Joe Lunardi Releases Summer Bracketology Projection for 2022-23 Season

WVU isn't expected to go dancing for a second straight year.

Since becoming the head coach of WVU men's basketball in 2007, there has been only one occasion in which Bob Huggins failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years (2012-13, 2013-14). 

Last year was a difficult season for the future Hall of Fame inductee as the team compiled a 16-17 record, missing out on playing in the big dance for the first time since the 2018-19 season. 

Huggins openly admitted that they didn't do a good enough job recruiting the transfer portal and it showed with some of the additions just never being able to adjust to Big 12 play.

This offseason, wholesale changes were made within the program.

A handful of players transferred out while several transferred in. The additions of Emmitt Matthews Jr. (Washington), Erik Stevenson (South Carolina), Tre Mitchell (Texas), and Joe Toussaint (Iowa) bring a wealth of Power Five experience to a team that badly needs it with just four players returning.

Expectations throughout the fan base have risen with the changes that have been made to the roster, but ESPN's Joe Lunardi isn't sold on the Mountaineers. In his recent 2022-23 bracketology projection, he left West Virginia out of the field completely. Considering the overhaul of the roster, it's easy to see why. It's going to take some time for this many newcomers to gel together and once they do, it might be a tad late. Not to mention, WVU will have a challenging out-of-conference schedule, as usual. 

Below is Lundari's fully projected field.

WEST (LAS VEGAS)

1. Gonzaga vs 16. Morehead St.

8. Xavier vs 9. USC

5. San Diego State vs 12. UAB

4. Auburn vs 13. UC Santa Barbara

6. Michigan vs 11. Notre Dame

3. Creighton vs 14. Oral Roberts

7. Texas Tech vs 10. Iowa

2. UCLA vs 15. Youngstown St

MIDWEST (KANSAS CITY)

1. Houston vs 16. Nicholls/Jackson State

8. Miami vs 9. Oklahoma State

5. Arizona vs 12. Toledo

4. TCU vs 13. Grand Canyon

6. Oregon vs 11. Rutgers/Saint Mary's

3. Arkansas vs 14. Louisiana

7. Purdue vs 10. St. John's

2. Baylor vs 15. Vermont

SOUTH (LOUISVILLE)

1. Kentucky vs 16. Norfolk St/Sacred Heart

8. UConn vs 9. Virginia Tech

5. Dayton vs 12. Furman

4. Indiana vs 13. Drake

6. Illinois vs 11. Oklahoma

3. Duke vs 14. Iona

7. Saint Louis vs 10. Florida

2. Kansas vs 15. Colgate

EAST (NEW YORK)

1. North Carolina vs 16. UNC Asheville

8. Texas A&M vs 9. Ohio State

5. Alabama vs 12. Liberty

4. Villanova vs 13. Towson

6. Virginia vs 11. Memphis/Seton Hall

3. Tennessee vs 14. Penn

7. Michigan State vs 10. Wyoming

2. Texas vs 15. Montana State

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