Bracketology: Kentucky projected as four seed in latest update

Selection Sunday for the 2022 NCAA Tournament is nine weeks away. Where does Kentucky basketball stand through one week in January?

ESPN’s resident bracketologist Joe Lunardi has begun crafting his expected field of 68 teams, updating the bracket on a biweekly basis.

Lunardi currently expects seven SEC teams to make it to the Big Dance, tied for the second-most by a conference behind the Big Ten and Big East’s eight.

Where do the Wildcats fall, and what does UK’s road to the Final Four in New Orleans look like as of now?

No. 4 seed for Kentucky

As of Friday morning, Lunardi projects Kentucky to land as a No. 4 seed in the West region.

The Wildcats boast just one quadrant-one win against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite this, Lunardi finds UK’s resume good enough to grant them one of the top 16 seeds in the tournament.

Kentucky would be tied for the third-highest seed among SEC teams with Alabama, while LSU and Auburn would earn a No. 3 and No. 2 seed, respectively. Let’s take a look at UK’s potential path to another Final Four berth if this were the final bracket.

Round of 64: Oakland

For Kentucky’s first-round matchup, Lunardi has the ‘Cats traveling to Indianapolis to take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.

Projected to earn the automatic bid out of the Horizon League, Oakland currently stands at 10-4, holding one Power Five victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

Senior forward Jamal Cain leads the Grizzlies, averaging 21.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

Holding a NET ranking of 72, Oakland would be no slouch against the ‘Cats in the first round. The Grizzlies have made the NCAA Tournament on three occasions, failing to make it out of the first round all three times.

Round of 32: Texas / Ohio

If the Wildcats were able to slay the Golden Grizzlies, a matchup against the Texas Longhorns would likely await.

Listed as a No. 5 seed by Lunardi, Texas nears the top of a stacked Big-12 Conference. A 12-3 record is highlighted by just one non-conference Power Five win against Stanford.

Currently the No. 14 team in the AP Poll, the Longhorns feature one of the older groups in college basketball, as the top 10 scorers on the team are all at least juniors.

A Wildcat connection comes via Devin Askew, who transferred to Austin following his freshman season in Lexington last year. Askew is currently averaging just 1.6 points per game through 15 games.

If not the Longhorns, a familiar foe could await UK in the second round, according to Lunardi.

On Friday, Dec. 19, Kentucky powered past Ohio 77-59 thanks to 22 points from Keion Brooks Jr. The Bobcats’ only other loss this season has come to LSU.

Ohio currently sits atop the MAC with a 12-2 record, making them the frontrunners for the conference’s automatic bid.

Led by 19.1 points per game by Mark Sears and lights-out 3-point shooting, Ohio would pose a tough rematch for the Wildcats in March.

Sweet 16: Gonzaga

Weekend two in the tournament for Kentucky would call for a trip out to San Fransisco, according to Lunardi.

Upon arrival to The Golden City, a Sweet 16 matchup against one of the top seeds in the tournament in Gonzaga could be in the cards.

John Calipari has made it no secret that the opportunity to play Gonzaga is one that interests Kentucky.

While not currently projected as the overall No. 1 seed, the Bulldogs’ resume does qualify for a top spot in March, as of now. Fresh off of a National Championship appearance, the Zags are poised to make another run for glory in 2022.

Led by veteran Drew Timme and freshman sensation Chet Holmgren, Mark Few’s squad currently claims victories over the likes of Texas, UCLA and Texas Tech.

UK and Gonzaga have played just once, which saw the ‘Cats come away victorious 80-72 in the 2002 Maui Classic Invitational. What better time for a sequel than crunch time in March?

Elite Eight: Arizona / Michigan State

If Kentucky could pull off an upset against the top-seeded Zags, the two most likely opponents would be Arizona or Michigan State.

Arizona, listed as the No. 2 seed by Lunardi, is 12-1, placing them in second place among the top-heavy Pac-12 Conference. The lone loss for the Wildcats comes against Tennessee, but the resume includes wins over Michigan and Illinois.

Sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin averages 18.9 points per game, leading the Wildcats. Mathurin’s name has surfaced upon many 2022 NBA Draft boards and would provide a fantastic matchup against TyTy Washington Jr.

However, the No. 3 seeded Spartans could be in the mix.

Currently No. 10 in the latest AP Poll, Michigan State leads the Big Ten with a 13-2 record, including wins over UConn, Louisville and Loyola Chicago.

Kentucky leads the all-time series against MSU 14-11 and is currently on a two-game winning streak against the Spartans.

The current projected road to the Big Easy for Kentucky features fun, exciting and historic matchups that would test the 2021-22 Wildcats on their quest for the school’s ninth National Championship.