Tag: Joe Lunardi

Oregon Ducks named 3 seed in latest ESPN bracketology

In the latest ESPN bracketology outlook, the Oregon Ducks would receive an outstanding draw and play close to home out west.

If this is where the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team ends up in March, the Ducks wouldn’t complain in the slightest.

In the latest ESPN bracketology outlook by Joe Lunardi, the Ducks would be the No. 3 seed in the West Regional and play 13-seed Princeton in Seattle. The two western sites in the first two rounds are Seattle and Denver with the West Regional being playing in San Francisco. That scenario would be ideal for the Ducks and their fans should it come to fruition.

Oregon has plenty of chances to even improve on that 4-seed as they are 9-1 on the season with Big Ten play just around the corner. The Ducks got an early taste of conference action last week as they split their first two games with a win at USC, but then a heartbreaking loss to UCLA at home.

But the non-conference action isn’t over yet as the Ducks still have Stephen F. Austin, Stanford and Weber State still on the docket before Oregon welcomes Illinois to Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 2.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Duke basketball still can’t crack Joe Lunardi’s top four spots despite Auburn victory

The Duke Blue Devils have slowly put together a top resume, but longtime bracket expert Joe Lunardi still sees them as a No. 2 seed.

The Duke Blue Devils lifted their resume from good to great last week with a home victory over the undefeated Auburn Tigers, but ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi still needs a little more for the storied program to snatch back one of his four No. 1 seeds.

Lunardi released his updated bracket on Tuesday morning, and the Blue Devils occupied the No. 2 spot in the South region. The Tigers kept their grip on his top overall seed, also slated for the South, while the Tennessee Volunteers, Marquette Golden Eagles, and Iowa State Cyclones led the other three corners of the bracket.

None of those four teams have multiple losses like the Blue Devils, and two Kansas losses dropping the Jayhawks down to a No. 3 seed doesn’t help the argument. However, Marquette has only played one team within the top 12 of the KenPom efficiency rankings, and that resulted in a road loss to the Cyclones. Duke has played three teams in the top 11, including its Auburn win.

Lunardi paired Duke with the Little Rock Trojans for the first round, and should the Blue Devils avoid that upset, they’d play the winner of St. John’s and Texas Tech in the next game.

If the Cameron Crazies want a little good news, two major Duke rivals continue to fall in Lunardi’s eyes. The North Carolina Tar Heels have tumbled down to a No. 8 seed (interestingly enough, also in the South region) thanks to four early losses, and Caleb Love’s Arizona Wildcats are now the First Team Out after a 4-4 start.

Ohio State basketball moves on up in Joe Lunardi’s updated Bracketology

Ohio State men’s basketball has just one loss on the season, and it has jumped a spot in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology.

Ohio State men’s basketball has jumped up a spot in Joe Lunardi’s updated bracketology.

Lunardi has Ohio State as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region which will take place in Indianapolis, only a few hour drive from Columbus. He has the Buckeyes facing Grand Canyon in the first round.

Kansas is the No. 1 overall seed in this region, and Kentucky is slotted in at No. 2.

Should Ohio State win its first-round matchup against the 12th-seeded Antelopes, it would draw the Texas A&M Aggies, the 4th seed in the region. The Aggies are the only team to beat Ohio State this season.

The Buckeyes kicked off their season with a win over the then-No. 19 Texas Longhorns. They went 1-2 in their first three games and have rattled off their last three straight.

Ohio State will return to facing Power 4 opponents Friday as they welcome the Pittsburgh Panthers to Value City Arena.

How Kentucky fared in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections

Kentucky basketball is up to a three seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released his latest Bracketology prediction on Monday, featuring a surge upward from the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky has moved up to a third seed, with Lunardi projecting the team as a  three seed. They’re set to play in the Midwest region, where they would face fourteen seed Vermont in the opening round.

The move can be directly attributed to the Wildcats’ 77-72 upset win over the Duke Blue Devils last week, with Kentucky showing off exactly the kind of winning basketball it takes to win major tournament games.

Related: Best photos of Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb

This is a sentiment Lunardi clearly agreed with, as he moved Mark Pope’s squad up in seeding.

“I might not always agree, but there’s a reason the NCAA men’s basketball selection committee insists November results mean just as much as late-season games. Let’s go back a week to the final media timeout of the Champions Classic. Kentucky had come from double digits down to tie Duke. The underdog Wildcats managed to win those last four minutes, not only notching the first major victory of the Mark Pope era but creating the kind of bracket disruption not normally seen this early in the season,” Lunardi said. “Former top-liner Duke drops all the way to a 3-seed in the shuffle, while Kentucky leaps three lines to join the Blue Devils.”

Lunardi’s next Bracketology will release next Tuesday, with the 4-0 Wildcats set to at least hold the line until that ensuing edition.

UNC basketball projected to face C-USA school in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology

Early bracketology has UNC facing a team that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament in over 30 years.

Even though we’re just two weeks into the 2024-2025 college basketball season, it’s never too early to start making March Madness projections.

Which teams are near-locks to win their conferences? Who will the Cinderellas be? Will any highly-favored preseason teams fail to live up to the hype?

The North Carolina Tar Heels, just 2-1 through their first three games, are hoping to be the last team standing when March Madness is all said and done.

If famed bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest projections come true, UNC will at least be in the Big Dance. Lunardi has North Carolina as a 4-seed in the East Region, facing 13-seed Louisiana Tech in the first round.

While the Tar Heels would be making their second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs would be making their first since 1991. Louisiana Tech has enjoyed plenty of success on the basketball court in recent years, with five 20-win seasons in its past six, but playing in a mid-major conference like the C-USA hurt its chance at gaining an at-large.

Just like any team early in the season, North Carolina is still trying to figure itself out.

UNC was nearly upset by Elon in its season-opener, but UNC took over in the final four minutes. The Tar Heels trailed Kansas by 15 at halftime on Nov. 8, but nearly came back. American shot well from deep early last Friday, then North Carolina exploded for 64 second-half points.

We’ll really start to see how legit UNC is starting Saturday, when it heads to Hawaii for its fifth matchup with the Rainbow Warriors. The Tar Heels then remain in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational, kicking off Monday with an 11:30 p.m. tipoff against Dayton.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in Joe Lunardi’s latest 2025 bracketology

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in Joe Lunardi’s latest 2025 Bracketology

Wisconsin men’s basketball program appeared in Joe Lunardi’s latest 2025 March Madness men’s field prediction on Wednesday. 

After being projected as one of the bubble teams in Lunardi’s May installation of his bracketology, the ESPN analyst now considers the Badgers a No. 9 seed in the Midwest region of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin’s placement arrives on the heels of UW’s statement win over No. 17 Arizona on Nov. 15 at the Kohl Center. The win, fueled by 41 points from wing sensation John Tonje, rocketed Wisconsin up to No. 19 in the latest AP Poll.

If Lunardi’s forecast comes to pass, the Badgers will square off against Mississippi State, a program that holds the No. 8 seed in the Midwest cohort. The Bulldogs most recently dropped their first-round match as an eight-seed to No. 9 Michigan State in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, lost its opening round contest to No. 12 James Madison in the 2024 tournament. Shortly after, veteran point guard Chucky Hepburn and volume scorer A.J. Storr elected to transfer from the program.

Now, UW looks like it can compete once more in the postseason. The Badgers lead the nation in free throw percentage at 88.64% (117-of-132) and can turn to several playmakers for scoring contributions at all three levels.

Greg Gard’s program will return to the court for a bout against UCF on Nov. 22 at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia.

Ohio State men’s basketball get surprise seeding in Joe Lunardi’s bracket release

Ohio State basketball suffered its first loss against Texas A&M, but it is projected to be a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Joe Lunardi is starting bracketology early this year and is already making predictions of who will end up in the field of 68.

Despite Ohio State suffering its first loss of the season to Texas A&M this past Friday evening, it is still a single-digit seed and among the highest-projected teams in the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes come in at No. 7 in Lunardi’s updated bracket and, in his model, will face the No. 10 Pittsburgh to open their first-round battle in Cleveland.

They are in the West region, one that has Gonzaga as the top seed and Tennessee No. 2. Oregon at No. 9 and Rutgers at No. 11 are the only two Big Ten teams in Ohio State’s region.

You can view the entire breakdown rundown here.

While getting in or sitting out is a critical part of Selection Sunday, there are a few teams that are especially concerned about their future. Here are those 16 teams that make up the last four byes, last four in, first four out and next four out.

While there’s still most of the season left, things are looking good for Ohio State hoops, and with an elite backcourt and solid three-point shooting, it would have the capability to do some damage should it find its way into the tournament.

Where Florida basketball falls in ESPN’s August bracketology update

Florida stayed put as a No. 9 seed in the latest bracketology update from ESPN’s NCAA Tournament expert Joe Lunardi.

The latest monthly bracketology update from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Florida staying put as a projected 9-seed in the East (Newark) Region.

Lunardi has remained firm that Todd Golden has an NCAA Tournament-caliber team in Gainesville, but he’s wavered a bit on how strong that team truly is.

Florida was a No. 6 seed in Lunardi’s way-too-early bracket and held on to that projection through the first update. He dropped the Gators to a No. 7 seed in the mid-May update and again to a No. 9 seed before June.

After moving up to an 8-seed in the June update, Florida fell back down to the 9-seed to close out July.

Lunardi has Florida facing No. 8 Michigan in the first round, although it’s exceedingly unlikely that the matchup will come to fruition. Bracketology projections should be used as rough guides rather than taken as fact.

Golden has transformed the program in just a few short years to where the national expectation is a March Madness run. Gator Nation would like a deeper run this year, but it’s hard to deny the progress made over two seasons.

Where does the rest of the SEC stand?

The Southeastern Conference boasts 10 projected playoff teams and is tied with the Big Ten for the most. The Big 12 is close to that mark with nine followed by the ACC and Big East with six apiece.

Alabama leads the way as the projected No. 1 seed in the South (Atlanta) Region, but Auburn is a threat to overtake its in-state rival as a No. 2 in the Midwest (Indianapolis) Region.

should immediately establish itself as a conference power on the hardwood. Lunardi has SEC-newcomer Texas as a No. 4 seed in the West (San Francisco) and the Tennessee Volunteers also claim a 4-seed, in the Midwest Region.

Arkansas and Texas A&M are No. 5 seeds in the East and South, respectively, while Kentucky and Mississippi State are the No. 6 seeds in those regions. Ole Miss is the No. 9 seed in the Midwest, rounding out the projected Field of 64 teams in the conference.

Lunardi also included [anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media] in his Next Four Out.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Joe Lunardi puts Duke and North Carolina on 2-seed line in ESPN’s latest 2025 Bracketology

Duke opened as early favorites for the 2025 national championship, but ESPN’s Joe Lunardi now thinks the Tar Heels are on their same tier.

When ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi released his first projections for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, he listed Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils as the top overall seed.

In almost every successive update since, Duke has dropped a little lower.

After dropping them from the top spot in May, Lunardi slid the Blue Devils down to a No. 2 seed in June. Now, in another update on Tuesday, the ESPN analyst thinks North Carolina might be on Duke’s same footing in the ACC thanks to two big transfers and a few incoming freshmen.

“It might be that North Carolina is the favorite when the ACC conducts its preseason poll in October,” Lunardi wrote.

In his latest full-field projection, both the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels finished on the 2-seed line. Lunardi paired Duke with No. 1 Alabama in the East Region, and UNC paired with No. 1 Kansas (the top overall seed in the tournament) in the Midwest Region.

Four other ACC teams made the bracket in Lunardi’s way-too-early Bracketology; Clemson (No. 8, South), Wake Forest (No. 9, Midwest), and Miami (No. 10, West). Pittsburgh finished in the First Four, battling Maryland for the No. 11 seed in the East.

Where does Joe Lunardi have Ohio State basketball in a way-too-early bracketolgy?

Do you like where Lundardi thinks Ohio State hoops will land in March? #GoBucks

Yeah, yeah, we know football season hasn’t even started yet and it’s only late June, but the hardest working bracketologist, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi is always polishing up the crystal ball and looking ahead to project where college basketball teams will land in 2025’s NCAA Tournament.

And wouldn’t you know, he just recently updated his prognostications and has Ohio State in the field. It’s not a lofty seed mind you, but a seed nonetheless as the Buckeyes look to take some momentum from the end of last season into this one under new head coach Jake Diebler.

So where does Lunardi have the Scarlet and Gray? As of right now, he has them as a No. 8 seed in the East, facing No. 9 seed BYU. Getting an eight seed is never great in a game that’s two perceived teams that are almost equal, so let’s hope Ohio State surprises Lunardi and others with the new faces melding with the returning ones for the 2024-2025 season.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.