Joe Lunardi still has Kentucky as a 3-seed, but 'Cats could need help to stay there

by:Zack Geoghegan•about 10 hours•

ZGeogheganKSR

Kentucky fans at the SEC Tournament - Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

Even with Friday’s 29-point blowout loss to Alabama, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi still has Kentucky as a 3-seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament ahead of Selection Sunday.

In his latest Bracketology update released Saturday, Lunardi did move the Wildcats down a couple of spots compared to his Friday morning update. Kentucky went from the No. 10 overall team to the No. 12 overall team — just good enough to hold onto the final 3-seed spot. Most bracket projections still have the Wildcats slotted No. 10 overall, but Lunardi is going against the grain a bit.

Looking at Lunardi’s current projections, UK could feasibly drop to a 4-seed depending on other results across the country, but three of Lunardi’s 4-seeds (Purdue, Iowa State, and Texas A&M) have already been knocked out of their respective conference tournaments. Only Arizona, the No. 15 overall team in his Bracketology update, is still alive from that group. Arizona plays in the Big 12 Championship today against Houston, a projected 1-seed. Also of note, the other Wildcats sit at No. 12 in the latest NET rankings while UK is at No. 14.

So if the Big Blue Nation wants to ensure a 3-seed, they should be cheering for Houston to take down Arizona later today. That matchup is set for 5:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. Even with an Arizona win, it still feels unlikely UK would drop to a 4-seed, but it’s certainly worth monitoring as we enter the home stretch.

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— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 15, 2025

Lunardi is calling for Kentucky’s first-round matchup to come against 14-seed Robert Morris in Milwaukee with a possible second-round showdown against the winner of 6-seed Illinois and 11-seed West Virginia/San Diego State. UK is one of 13 SEC teams projected to make the field of 68, which would set a single-season record for one conference.

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is Sunday evening at 6 p.m. EST on CBS. Shortly after the dust settles, the KSR crew will gather for a live Selection Special on YouTube.

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