2026 Bracketology

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette as the first of his Last Four In as a #10 Seed Playing #10 Seed Indiana with the Winner playing #7 Seed Mississippi State in Portland in the Houston South Regional

Predicted Seeds of note.
Purdue #1 Seed
Saint John's #1 Seed
UCONN #2 Seed
Oklahoma #9 Seed
Indiana #10 Seed
Creighton #10 Seed
Maryland #10 Seed

[Uncle Rico]

Joe Lunardi in his Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette as the first of his Last Four In as a #10 Seed Playing #10 Seed Indiana with the Winner playing #7 Seed Mississippi State in Portland in the Houston South Regional

Predicted Seeds of note.
Purdue #1 Seed
Saint John's #1 Seed
UCONN #2 Seed
Oklahoma #9 Seed
Indiana #10 Seed
Creighton #10 Seed
Maryland #10 Seed

The gap widens

[tower912]

IMO, that is MU's floor.

[Johnny B]

IMO, that is MU's floor.

Idk exactly where next years teams floor is but it ain't make the tournament

[tower912]

Well, the floor will be determined by health.  If there is a repeat of 24-25 with half the team injured and multiple players requiring surgery after the season, then yeah, it could be a rebuilding season. 

It is my opinion that the 25-26 team can continue the Big Dance streak under Shaka.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

For me, the floor is a first four or next four out level team.  Don't think that will happen but certainly possible based on injuries and/or underperformance. 

[The Lens]

Sometimes things get stale. Jop, Steveie and Kam played a lot of minutes for MU and gave us a lot of great games.  There's a small part of me that wonders if things got too routine. And I agree injuries played a part.

Now we're going to see some fresh faces get to takeover. This team might be a little more scrambled eggs than KenPom Off Eff but we're going to make the tourney.

[DienerTime34]

I see this team peaking in late December but falling out of the NCAA tournament picture by early March.

[milwaukee expat]

I think the floor is making the tourney.  I hope they don't peak in December but it seems rote now that they will be further along than most teams out out of the gate because of their continuity and will get big wins in the non-conference that will set them up well even if they finish up middle of the pack in the BE.  What has killed the bubble teams in the BE has been shaky non con records.  Marquette has that basically locked down due to their system.  Personally I am always extremely bullish, but I love the development approach and I think we will have multiple break out players that will have us competitive for a top 4 finish in BE..

[Uncle Rico]

I see this team peaking in late December but falling out of the NCAA tournament picture by early March.

They won't peak at all this year, imo.

[wadesworld]

I expect the team to get much better as the season goes on this year.  Sure there is a lot returning compared to some other teams, but it's a lot of guys that will be stepping into new roles.  Kam was always going to be "the man," Stevie was going to continue with the same role he had in the past, same with Jop.  This year it's a completely blank slate.  Guys will have to grow into their roles this year, and I expect that will take some time/growing pains.

[ATL MU Warrior]

If we finish above .500 I'll be surprised.

[MuMark]

Nobody knows what the floor or ceiling is......least of all Lunardi..too many unknowns......

It will be fun to see how it plays out.......I'm excited to see how players adapt to new roles.....and if we have any freshmen that can make an immediate impact.....

[MU82]

If we finish above .500 I'll be surprised.

Probably should just cancel the season.

[hawk]

I don't think it is unrealistic to think if not expect that MU gets a bid at years end.  It seems to much more probable to me than expecting MU to fall into the basketball abyss.  Smart knows how to play the conference dynamics.  Win 8 nonconference, win 10 conference games and finish at least 5th, win 2 BE tourny games and take an 8/9 seed.  He has a lot of talent coming back, it is just that it is undefined.  Have some faith it is going to be a big, deep and growing team. I for one am looking forward to the journey

[Farley36]

I see this team peaking in late December but falling out of the NCAA tournament picture by early March.

A Marquette team peaking in December only to be playing their worst at the end of the year?  Impossible!  That would never happen.

[Farley36]

For me, the floor is a first four or next four out level team.  Don't think that will happen but certainly possible based on injuries and/or underperformance. 

Let's hope so.  Otherwise we'll have to deal with your overly emotional tantrums and name calling.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Imagine being such a soft pathetic loser that you have nothing better to do on a Friday night than to try to pick a fight on a message board with someone that hasn't engaged with you in a long time. 

Very, very sad. 

[Jay Bee]

win 10 conference games and finish at least 5th

Since moving to 20 conf games in the new BEast, i think a 10-win team finishing at least 5th has happened... never.

[brewcity77]

Since moving to 20 conf games in the new BEast, i think a 10-win team finishing at least 5th has happened... never.

The first year of 20 scheduled conference games was 2021 and both 4th & 5th had 10 wins 

[Jay Bee]

The first year of 20 scheduled conference games was 2021 and both 4th & 5th had 10 wins 

smh, that's like a post that i would make

[MU82]

The first year of 20 scheduled conference games was 2021 and both 4th & 5th had 10 wins 

Didn't Marquette and Xavier tie for 4th/5th just this past season at 13-7? 

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his May 20th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette in his Last Four In as a #10 Seed Playing #10 Seed North Carolina State with the Winner playing #7 Seed Oklahoma in San Diego in the San Jose West Regional

[brewcity77]

Joe Lunardi in his May 20th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette in his Last Four In as a #10 Seed Playing #10 Seed North Carolina State with the Winner playing #7 Seed Oklahoma in San Diego in the San Jose West Regional

Not wasting my time going to look for that, but that's nuts. There's no way L4I games are going to the 10-line without at least 3 bid thieves, which is crazy to predict in May.

[The Sultan]

It's almost like pre-season bracketology is a useless exercise only for clicks.

[Uncle Rico]

Not wasting my time going to look for that, but that's nuts. There's no way L4I games are going to the 10-line without at least 3 bid thieves, which is crazy to predict in May.

I disagree

[Jay Bee]

It's almost like pre-season any Lunardi bracketology is a useless exercise only for clicks.

FIFZ

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his June 24th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette mentioned but the first team out.

[Uncle Rico]

Joe Lunardi in his June 24th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette mentioned but the first team out.

The gap has expanded

[Jay Bee]

St. Thomas in the tourney while we sit at home will hurt in March 2026.

[JakeBarnes]

Joe Lunardi in his June 24th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette mentioned but the first team out.

Clearly because of Royce's performance in u19 scrimmage

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his August 26th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette mentioned but the second team out.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Joe Lunardi in his August 26th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette mentioned but the second team out.

Clearly noticed Ben's performance with the Tall Blacks and dropped us a spot.  Unbelievable. 

[PointWarrior]

Joe Lunardi in his August 26th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette mentioned but the second team out.

Sweet, getting March Madness bracket projections in August....

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his September 23rd Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette staying where we were and remaining as mentioned but the second team out.

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his October 13th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette In as a #10 Seed Playing #7 Seed Oregon with the Winner playing the Winner of #2 Seed Kentucky versus #15 Seed Little Rock in Greenville in the San Jose West Regional

[MarquetteMike1977]

Clearly noticed Ben's performance with the Tall Blacks and dropped us a spot.  Unbelievable. 

Lunardi actually raised Marquette 1 spot in August. But dropped us 2 in July which I forgot to post. But in October Joe has Marquette in with a Bye as a 10 Seed. And has 5 Big East Teams in.

[Nukem2]

In Lunardi's 10/13 list, Indiana and Maryland are in the first four out while Oklahoma in the next four out. A bubbly November schedule based on that.

[swoopem]

Joe Lunardi in his October 13th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette In as a #10 Seed Playing #7 Seed Oregon with the Winner playing the Winner of #2 Seed Kentucky versus #15 Seed Little Rock in Greenville in the San Jose West Regional

The Missouri effect

[brewcity77]

So we went from First Four Out to a 10-seed without a single game being played? This is truly silly season.

[The Sultan]

Of course it is. Pre-season bracketology is useless.

[WhiteTrash]

Of course it is. Pre-season bracketology is useless.

It is as critical to the sport as NFL power rankings.

[cheebs09]

So we went from First Four Out to a 10-seed without a single game being played? This is truly silly season.

Must have been a great secret scrimmage performance. It's a new day. Michael Beasley is not walking through that door.

[wadesworld]

So we went from First Four Out to a 10-seed without a single game being played? This is truly silly season.

Could be he saw Trilly's report that we beat Mizzou in a scrimmage.  Or that KenPom rankings came out between his last version and this one.

[barfolomew]

Or that KenPom rankings came out between his last version and this one.

This.
Joe Lunardi pores over advanced metrics like they are the very air he breathes.
His bracketology algorithms have stumped both NASA particle physicists and Nobel economists, and their uncanny accuracy is beyond reproach.

[MU82]

The Athletic's Joe Rexrode has Marquette as a 10-seed.

[MarquetteMike1977]

Joe Lunardi in his October 13th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette In as a #10 Seed Playing #7 Seed Oregon with the Winner playing the Winner of #2 Seed Kentucky versus #15 Seed Little Rock in Greenville in the San Jose West Regional

Joe Lunardi in his October 28th Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette the First of the Last Four In as an #11 Seed Playing #11 Seed Washington in Dayton. With the Winner Playing #6 Seed Kansas in Saint Louis in the Midwest Chicago Region

[brewcity77]

Joe Lunardi in his October 13th Men's Bracketology 2026 NCAA Tournament has Marquette In as a #10 Seed Playing #7 Seed Oregon with the Winner playing the Winner of #2 Seed Kentucky versus #15 Seed Little Rock in Greenville in the San Jose West Regional

Jesus, it's only October and he's already making bracketing errors? We're not playing Little Rock in the opening weekend.

[wadesworld]

Jesus, it's only October and he's already making bracketing errors? We're not playing Little Rock in the opening weekend.

It's okay. It's just for entertainment and clicks.