Latest National Projections Seem Good For UConn Men’s Basketball, in Multiple Ways

On Tuesday, ESPN College Basketball Insider Joe Lunardi put out his second edition of the “Way Too Early Bracketology.”

In those projections, Lunardi had the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team pegged for a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, probably a bi-product of the team’s ridiculously hard non-conference schedule.

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However, Lunardi also had something else in his projections that is of value to Huskies fans: He had seven different Big East teams pegged for March Madness, which would be a major improvement over last year’s three.

2025-26 tournament: UConn, St. John’s, Villanova 

2026-27 projection: UConn, St. John’s, Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, Seton Hall and Marquette

**It should be noted that the NCAA Tournament field is expanding from 68-76 teams, making it easier to make for more teams in the conference.

Well, if the Big East is better as a whole, then it will do a better job of preparing the Huskies for the NCAA Tournament. Much of the conversation this offseason has centered around the idea that the non-conference schedule is great, but the league schedule won’t do a good enough job of following up on those early season tests.

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If the league is deep enough to get seven teams in the tournament, then UConn will continue to be tested in advance of March Madness. While that could mean some additional losses for Dan Hurley’s team along the way, it will ultimately serve as a benefit come tournament time.

UConn Huskies forward Jayden Ross (23) reacts after his basket against the Seton Hall Pirates in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Simply put? A deeper conference could keep UConn in the Big East. Earlier this spring, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports insinuated that UConn could leave the league eventually, calling it “imperative” that the Big East “step up its game” in order to retain the Huskies.

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Well, getting seven teams in the tournament would be doing that. It would make the conference…

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Publish date : 2026-08-19 12:41:00

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