ESPN's Lunardi Projects Tennessee As No. 1 Seed

Tennessee has been on a tear in their past three games, defeating conference opponents handily. ESPN's Joe Lunardi noticed, and the bracket expert projects them as a No. 1 seed.

While experts were down on Tennessee after losing to unranked Kentucky, the Volunteers have rebounded. They have resoundingly beaten three consecutive SEC teams, continuing to win at all costs.

Guard Zakai Zeigler is beginning to separate himself as a difference-maker. Zeigler is averaging 33.3 minutes per game over the past three wins, an indicator of his importance to this team.

Meanwhile, the Volunteers are still battling some health issues. Santiago Vescovi, Tyreke Key, and Uros Plavsic have been in and out of the lineup with small issues but should be fine in the short term.

Joe Lunardi has developed a reputation as a bracket guru. The ESPN analyst has been releasing his "Bracketology" column for years now, and he has his finger on the tip of college basketball better than most.

NCAA Bracketology - 2023 March Madness men's field predictions. https://t.co/OvAOuBDJzA

— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) January 27, 2023

In his most recent projections, Tennessee is a No. 1 seed. They would face off against Northern Kentucky in the first round; other notable teams in their region would be North Carolina, Auburn, Baylor, Virginia, and Texas.

The other No. 1 seeds would be Houston, Alabama, and Purdue. The Crimson Tide are the only SEC team that rivals Tennessee, and the two sides will face off in a few weeks.

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