Lunardi has is at #1 overall in his 2026 way-to-early bracketology

40-0, baby.

 

So he's not an idiot . . . . . . finally!

 

I know, right? Year after year after year of ignoring the Gators. He finally pays attention when he has no other options.
I still think he needs to get a real job. Dude, move out of your mom's basement. Kiss a real girl, not that inflatable in the corner. If you wanna write, be a real writer.

 

With all of this preseason praise from the press, it will be one of the most challenging years to maintain the mantra that the media hates us. But I know somehow we will succeed.

 

even if we are not the top overall seed, very likely we will be playing the first weekend in Tampa.

 

Just one note here: Duke and Auburn combined to win 67 games and both made the final four. They were both excellent teams.

 

If we aren’t in Tampa for the first weekend, I think we can legitimately call the regular season a disappointment.

 

14 SEC teams in.
Final Four - Sound familiar? UF, Houston, Duke and .... Purdue.

 

What's that saying about a frozen clock being right once or twice a day?


Along with some minor changes,
Lunardi basically took the 2025 finish and made it his preseason bracket, lol. This time, there are not as many high-end high seeds like two or three #1 seeds and multiple 2 seeds like in the 2025 season.

SEC (14 bids, same as 2025):
High-Seeds
1. Florida (East) <-- Overall #1 seed
2. Tennessee (West)
3. Kentucky (MidWest)
4. Auburn (South)
5. Alabama (West), Arkansas (Midwest)
6.
------------------
Low-Seeds
7. Missouri (East)
8. Vandy (West), Miss. St (Midwest), Oklahoma (South)
9. Texas (East)
10. Georgia (South), Ole Miss
11. Texas AM (Midwest)
12.

Florida's Non-conference Opponents:
(1) - Duke (West)
(2) - UConn (Midwest in (1) Houston's bracket)
(3) - Arizona (West)
(10) - Miami (East) vs (10) Iowa <-- Play in game

In my opinion, the 8/9 seeds are the worst to have as there is little chance of advancing to the SW16 by defeating a 1-seed. Four SEC teams at the 8/9 positions there again? That basically eliminates a 1/3 of the conference from advancing.

As a 6/7/10 seed, one has a better chance of defeating a 2/3 seed to advance past the first weekend.

 

Florida seems to have a favorable home SEC schedule (ie, Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky (h/a), etc.) - that will help in trying to win the regular season SEC title.

Last season, Florida had a much, harder SEC schedule & was able to win on the road decisively at many places (i.e at #1 Auburn, at 7 Alabama, etc.). However, that 1st SEC game on the road (at Kentucky) and dropping one at Georgia was costly in not winning the 2025 SEC title.

Additionally, in order to secure a 1-seed, UF needs to win 2/3 (I believe) of Arizona(N), UConn(N) and Duke (A).

 

I would need a lot more reasons than that.

 

Yea, but if we sweep our home schedule then a slight OOC failure might not stop us from being a one. That’s a ton of big time opportunities in the O’Dome where it’s tough to beat us when we are elite.

 

I am surprised that the Big-East has only three bids:
(2) UConn, (2) St Johns and (8) Creighton.

For a conference with that many high seeds, I thought that was strange.


Meanwhile, the ACC seems to have a resurgence (from 3 bids to 6 bids). The strength is 1 Duke, 5 North Carolina along with 7 Louiville (seems low), 9 NC State & 10 Miami. Who is that 6th ACC team that I am missing? I don't see any of the old BE teams like Syracuse, Pitt, etc.

 

The Big Ten (11 bids)

High-seeds:
1. Purdue (South)
2. Michigan (East)
3.
4. Michigan St (MidWest), UCLA (West), Illinois (East)
5.
6. Ohio St (West), Wisconsin (East)

Low-seeds:
7. USC (West), Oregon (South)
8
9
10. Maryland (Midwest), Iowa (East)
11
12

(See me post above for the SEC - 14 teams)

The Big-Ten has 7 high seeds while the SEC has 6 high seeds.

As for the low-seeds, the SEC has 8 teams while the Big-Ten has only 4-teams. Hmmmm..

 

SMU

I never remember them being in the ACC. Such a strange fit

 

Damn. Kiss of Death.
Lots to overcome next year.

 

Oh yeah! Thanks!
The Pony Express (aka-The Mustangs).

SMU of the ACC made the 2024-25 CFP's along with Clemson & Notre Dame. SMU in the ACC is a strange thing.

Florida needs to make that CFP - that promising 2020 season ended in such a bust - that season turn bad & was cursed as soon as that shoe was tossed by a UF football player!

Despite beating Florida in football last season, Miami has yet to win the ACC title and make the playoffs. Although, the hurricanes did make the 2023 Final4 along with Elijah Martin's Florida Atlantic team.

Florida did need Martin's leadership to help the Gators get over that hump - like my circle-back type thinking back to UF basketball? lol.

 

Two words. Rat Poison