Joe Lunardi gives Kentucky major boost in new Bracketology

The NCAA Tournament doesn’t start for another four months, but that’s not stopping Joe Lunardi from churning out weekly Bracketology updates. After the win over Duke, Kentucky got a major bump from Joey Brackets, moving up from a No. 6 seed to a No. 3 seed in today’s update. The Blue Devils are also on the No. 3 seed line, along with Baylor and Houston.

In his writeup, Lunardi said he was very impressed by Kentucky’s grit and execution down the stretch, which signaled that the Cats could have some staying power come March.

“I may not always agree, but there’s a reason the NCAA men’s basketball selection committee insists November results mean just as much as late-season games,” Lunardi writes. “Let’s go back a week to the final media timeout of the Champions Classic. Kentucky had come from double digits down to tie Duke. The underdog Wildcats managed to win those last four minutes, not only notching the first major victory of the Mark Pope era but creating the kind of bracket disruption not normally seen this early in the season.”

November Bracketology is just that: hypotheticals meant to spark conversation. If the tournament started today, Lunardi’s No. 1 seeds would be Kansas, Gonzaga, UConn, and Auburn. Kentucky would be in the Midwest Region with Kansas playing opening-round games in Raleigh. There’s a potential Orlando Antigua reunion in the second round with No. 6 Illinois. Antigua’s former boss John Calipari is in the West Region, where Arkansas is a No. 6 seed. The Cats and the Razorbacks are two of ten SEC teams in the field. Ahead of Kentucky: Auburn (No. 1 seed), Tennessee (No. 2 seed), and Alabama (No. 2 seed).

Three of Kentucky’s upcoming non-conference foes are in the field. As mentioned, Gonzaga is a No. 1 seed. Clemson is a No. 10 seed, and Ohio State is a No. 7 seed. Louisville did not make the cut. A win over the Bulldogs, even at a “neutral” site, would be huge for the Cats’ tournament resume, as would a win on the road at Clemson.

Check out Kentucky’s region below, or click through to ESPN for the entire bracket. Remember, Lexington is hosting first and second-round games this year, although the Cats can’t stay home. Fingers crossed for Raleigh?

Kentucky in the National Rankings

It was a big Monday for Kentucky, which jumped ten spots to No. 9 in the AP Poll, the biggest single-game rise in the poll in program history. Here’s where the Cats landed in all the national rankings:

• AP Poll: No. 9
• Coaches Poll: No. 11
• Jon Rothstein: No. 4
• Andy Katz: No. 5
• Rob Dauster: No. 6
• Jamie Shaw, On3: No. 7
• ESPN: No. 8
• Jeff Goodman: No. 8
• The Athletic: No. 9
• Kyle Boone, CBS Sports: No. 9
• Gary Parrish, CBS Sports: No. 11

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