While it is nice to see Texas Tech get its due as one of the top teams in the country, the first bracket preview does not set up favorably for head coach Grant McCasland and his team.
The Top 16 seeds in bracket form 👀#BracketPreview pic.twitter.com/zA3qrDHht3
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 15, 2025
That's because the Red Raiders are in the same region as No. 1 overall seed Auburn. Therefore, Tech would potentially have to go through the nation's top team in the Sweet 16 if a run to the Final Four were to be in the works.
Also in the South Region of the first bracket preview are No. 2 seed Texas A&M and No. 3 seed Wisconsin. That means that the Red Raiders could possibly meet up with the Aggies in the Elite Eight to fight for a Final Four spot in a game that would tear the state of Texas apart at the seams.
Of course, Tech fans would love to get another shot at A&M this season. In December, the Aggies beat the Red Raiders 72-67 in Fort Worth in a game that Tech's star forward, JT Toppin missed due to a lower-body injury.
Other Big 12 teams in the first bracket preview are Houston (No. 2 seed in the West Region), Arizona (No. 3 seed in the East Region), Iowa State (No. 3 in the Midwest), and Kansas (No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region). Meanwhile, the other No. 1 seeds besides Auburn are Florida (West), Duke (East), and Alabama (Midwest).
While Tech is in good shape by virtue of being one of the top 16 seeds at this time, legitimate hopes of a deep run in March may depend on moving up a line or two so that any meeting with a No. 1 seed can be avoided for as long as possible.
Of course, this preview is not set in stone, and much will change before the final bracket is revealed. As long as the Red Raiders keep stacking up wins, they will like where they find themselves on Selection Sunday.