Bracketology Expert Joe Lunardi Puts High Expectations On BYU Men’s Basketball
Sep 24, 2025, 2:41 PM | Updated: Sep 25, 2025, 10:21 am
ESPN's Joe Lunardi is a BYU men's basketball believer after projecting the team to earn the highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history.(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – The 2025-26 season is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated in BYU men’s basketball history, and for good reason.
The return of All-Big 12 first teamer and Big 12 Most Improved Player Richie Saunders and the addition of AJ Dybantsa, the highest-ranked prospect in program history, give the Cougars a higher ceiling than almost any team in the nation.
ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi is buying into the hype, listing Kevin Young’s squad as a two-seed in the West region. If the projection holds, it would be the highest seed for any BYU team.
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Notably, Lunardi’s ‘Way too early’ projection does not include the Utah Utes or recent tournament regular Utah State Aggies.
The Utah Valley Wolverines are projected to earn a tournament bid as the automatic qualifier out of the WAC. Lunardi lists them as a 13-seed.
The Houston Cougars are projected as the No. 1 overall seed. The Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils, and Purdue Boilermakers would be the other one seeds.
Lunardi sees the SEC leading the way with 14 teams making the dance. The Big Ten follows with 11, and the Big 12 is expected to have eight teams make the tournament.
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Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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