These rankings are based on margin of victory adjusted for schedule with my algorithm. In my pre-tournament rankings from 2002 to 2025, the higher ranked team has won 70.9% of tournament games (1072-441).
| Rank | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan (36-3) | 24.31 |
| 2 | Arizona (36-3) | 23.14 |
| 3 | Duke (35-3) | 21.62 |
| 4 | Florida (27-8) | 19.41 |
| 5 | Houston (30-7) | 19.07 |
| 6 | Illinois (28-9) | 18.70 |
| 7 | Connecticut (34-5) | 18.65 |
| 8 | Purdue (30-9) | 18.63 |
| 9 | Iowa State (29-8) | 18.55 |
| 10 | Michigan State (27-8) | 17.06 |
| 11 | Vanderbilt (27-9) | 16.58 |
| 12 | St. John’s (30-7) | 16.48 |
| 13 | Gonzaga (31-4) | 16.42 |
| 14 | Nebraska (28-7) | 15.94 |
| 15 | Tennessee (25-12) | 15.65 |
| 16 | Texas Tech (23-11) | 15.53 |
| 17 | Alabama (25-10) | 15.43 |
| 18 | Wisconsin (24-11) | 15.39 |
| 19 | Virginia (30-6) | 14.89 |
| 20 | Arkansas (28-9) | 14.66 |
| 21 | Brigham Young (23-12) | 14.58 |
| 22 | Kansas (24-11) | 14.38 |
| 23 | Iowa (24-13) | 14.23 |
| 24 | Louisville (24-11) | 13.19 |
| 25 | Ohio State (21-13) | 12.78 |
| 26 | St. Mary’s (26-6) | 12.61 |
| 27 | Texas (20-15) | 12.60 |
| 28 | North Carolina (24-9) | 12.58 |
| 29 | TCU (23-12) | 12.54 |
| 30 | Saint Louis (28-6) | 12.36 |
| 31 | Miami (FL) (26-9) | 12.10 |
| 32 | UCLA (24-12) | 12.09 |
| 33 | Utah State (28-7) | 11.96 |
| 34 | Kentucky (22-14) | 11.86 |
| 35 | Auburn (22-16) | 11.41 |
| 36 | Clemson (24-11) | 11.40 |
| 37 | Oklahoma (21-16) | 11.33 |
| 38 | Villanova (24-9) | 11.25 |
| 39 | Georgia (22-11) | 11.00 |
| 40 | Cincinnati (18-15) | 10.75 |
| 41 | VCU (28-8) | 10.60 |
| 42 | North Carolina State (20-14) | 10.42 |
| 43 | Santa Clara (25-9) | 10.39 |
| 44 | South Florida (24-9) | 10.38 |
| 45 | Texas A&M (22-12) | 10.31 |
| 46 | Seton Hall (21-12) | 10.15 |
| 47 | SMU (20-14) | 10.06 |
| 48 | Florida State (18-15) | 9.57 |
| 49 | New Mexico (25-11) | 9.22 |
| 50 | West Virginia (21-14) | 9.07 |
| 51 | Virginia Tech (19-13) | 9.03 |
| 52 | Washington (16-17) | 9.03 |
| 53 | UCF (21-12) | 8.99 |
| 54 | Indiana (18-14) | 8.88 |
| 55 | San Diego State (21-11) | 8.69 |
| 56 | Missouri (20-13) | 8.69 |
| 57 | Wake Forest (18-17) | 8.66 |
| 58 | Baylor (16-17) | 8.48 |
| 59 | Stanford (20-13) | 8.22 |
| 60 | Tulsa (28-8) | 8.06 |
| 61 | Arizona State (17-16) | 7.80 |
| 62 | Providence (15-18) | 7.78 |
| 63 | Oklahoma State (20-15) | 7.66 |
| 64 | Mississippi (15-20) | 7.63 |
| 65 | Georgetown (16-18) | 7.43 |
| 66 | California (21-12) | 7.32 |
| 67 | High Point (28-5) | 7.31 |
| 68 | Grand Canyon (20-12) | 7.22 |
| 69 | Northwestern (15-19) | 7.21 |
| 70 | Dayton (25-12) | 6.85 |
| 71 | Minnesota (15-18) | 6.80 |
| 72 | McNeese State (26-6) | 6.77 |
| 73 | Nevada (24-13) | 6.75 |
| 74 | Wichita State (23-12) | 6.72 |
| 75 | Boise State (19-11) | 6.70 |
| 76 | Colorado (17-16) | 6.66 |
| 77 | LSU (15-17) | 6.65 |
| 78 | Miami (OH) (29-2) | 6.30 |
| 79 | Belmont (25-6) | 6.30 |
| 80 | USC (17-14) | 6.28 |
| 81 | George Washington (18-16) | 6.21 |
| 82 | Akron (27-6) | 6.18 |
| 83 | Syracuse (15-17) | 5.76 |
| 84 | Northern Iowa (22-13) | 5.75 |
| 85 | Creighton (16-18) | 5.67 |
| 86 | Notre Dame (13-18) | 5.63 |
| 87 | Marquette (12-20) | 5.61 |
| 88 | Butler (16-16) | 5.43 |
| 89 | George Mason (22-10) | 5.03 |
| 90 | Xavier (15-18) | 4.82 |
| 91 | Hofstra (22-11) | 4.59 |
| 92 | Stephen F. Austin (26-6) | 4.54 |
| 93 | DePaul (16-16) | 4.53 |
| 94 | Colorado State (20-13) | 4.53 |
| 95 | Yale (22-7) | 4.41 |
| 96 | Illinois State (22-13) | 4.35 |
| 97 | Oregon (12-20) | 4.32 |
| 98 | Utah Valley (22-9) | 4.29 |
| 99 | Kansas State (12-20) | 4.20 |
| 100 | UNLV (17-17) | 3.96 |
| 101 | Pittsburgh (13-20) | 3.72 |
| 102 | Wyoming (17-15) | 3.71 |
| 103 | Mississippi State (13-19) | 3.58 |
| 104 | St. Joseph’s (22-12) | 3.39 |
| 105 | Seattle (19-14) | 3.21 |
| 106 | California Baptist (25-9) | 3.18 |
| 107 | South Carolina (13-19) | 3.15 |
| 108 | Winthrop (20-11) | 3.09 |
| 109 | Utah (10-22) | 3.07 |
| 110 | Liberty (23-8) | 2.90 |
| 111 | Rutgers (14-20) | 2.83 |
| 112 | Maryland (12-21) | 2.76 |
| 113 | Davidson (18-14) | 2.69 |
| 114 | Sam Houston State (19-12) | 2.61 |
| 115 | St. Bonaventure (16-17) | 2.29 |
| 116 | Montana State (15-14) | 2.21 |
| 117 | Kennesaw State (18-14) | 2.16 |
| 118 | Florida Atlantic (16-15) | 2.15 |
| 119 | North Carolina Wilmington (25-7) | 2.14 |
| 120 | UAB (19-12) | 2.11 |
| 121 | Memphis (13-19) | 2.06 |
| 122 | UC Irvine (21-12) | 2.01 |
| 123 | Rhode Island (16-16) | 1.89 |
| 124 | Georgia Tech (11-20) | 1.84 |
| 125 | San Francisco (16-16) | 1.81 |
| 126 | Penn State (12-20) | 1.80 |
| 127 | Illinois Chicago (17-16) | 1.79 |
| 128 | Duquesne (16-15) | 1.73 |
| 129 | St. Thomas – Minnesota (21-10) | 1.70 |
| 130 | Southern Illinois (15-16) | 1.58 |
| 131 | Northern Colorado (17-12) | 1.51 |
| 132 | Troy (20-12) | 1.50 |
| 133 | UT Rio Grande Valley (17-14) | 1.47 |
| 134 | Pacific (16-15) | 1.45 |
| 135 | Siena (23-12) | 1.45 |
| 136 | Hawaii (22-9) | 1.44 |
| 137 | North Dakota State (24-8) | 1.37 |
| 138 | Murray State (20-13) | 1.36 |
| 139 | Wright State (21-12) | 1.31 |
| 140 | North Texas (17-14) | 1.29 |
| 141 | UC San Diego (21-11) | 1.24 |
| 142 | Middle Tennessee (14-15) | 1.20 |
| 143 | Oakland (15-16) | 1.13 |
| 144 | Bradley (20-13) | 1.05 |
| 145 | Richmond (14-17) | 1.04 |
| 146 | Western Kentucky (16-14) | 0.92 |
| 147 | Toledo (17-15) | 0.90 |
| 148 | Boston College (11-20) | 0.80 |
| 149 | UCSB (16-14) | 0.39 |
| 150 | Temple (15-16) | 0.39 |
| 151 | Washington State (11-20) | 0.36 |
| 152 | Fordham (14-15) | 0.32 |
| 153 | Robert Morris (20-11) | 0.19 |
| 154 | William & Mary (18-12) | 0.12 |
| 155 | Fresno State (12-19) | 0.10 |
| 156 | Massachusetts (16-16) | 0.02 |
| 157 | Furman (19-13) | -0.03 |
| 158 | Portland State (17-11) | -0.06 |
| 159 | Bowling Green (15-14) | -0.08 |
| 160 | New Mexico State (13-16) | -0.09 |
| 161 | Idaho (18-15) | -0.10 |
| 162 | Navy (24-8) | -0.12 |
| 163 | Arkansas State (18-12) | -0.14 |
| 164 | Valparaiso (17-15) | -0.46 |
| 165 | Oregon State (17-16) | -0.46 |
| 166 | Kent State (22-10) | -0.50 |
| 167 | Towson (17-15) | -0.52 |
| 168 | Charlotte (16-17) | -0.73 |
| 169 | East Tennessee State (21-11) | -0.76 |
| 170 | Charleston (20-11) | -0.79 |
| 171 | Monmouth (18-15) | -0.81 |
| 172 | Pennsylvania (17-12) | -0.81 |
| 173 | Harvard (16-12) | -0.85 |
| 174 | UC Davis (17-14) | -0.99 |
| 175 | Texas Arlington (16-14) | -1.02 |
| 176 | Mercer (16-13) | -1.04 |
| 177 | Eastern Washington (13-19) | -1.05 |
| 178 | Appalachian State (17-13) | -1.09 |
| 179 | Northern Kentucky (17-14) | -1.15 |
| 180 | Loyola Marymount (14-17) | -1.27 |
| 181 | Cal State Northridge (18-14) | -1.29 |
| 182 | Samford (16-14) | -1.40 |
| 183 | Missouri State (13-18) | -1.50 |
| 184 | New Orleans (15-18) | -1.51 |
| 185 | South Alabama (19-12) | -1.52 |
| 186 | Merrimack (23-11) | -1.53 |
| 187 | Cal State Fullerton (16-16) | -1.55 |
| 188 | Florida International (12-17) | -1.66 |
| 189 | Campbell (14-18) | -1.66 |
| 190 | Marshall (18-13) | -1.66 |
| 191 | Buffalo (15-15) | -1.66 |
| 192 | Central Arkansas (20-12) | -1.72 |
| 193 | Texas A&M Corpus Christi (14-15) | -1.79 |
| 194 | Jacksonville State (12-17) | -1.83 |
| 195 | Tennessee State (20-10) | -1.87 |
| 196 | Drake (12-20) | -1.92 |
| 197 | Austin Peay (20-9) | -1.95 |
| 198 | Montana (15-15) | -2.04 |
| 199 | Weber State (14-16) | -2.07 |
| 200 | Quinnipiac (18-13) | -2.12 |
| 201 | Howard (20-11) | -2.15 |
| 202 | Utah Tech (16-15) | -2.26 |
| 203 | UMBC (22-9) | -2.32 |
| 204 | Marist (18-12) | -2.35 |
| 205 | LIU Brooklyn (24-11) | -2.42 |
| 206 | Youngstown State (12-17) | -2.44 |
| 207 | Cornell (13-13) | -2.58 |
| 208 | James Madison (17-15) | -2.70 |
| 209 | Colgate (16-15) | -2.72 |
| 210 | Denver (11-17-1) | -2.78 |
| 211 | Southern Miss (17-16) | -2.78 |
| 212 | Green Bay (16-15) | -2.80 |
| 213 | Louisiana Tech (17-14) | -3.00 |
| 214 | Tulane (17-15) | -3.01 |
| 215 | Georgia Southern (19-16) | -3.14 |
| 216 | Tennessee-Martin (19-11) | -3.35 |
| 217 | Iona (18-14) | -3.39 |
| 218 | Coastal Carolina (18-13) | -3.40 |
| 219 | Drexel (16-16) | -3.43 |
| 220 | Indiana State (9-21) | -3.43 |
| 221 | Eastern Michigan (9-21) | -3.45 |
| 222 | St. Peter’s (16-12) | -3.53 |
| 223 | Columbia (14-12) | -3.56 |
| 224 | Longwood (13-16) | -3.61 |
| 225 | Queens (20-14) | -3.65 |
| 226 | Detroit (15-15) | -3.74 |
| 227 | Rice (11-18) | -3.76 |
| 228 | Lipscomb (17-13) | -3.77 |
| 229 | Portland (13-19) | -3.80 |
| 230 | Elon (12-18) | -3.82 |
| 231 | North Carolina Asheville (12-17) | -3.86 |
| 232 | Vermont (20-12) | -3.86 |
| 233 | Stony Brook (15-15) | -3.89 |
| 234 | Fairfield (20-13) | -3.99 |
| 235 | La Salle (8-23) | -4.03 |
| 236 | Incarnate Word (9-19) | -4.04 |
| 237 | Charleston Southern (12-17) | -4.04 |
| 238 | San Diego (10-21) | -4.15 |
| 239 | Lamar (10-19) | -4.16 |
| 240 | Southeast Missouri State (17-13) | -4.25 |
| 241 | South Dakota State (11-18) | -4.26 |
| 242 | Tarleton State (10-18) | -4.27 |
| 243 | American (14-16) | -4.33 |
| 244 | Idaho State (10-20) | -4.43 |
| 245 | Cal Poly (12-19) | -4.50 |
| 246 | Radford (13-16) | -4.51 |
| 247 | Ohio (13-17) | -4.57 |
| 248 | San Jose State (8-24) | -4.62 |
| 249 | Texas State (17-13) | -4.74 |
| 250 | Purdue Fort Wayne (14-15) | -4.84 |
| 251 | Old Dominion (11-21) | -4.86 |
| 252 | East Carolina (10-20) | -4.90 |
| 253 | Presbyterian (12-18) | -4.91 |
| 254 | Delaware (10-20) | -4.96 |
| 255 | Abilene Christian (11-19) | -4.97 |
| 256 | Western Carolina (13-16) | -5.14 |
| 257 | Loyola Chicago (9-24) | -5.16 |
| 258 | UTEP (8-20) | -5.17 |
| 259 | Wofford (17-13) | -5.22 |
| 260 | Boston University (16-17) | -5.23 |
| 261 | Florida Gulf Coast (14-18) | -5.29 |
| 262 | Princeton (8-20) | -5.30 |
| 263 | South Carolina Upstate (10-19) | -5.49 |
| 264 | Long Beach State (8-22) | -5.68 |
| 265 | Nicholls (13-19) | -5.69 |
| 266 | Nebraska Omaha (12-17) | -5.73 |
| 267 | Wisconsin Milwaukee (11-20) | -5.86 |
| 268 | Bethune-Cookman (16-15) | -5.86 |
| 269 | Mercyhurst (15-17) | -5.90 |
| 270 | SIU Edwardsville (16-13) | -6.00 |
| 271 | Central Michigan (8-21) | -6.07 |
| 272 | Lehigh (16-17) | -6.14 |
| 273 | Southern Utah (7-22) | -6.23 |
| 274 | Northeastern (7-24) | -6.35 |
| 275 | Western Michigan (9-20) | -6.41 |
| 276 | Mount St. Mary’s (14-17) | -6.46 |
| 277 | Hampton (11-19) | -6.53 |
| 278 | Central Connecticut (16-12) | -6.59 |
| 279 | Pepperdine (7-23) | -6.64 |
| 280 | North Dakota (15-17) | -6.69 |
| 281 | Georgia State (8-22) | -6.71 |
| 282 | Southeastern Louisiana (8-22) | -6.86 |
| 283 | Northwestern State (8-22) | -6.89 |
| 284 | Wagner (11-17) | -7.00 |
| 285 | UC Riverside (8-22) | -7.02 |
| 286 | Sacramento State (7-21) | -7.04 |
| 287 | Houston Christian (10-20) | -7.08 |
| 288 | Lindenwood (15-15) | -7.11 |
| 289 | Sacred Heart (13-19) | -7.13 |
| 290 | Chattanooga (10-19) | -7.25 |
| 291 | North Carolina A&T (9-19) | -7.28 |
| 292 | Southern (14-17) | -7.32 |
| 293 | Dartmouth (9-16) | -7.39 |
| 294 | Bellarmine (11-19) | -7.44 |
| 295 | Le Moyne (14-17) | -7.63 |
| 296 | Oral Roberts (7-23) | -7.78 |
| 297 | South Dakota (13-16) | -7.93 |
| 298 | Morehead State (17-13) | -8.06 |
| 299 | East Texas A&M (9-21) | -8.06 |
| 300 | Ball State (10-19) | -8.17 |
| 301 | Prairie View A&M (15-18) | -8.32 |
| 302 | IU Indy (5-25) | -8.41 |
| 303 | Evansville (5-25) | -8.44 |
| 304 | North Carolina Greensboro (13-19) | -8.52 |
| 305 | Brown (7-18) | -8.55 |
| 306 | Northern Arizona (7-22) | -8.62 |
| 307 | Eastern Kentucky (9-21) | -8.68 |
| 308 | Alabama State (9-22) | -8.76 |
| 309 | West Georgia (13-17) | -8.88 |
| 310 | Alabama A&M (15-15) | -8.94 |
| 311 | Grambling State (12-19) | -8.95 |
| 312 | Holy Cross (9-22) | -8.97 |
| 313 | Louisiana (11-22) | -9.26 |
| 314 | Loyola (MD) (10-20) | -9.27 |
| 315 | Jacksonville (10-20) | -9.32 |
| 316 | New Haven (11-17) | -9.39 |
| 317 | Tennessee Tech (10-18) | -9.52 |
| 318 | Arkansas Little Rock (10-20) | -9.58 |
| 319 | Norfolk State (11-17) | -9.72 |
| 320 | Massachusetts Lowell (12-18) | -9.83 |
| 321 | Eastern Illinois (10-20) | -9.86 |
| 322 | Albany (8-21) | -9.86 |
| 323 | Lafayette (10-21) | -9.88 |
| 324 | Stonehill (10-21) | -10.00 |
| 325 | NJIT (15-17) | -10.21 |
| 326 | Arkansas Pine Bluff (11-19) | -10.36 |
| 327 | Stetson (10-21) | -10.50 |
| 328 | Maryland Eastern Shore (7-23) | -10.61 |
| 329 | Bucknell (10-23) | -10.80 |
| 330 | Manhattan (11-20) | -10.82 |
| 331 | Cleveland State (8-22) | -10.85 |
| 332 | Florida A&M (13-16) | -10.92 |
| 333 | Farleigh Dickinson (8-21) | -11.15 |
| 334 | Maine (7-24) | -11.24 |
| 335 | Northern Illinois (7-21) | -11.38 |
| 336 | CSU Bakersfield (6-24) | -11.52 |
| 337 | North Alabama (7-21) | -11.61 |
| 338 | Chicago State (6-25) | -11.66 |
| 339 | Niagara (7-22) | -11.69 |
| 340 | Army (9-21) | -11.70 |
| 341 | Bryant (7-22) | -11.72 |
| 342 | New Hampshire (7-21) | -11.80 |
| 343 | Southern Indiana (5-23) | -12.07 |
| 344 | UTSA (3-25) | -12.26 |
| 345 | Texas Southern (10-18) | -12.33 |
| 346 | Canisius (9-21) | -12.34 |
| 347 | North Carolina Central (10-18) | -12.95 |
| 348 | Louisiana Monroe (2-28) | -13.21 |
| 349 | Citadel (8-22) | -13.22 |
| 350 | Alcorn State (9-23) | -13.61 |
| 351 | Air Force (3-29) | -13.66 |
| 352 | North Florida (5-25) | -13.81 |
| 353 | Morgan State (11-16) | -14.29 |
| 354 | Missouri Kansas City (1-26-1) | -14.57 |
| 355 | St. Francis (PA) (5-24) | -14.58 |
| 356 | Rider (3-25) | -14.69 |
| 357 | Binghamton (5-23) | -14.85 |
| 358 | Delaware State (5-22) | -15.31 |
| 359 | Jackson State (12-21) | -15.79 |
| 360 | Virginia Military (3-26) | -16.20 |
| 361 | Western Illinois (2-26) | -16.35 |
| 362 | South Carolina State (8-22) | -16.45 |
| 363 | Gardner-Webb (2-28) | -17.52 |
| 364 | Coppin State (6-24) | -19.31 |
| 365 | Mississippi Valley State (2-30) | -21.59 |
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