Bracketology: Indiana Continues To Rise, Big Ten Surrounds Bubble

The Big Ten has nine teams in Joe Lunardi's most recent Bracketology on ESPN, with a handful of teams hovering around the bubble. Purdue is the No. 1 overall seed, and Indiana, Northwestern and Illinois are moving up.

Selection Sunday is less than six weeks away, and the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket is beginning to take shape.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi released his latest Bracketology on Tuesday, where he projected the entire 68-team bracket. The Big Ten leads all conferences with nine teams, headlined by the No. 1 overall seed Purdue Boilermakers. The Big Ten has a heavy presence on the bubble, with Maryland and Penn State barely in and Wisconsin and Ohio State just outside the field. The Big 12 is close behind the Big Ten with eight teams in the bracket.

Pittsburgh, Penn State, Kentucky and Oklahoma are the last four teams in, while Texas A&M, Nevada, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin are the first four teams out. Alabama, Tennessee and Houston round out the No. 1 seeds, and UCLA, Kansas, Texas and Arizona are the No. 2 seeds. 

Lunardi also projects the Mountain West, American Athletic and West Coast conferences to be multi-bid leagues. He tabbed San Diego State as a No. 6 seed and the Mount West Conference Tournament champion, followed by New Mexico and Boise State as No. 10 seeds. Along with No. 1 seed Houston, Memphis made the bracket from the AAC. No. 3 seed Gonzaga and No. 6 seed Saint Mary's earned a spot from the WCC.

As for Indiana's draw, Lunardi placed the Hoosiers as a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region. In this scenario, Indiana's Round of 64 matchup is against No. 12 seed Charleston (21-2) in Orlando, Fla. With a win, the Hoosiers would face either No. 4 seed Baylor or No. 13 seed UC-Santa Barbara in the Round of 32.

Here's the full Midwest Region.

Indiana is a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region in Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology on ESPN

For the full bracket, CLICK HERE.

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