Joe Lunardi 2025 Bracketology Predictions: Auburn, Duke Among Top Seeds; UNC Out
February 3, 2025
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi released his latest predictions for the 2025 NCAA Tournament field on Monday.
Lunardi believes that Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama and Duke will earn the No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.
He also projected the SEC to send 13 teams to the tournament, while the ACC sent four teams. North Carolina wasn't among the schools projected to make a March Madness appearance, though.
It'd be a surprise to see the Tar Heels miss the NCAA Tournament, as they've only failed to make a March Madness appearance in two of the past 14 years. Still, head coach Hubert Davis' team is in the midst of a rough stretch as they've lost four of their past five games.
This included a lopsided 87-70 defeat against Duke on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the projected top four seeds shouldn't come as a huge shock. All four schools occupy the top four spots in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Auburn is continuing to thrive against its SEC competition, owning a perfect 8-0 record against conference opponents. Head coach Bruce Pearl's squad has won 13 straight games, owning the No. 1 offensive rating in the country (via Sports Reference).
Lunardi has been consistent in his belief that the SEC will send 13 teams to the tournament.
"I think there is an excellent chance that we're going to break the record of bids from a conference in a year," Lunardi said during a Jan. 26 appearance on SportsCenter. "The record is 11, 11 out of 16 by the Big East back in 2011. And I think the SEC getting at least a dozen, I would bet your mortgage payment on that."
Duke has also looked like a strong candidate to receive a top tournament seed following an impressive start to head coach Jon Scheyer's third year with the program. The Blue Devils have won 15 consecutive games, with four of their last five victories containing a double-digit final margin.
Auburn and Duke will be looking to close the regular season on a high note and prepare for the NCAA Tournament, while North Carolina still has some work to do in order to compete for a berth.