Bracketology: Kentucky up to No. 5 seed in ESPN's projections

Kentucky begins postseason play on Friday. What is the Cats’ ceiling when it comes to NCAA Tournament seeding? Earlier this week, they were trending as a No. 6 or 7 seed. In last night’s update, Joe Lunardi bumped the Cats up to a No. 5 seed.

We’ll get to that in a minute. Kentucky is still on the No. 6 seed line on BracketMatrix, which compiles all the bracketologies on the internet. The Cats’ average seed is 6.04, placing them right behind TCU (5.54) and ahead of Texas A&M (6.14). Across the 121 brackets, Kentucky is as high as a No. 5 seed and as low as a No. 8. The Cats are up to the No. 5 seed line at TeamRankings, along with Virginia, Miami (FL), and Indiana. BartTorvik sets their seed at 5.2.

Now, bring on the hypothetical paths to Houston.

ESPN: No. 5 seed in the West Region

On Monday, Kentucky was a No. 6 seed in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology. Today, they’re up to a No. 5 seed in the West Region, facing No. 12 Charleston, which clinched its automatic bid last night, in Orlando.

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CBS Sports: No. 7 seed in South Region

Kentucky remains a No. 7 seed in the South Region in Jerry Palm’s latest update. How do we feel about a rematch with No. 2 seed Gonzaga in the second round in Sacramento?

Kentucky is the third No. 7 seed on Palm’s seed list behind Iowa State and Creighton.

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The Athletic: No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region

Brian Bennett still has the Cats as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region facing No. 11 Rutgers in the first round in Columbus. A potential matchup vs. No. 3 Marquette waits in the second round. Kentucky is the second team on the No. 6 seed line behind San Diego State.

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USA Today: No. 6 seed in Midwest Region

A potential second-round rematch with Gonzaga also waits in USA Today’s latest bracket. Kentucky is a No. 6 seed and Gonzaga a No. 3 seed in this scenario.

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Bracketville: No. 6 seed in the South Region

Bracketville’s latest update has the Cats as the No. 6 seed in the South Region. Kentucky’s first and second-round games would be in Columbus and the regional in Louisville. If you’re rooting for the Cats to be close to home, this is the bracket for you.

Kentucky is the final No. 6 seed on Bracketville’s seed list behind San Diego State, Creighton, and Duke.

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Comparing Kentucky’s Resume to Other No. 5/6 Seeds

Lots still in play due to conference tournaments this week. As of today, here is how Kentucky’s resume compares to other projected No. 5 and 6 seeds:

Next Game Up:

• Saint Mary’s: None (Lost to Gonzaga in WCC final last night)
• Creighton: vs. Villanova/Georgetown (Thursday, 9:30 PM)
• San Diego State: vs. Colorado State/Fresno State (Thursday, 3:00 PM)
• Kentucky: vs. Georgia/LSU/Vanderbilt (Friday, 9:30 PM)
• Iowa State: vs. No. 10 Baylor (Thursday, 12:30 PM)
• Texas A&M: vs. Auburn/Arkansas (Friday, 8:00 PM)
• Duke: vs. Pitt/Georgia Tech (Thursday, 2:30 PM)
• TCU: vs. No. 12 Kansas State (Thursday, 9:30 PM)