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Joe Lunardi releases updated bracketology projection for 2023-24 season

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report06/06/23
NCAA logo on a basketball
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

With the 2023 NBA Draft deadline behind us some key decisions have been made that will shape the course of the 2023-24 college basketball season, like Purdue star Zach Edey returning for another season. Those decisions have also made it much easier to make a coherent bracketology projection.

And many experts have done just that.

Last week Andy Katz’ bracketology projection debuted on NCAA.com, highlighting the teams he believes will be in a position to qualify for the Big Dance.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released his bracketology projection. Like Katz’, it includes a lot of powerhouses on the top seed line.

Lunardi currently has Duke, Kansas, Michigan State and Purdue as his No. 1 seeds, a veritable who’s who of traditional basketball powers. Purdue, of course, is the one that sticks out most there, having been on the wrong end of the second-ever upset by a No. 16 seed in March.

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But with Edey back, the Boilermakers figure to be a legitimate contender yet again.

The second seed line also has some familiar names, many of which have made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament recently. Creighton, Houston, Tennessee and UConn make up the No. 2 seeds in Lunardi’s current bracketology projection.

The 2023-24 season promises to have plenty of intrigue again, with so many stars back and so many rosters revamped by key transfer portal addition again. The best programs have begun to hone in on the formula when it comes to the right number of key transfers versus players developed in house.

We saw that especially with teams like Arkansas and Miami, among others, in 2022-23, powered by both transfers and star recruits.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at Lunardi’s updated bracketology projections for the 2023-24 season.

Joe Lunardi Bracketology 2023-24 (June 6)

SOUTH REGION

1. Kansas
16. South Dakota State

8. Kentucky
9. Northwestern

5. Illinois
12. Drake

4. North Carolina
13. James Madison

6. TCU
11. Dayton

3. Alabama
14. Vermont

7. UCLA
10. Indiana

2. Creighton
15. Radford

WEST REGION

1. Duke
16. Norfolk State / Texas Southern

8. Auburn
9. Maryland

5. Villanova
12. Grand Canyon

4. Arizona
13. Furman

6. San Diego State
11. Virginia

3. Gonzaga
14. Long Beach State

7. West Virginia
10. Oregon

2. Tennessee
15. Iona

MIDWEST REGION

1. Purdue
16. Morehead State / Wagner

8. Xavier
9. Miami

5. Baylor
12. Liberty

4. Texas A&M
13. Eastern Kentucky

6. USC
11. Florida / New Mexico

3. Marquette
14. Akron

7. Wisconsin
10. Memphis

2. Houston
15. Wright State

EAST REGION

1. Michigan State
16. McNeese State

8. Colorado
9. Iowa State

5. Arkansas
12. Yale

4. Florida Atlantic
13. Charleston

6. Saint Mary’s
11. Providence / Rutgers

3. Texas
14. Weber State

7. Mississippi State
10. Clemson

2. UConn
15. Colgate