Joe Lunardi Projects BYU as an 8-Seed in Preseason Bracketology

The BYU basketball season is just under 100 days away. The 2024-2025 campaign will be one of the most anticipated BYU basketball seasons in recent history. The Cougars welcome a host of young talent, probably the most talented recruiting class in BYU history, to join a core group of veterans. This group will be coached by former top NBA assistant Kevin Young who will make his college basketball debut. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi thinks BYU will have enough talent to get back to the Big Dance in 2025.

Lunardi projected BYU as an 8-seed in his updated preseason bracketology. In Lunardi's projection, BYU would play 9-seed Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of BYU-Ole Miss would advance to player the winner of UConn-Colgate in the second round.

The Big 12 is expected to be absolutely loaded next season. In total, nine Big 12 teams are projected in the field of 64 by Lunardi, including top overall seed Kansas. The Jayhawks aren't the only projected 1-seed from the Big 12 - Houston is projected as a 1-seed in Lunardi's forecast as well. Seven Big 12 teams are projected on the five-seed line or better. Here are the nine Big 12 teams and their projected seeds in the 2025 NCAA Tournament:

1. Kansas - 1 seed
2. Houston - 1 seed
3. Iowa State - 2 seed
4. Arizona - 3 seed
5. Baylor - 3 seed
6. Texas Tech - 4 seed
7. Cincinnati - 5 seed
8. BYU - 8 seed
9. Kansas State - 10 seed