Louisville Receives Favorable Draw in Mock NCAA Tournament Selection

The Cardinals are trending in the right direction as it pertains to their NCAA Tournament outlook.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 9:39pm

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In a mock NCAA Tournament selection exercise, the Louisville men's basketball team was chosen as the No. 20 overall seed, which would give them the final available five seed in the 68-team bracket. This is a better draw than expected, as Louisville has routinely averaged out to a six-seed or lower in various bracket projections.

Why it matters

Louisville's strong performance in the mock selection exercise suggests the team is viewed favorably by national experts and has a good chance of earning a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. This is an important milestone for the program as they look to make a deep postseason run.

The details

The mock selection exercise is an annual event where members of the national media convene to simulate the NCAA Tournament selection process using the same metrics and resumes that will be used by the actual selection committee. In this year's exercise, Louisville was chosen as the No. 20 overall seed, placing them as the final available five seed. This is better than their current average projection of a six-seed or lower.

  • The mock selection exercise took place on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • Louisville's next game is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026 against Georgia Tech.

The players

Louisville Cardinals

The men's basketball team of the University of Louisville, a Division I program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Mock NCAA Tournament Selection Committee

A group of national media members who convened in Indianapolis to simulate the NCAA Tournament selection process using the same metrics and resumes that will be used by the actual selection committee.

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What’s next

Louisville will be back in action this weekend when they host Georgia Tech for their penultimate home game of the regular season. Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2:15 p.m. EST.

The takeaway

Louisville's strong performance in the mock NCAA Tournament selection exercise suggests the team is viewed favorably by national experts and has a good chance of earning a high seed in the upcoming tournament. This is an important milestone for the program as they look to make a deep postseason run.