It is officially crunch time for the LSU men’s basketball team. With five weeks to go until the men’s basketball tournament field is filled, LSU is in need of turning things around after a tough few weeks. But, despite some recent slides in the NET rankings and a pile of losses, LSU could still be going to play in the tournament according to some new bracketology from USA TODAY Sports.
In its first attempt and projecting the field, USA TODAY Sports has LSU making it into the tournament as the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region. LSU’s first-round matchup would come against Clemson, the No. 9 seed in the region. The hype surrounding this potential matchup would obviously pale in comparison to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game matchup between the two schools at the end of the 2019 college football season, but it would be a bit of a sigh of relief for LSU just to reach the tournament.
If LSU managed to get by Clemson, they would likely be up against the region’s top seed, the Michigan Wolverines. LSU would also be joined by fellow SEC schools Tennessee and Alabama in the Midwest Region. Alabama is currently holding a two-seed, and the Vols have the No. 4 seed in the region.
Other SEC teams currently projected to be in the tournament according to USA TODAY Sports include Missouri (No. 4-seed in West), Arkansas (No. 10-seed in East), Florida (No. 8-seed in South).
Gonzaga, Baylor, Villanova, and Michigan are currently projected for one-seeds in the tournament.
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