Good Morning, Illini Nation: Bracketology in August

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Aug. 10—Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team:

Bracketology updates in August? Why not. The latest from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi dropped earlier this week mostly in response to the goings on at St. John’s, with Rick Pitino adding former Harvard and Tennessee (at least for a couple months) forward Chris Ledlum.

The Red Storm are now Lunardi’s last team in the NCAA tournament field, which would be quite the accomplishment after Pitino blew up the roster this offseason. Ledlum is one of 11 newcomers on the St. John’s roster. A good enough group, it seems, to land the Red Storm a No. 11 seed and a First Four matchup with Virginia.

A few other items of note:

— Hope you liked Pittsburgh, Illinois fans, because Lunardi has the Illini headed back to the Steel City as a No. 5 seed primed to face No. 12 seed Drake in the first round. The Bulldogs are led by coach’s son Tucker DeVries, who averaged 18.6 points and 5.7 rebounds and shot 37 percent from three-point range last season as a sophomore.

Arkansas would probably be waiting in the second round if Illinois avoided the 12-5 upset. It would be a rematch, of course, of last year’s first-round game in Des Moines, Iowa. Getting out of Pittsburgh, which didn’t happen two years ago, would then likely pit Illinois against Kansas in the Sweet 16 in Dallas. A matchup everyone wants, of course.

— Illinois is one of seven Big Ten teams Lunardi has projected into the NCAA tournament field. The rest are Michigan State (No. 1 seed), Purdue (No. 1), Wisconsin (No. 7), Northwestern (No. 8), Maryland (No. 8) and Indiana (No. 10).

— The Big 12 and SEC have eight teams apiece projected in the field.

— Duke is the fourth No. 1 seed and one of five ACC teams.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/good-morning-illini-nation-bracketology-144800990.html?src=rss

Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Publish date : 2023-08-10 14:48:00

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