Bracketology: ESPN releases predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament after Week 3

With Feast Week started in college basketball, Bracketology got another update this morning from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

The focus for Lunardi came after a loss from the No. 2 team in the nation in UConn on Monday. Connecticut lost by two in overtime to Memphis in the opening game of the Maui Invitational for their first loss since late February. That cost them a No. 1 seed in the East Region with them now down to a No. 2 in that same portion of the bracket.

With that, Tennessee took that No. 1 seed in the East. That, to Lunardi, established the Southeastern Conference as the best league in the sport with 11 total bids, which is tied for the most currently with the Big Ten, but now with two of the four top seeds with Auburn and Tennessee.

From there, the Big 12 has eight berths, the ACC and Big East have five apiece, and then the WCC and Mountain West have a pair each.

Now, here’s how Lunardi is projecting the 2025 NCAA Tournament to look at ESPN as of today:

ESPN Bracketology: On The Bubble

The bubble saw lots of movement, specifically from the Last Four in through the Next Four Out, from this week for Lunardi. One of the biggest movers was Rutgers who was upset on the road by Kennesaw State to go from being at the top of Last Four In to the lead in Next Four Out, which has been even more of a drop considering they were in the front of the Last Four Byes from the update following the first week of the season.

Based on this, the last team in the field would be the Nevada but the first team out of the bracket would be New Mexico.

Last Four Byes: Saint Mary’s, Michigan, Clemson, Maryland
Last Four In: Wake Forest, Georgia, Nebraska, Nevada
First Four Out: New Mexico, LSU, VCU, Penn State
Next Four Out: Rutgers, NC State, Iowa, Utah State

Midwest Region – Indianapolis

Kansas remained the No. 1 overall seed for the 2025 NCAA Tournament per this latest update from Lunardi at ESPN. That’s been through a 5-0 start for the Jayhawks with wins over North Carolina and then Michigan State in the Champions Classic. However, another major matchup will loom for them on Tuesday in a top-twelve meeting with Duke in Las Vegas.

Kentucky is then up to a No. 2 seed in this bracket with their own start at 5-0. The Midwest also saw other movements with Marquette, Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Michigan moving up to No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 10 respectively while Arizona is down to this region as a No. 6.

1. Kansas vs. 16. Little Rock
8. Mississippi State vs. 9. UCLA

5. Ohio State vs. 12. Grand Canyon
4. Texas A&M vs. 13. Yale

6. Arizona vs. 11. Wake Forest/Georgia
3. Marquette vs. 14. Kent State

7. Xavier vs. 10. Michigan
2. Kentucky vs. 15. North Florida

West Region – San Francisco

Gonzaga held as the second of the No. 1 seeds although having not played in a week since getting to 5-0. However, competition is coming for the ‘Zags with matchups against West Virginia as well as Kentucky and UConn over the next two and a half weeks.

Alabama, a former No. 1 seed in this region at ESPN, is down to the No. 3 here while Baylor at No. 4 and Texas Tech at No. 7 are also down. Florida then shifted up to being a No. 5 with Dayton, who nearly pulled an upset against North Carolina in Maui on Monday, is up to a No. 11 as the automatic qualifier out of the A-10.

1. Gonzaga vs. 16. Grambling State/Central Connecticut
8. Texas vs. 9. Ole Miss

5. Florida vs. 12. UC Irvine
4. Baylor vs. 13. McNeese State

6. St. John’s vs. 11. Dayton
3. Alabama vs. 14. Furman

7. Texas Tech vs. 10. Maryland
2. Duke vs. 15. Towson

South Region – Atlanta

Few resumes are as good as the one that Auburn, the third of the No. 1 seeds from ESPN, has at this point after winning another top-five matchup in Maui on Monday. They could soon pair those wins over Houston and Iowa State with more quality victories with North Carolina up next tonight before going to Duke next week in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Purdue is then down to a No. 3 seed here as they followed a great win over Alabama with a loss to Marquette. Indiana, Memphis, following their win over UConn, and then Creighton, despite their loss to Nebraska, are then all up to No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7 respectively while Michigan State and Oregon moved down.

1. Auburn vs. 16. Bucknell/Norfolk State
8. Michigan State vs. 9. Saint Mary’s

5. Indiana vs. 12. Liberty
4. North Carolina vs. 13. High Point

6. Memphis vs. 11. Boise State
3. Purdue vs. 14. Purdue Fort Wayne

7. Creighton vs. 10. Oregon
2. Iowa State vs. 15. Northern Colorado

East Region – Newark

Tennessee is then the last of the No. 1 seeds for Lunardi after moving up following their championship run in the Baha Mar Hoops Tournament. After a 4-0 start, the Volunteers went to the Bahamas and blew out both Virginia and Baylor behind 25.5 ppg. on 49.9% from the field and 60% from three on 13 total triples from Chaz Lanier while there.

The East Region also saw lots of movement including UConn, Illinois, and BYU being down while Cincinnati, Wisconsin, and Pittsburgh went up

1. Tennessee vs. 16. Quinnipiac
8. Pittsburgh vs. 9. BYU

5. Wisconsin vs. 12. Drake
4. Cincinnati vs. 13. Arkansas State

6. Arkansas vs. 11. Nebraska/Nevada
3. Houston vs. 14. South Dakota State

7. Illinois vs. 10. Clemson
2. UConn vs. 15. Vermont