Apr. 29—The way-too-early college basketball polls have company: way-too-early NCAA Tournament projections.
The first rankings for the 2025-26 season came out even before Florida edged Houston to win the national championship earlier this month. Just more than three weeks later, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has released his first bracketology for next season with Gonzaga as a No. 6 seed and Idaho projected as a No. 15 as the Big Sky Conference’s automatic qualifier.
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Lunardi plans to release an updated bracket each month leading up to the season opening in early November. His projections obviously will be adjusted to reflect transfer portal decisions and NBA early entrants opting to stay in the draft or return to college.
The Zags, who have six open scholarships, have been linked to several prominent transfers but haven’t landed anyone this spring. That figures to change as GU focuses on backcourt reinforcements and possibly adding to a frontcourt led by returners Graham Ike and Braden Huff.
Purdue is Lunardi’s top overall seed. The Boilermakers are joined by Duke, Houston and St. John’s as No. 1 seeds. Houston defeated the Zags 81-76 in the round of 32 last month.
Gonzaga is listed as the West Coast Conference’s automatic qualifier taking on Atlantic 10 champ VCU, a No. 11 seed. No other WCC programs, including two-time defending regular-season champ Saint Mary’s, made the field of 68, the first four out or next four out. GU is leaving the WCC after next season to join the revamped Pac-12.
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Lunardi has Idaho, which hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since 1990, facing second-seeded BYU in the opening round. The Vandals shared sixth place with Northern Arizona in the Big Sky last season.
Oregon is a projected No. 8 seed and future Pac-12 member San Diego State is a No. 11. Washington is among the first four out.
Gonzaga’s schedule for next season includes Kentucky (projected as a No. 2 seed), UCLA (No. 4 seed) and Baylor (No. 9 seed). The Zags also will play in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. The 18-team field features 13 in Lunardi’s bracket, including top-seeded Houston and St. John’s; second-seeded Michigan; third-seeded Tennessee and Iowa State; and fourth-seeded Auburn and UCLA.
Lunardi’s bracket has 13 SEC teams, 12 from the Big Ten, eight from the Big 12, five from the ACC and four from the Big East. Those are the only multibid conferences.
