LOOK: Joe Lunardi reveals final bracketology ahead of Selection Sunday Show
Bracketology wiz Joe Lunardi shared his final NCAA March Madness Tournament seedings as conference tournament games wrapped up on Sunday afternoon.
With Selection Sunday just hours away, Lunardi added the Texas A&M Aggies to his last four in. Buzz Williams’ squad defeated Florida, Auburn and Arkansas on the way to their tournament final loss to Tennessee. Their best wins now trump Wyoming, according to the bracketology expert. Despite the SEC’s strength this season, Auburn’s inability to get past the quarterfinal round of the tournament keeps them from the top seed in the Big Dance.
Joe Lunardi expects his picks to stick until the Selection Sunday Show, unless Houston loses to Memphis. The Cougars have a strong lead over Memphis in the second half. Meanwhile, the outcome of the Big Ten Tournament is unlikely to impact the final seedings with Iowa leading Purdue by a close margin in the finale.
The 68-team men’s field goes live at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
Lunardi rules on Tennessee’s likely seeding following SEC win
As brackets go live late on Sunday, the Volunteers will be a hot championship selection. Many believe they’re good enough to be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, Joe Lunardi of ESPN isn’t putting them in that group even after their tournament victory.
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After the game, Lunardi explained why he believes Tennessee will be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“No, I don’t think so,” Lunardi stated, responding to the question of whether Tennessee’s win will improve their seeding. “They didn’t finish second — they tied for second. There’s nothing wrong with Tennessee’s resume, but they’ve been behind Auburn and Kentucky in the pecking order all year. Their head-to-head matters very little.
“They’re not going to leap ahead of the Big East champion, and they’re not going to leap ahead of the last team standing in the Big Ten if it’s Purdue. You don’t have to like it, I’m just telling you that’s what probably is going to happen.”
On3’s Stephen Samra contributed to this report.