ESPN’s Joe Lunardi on the slice of March Madness he helped create, bracketology
Texas Tech coach Chris Beard had answers for reporters at Big 12 basketball media day last October in Kansas City. For ESPN bracket analyst Joe Lunardi, Beard had a statement … about nonconference scheduling.
“I do think Texas Tech is playing a pretty good schedule,” Beard told Lunardi. “We have Kentucky, Louisville, Iowa…”
The moment was light-hearted but not without purpose. Beard, like all coaches, sees Lundardi as having influence on NCAA Tournament selection process, so why not take the moment to plant a schedule strength message?
Lunardi knows he has some influence in college basketball, although not what you think. When it comes to the NCAA Tournament bracket that will be revealed on March 15, not so much. He’s not talking to any committee members in the lead up to selection.
“Oh, God no,” Lunardi said. “Even committee members I’m friendly with. If we talk during the season we know to shut it down after March. I’ve never sent or received a message from a committee member of staff person. No one time. I wouldn’t even know how to do it.”
Bracketology is part of the lexicon largely because of Lunardi. He and Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com are widely considered to be foremost experts on bracket projection.
Lunardi’s greatest contribution to the process might be enlightening the masses. Entering Wednesday’s game, his last mock bracket projected Baylor, Kansas, Gonzaga and San Diego State as No. 1 seeds; Wichita State among the last four with a bye, 10 in from the Big Ten and Georgetown among the last four in.
And many who follow college basketball have some idea how Lunardi reached those conclusions.
“People are way more educated,” Lunardi said. “I will take some of the credit for that. In part because of the existence of bracketology but also because probably done 5,000 interviews and explained it to (reporters).”
What’s most misunderstood about bracketology?
“That it’s my opinion as opposed to be evaluating what (the selection committee) is going to do,” Lunardi said.
Also from the conversation with Lunardi:
- “The only thing better that people loving Selection Sunday is loving the eight Sundays before that when that knucklehead Lunardi puts up a bracket. I’m carrying their water. Right?”
- ”I’ve come to view myself as the conduit of their passion and to not take (complaints) personally. Now, I’m human. Every once in a while, something will kind of (tick) me off. But rarely.”
- ”I’ve said this to my bosses in Bristol, I think I would probably be more accurate if I did more study and less TV. They very nicely said, we really, really respect your desire to be accurate but it’s great television and it’s perfect content and your content is, you know, people think it’s pretty good. So I’ve developed ways to try to be as accurate in 10 minutes as I might be in 10 hours because nothing is worse than having to walk something back. I’ve done it from time to time.”
Here’s are Lunardi’s top four seeds in each region entering Wednesday’s games:
East Regional: New York
1. San Diego State
2. Duke
3 Seton Hall
4. Auburn
South Regional: Houston
1 . Baylor
2. Dayton
3. Penn State
4. Creighton
Midwest Regional: Indianapolis
1. Kansas
2. Maryland
3. Louisville
4. Kentucky
West Regional: Los Angeles
1. Gonzaga
2. Florida State
3. West Virginia
4. Villanova
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM.