LSU is now, officially, on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has the LSU Tigers making the tournament field this March, but they are now officially the last team in the big dance that won’t have to play in an opening-round game.
Lunardi listed LSU among his last four teams in without having to play in an opening-round game, and they fall behind Clemson, Indiana, and Saint Louis. That’s still good enough to grab an 11-seed in Region 3 according to Lunardi, but LSU really needs to steer things in a positive direction to get off the bubble watch.
According to Lunardi’s most recent revision to his bracket, LSU would face Purdue, the No. 6 seed in Region 3. The Michigan Wolverines have the top seed in the region. LSU is not the only SEC team in the region, however. Alabama, a No. 2 seed, is also in the region, with a first-round matchup against Cleveland State.
The fall in Lunardi’s bracket comes as LSU is also falling the NCAA’s NET rankings. LSU dropped to No. 38 in the updated NET rankings. LSU has also fallen a seed from last week, with Lunardi dropping the Tigers from a 10-seed to an 11-seed.
LSU had a chance to improve their tournament profile over the weekend with a win against Texas Tech, but a loss to the Red Raiders has made things look a bit more dangerous for LSU on the hardcourt.
The Tigers are embarking on a challenging week with a rematch in Tuscaloosa against surging Alabama on Wednesday night. Alabama dominated LSU in Baton Rouge two weeks ago and Alabama is looking poised for a possible SEC championship run. LSU will also face Florida on Saturday. Florida has moved up Lunardi’s bracketology and is a No. 6 seed in Region 4 against Saint Louis.
Six SEC teams are still in Lunardi’s field with LSU, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas. The Razorbacks are slotted for one of the play-in games.
A win against Alabama on Wednesday night would be a much-needed boost for the Tigers.
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