Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket projection gives UConn men’s basketball a little bit of everything: a strong seed, a tougher Big East, and maybe even a reason for Huskies fans to feel better about the league’s long-term future.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s college basketball insider released the second edition of his “Way Too Early Bracketology,” and he had UConn slotted as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That placement likely reflects just how brutal the Huskies’ non-conference slate is expected to be.
But the bigger takeaway for UConn supporters may be what Lunardi projected for the Big East as a whole. He had seven league teams reaching March Madness, a notable jump from last season’s three.
In Lunardi’s 2025-26 tournament projection, the Big East teams included UConn, St. John’s and Villanova.
His 2026-27 projection expanded that list to UConn, St. John’s, Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, Seton Hall and Marquette.
That comes with one important caveat: the NCAA Tournament field is growing from 68 to 76 teams, so more bids will be available for everyone.
Still, the idea of a deeper Big East matters for UConn right away. A stronger league would give the Huskies more high-level tests once conference play begins, which has been a major talking point this offseason. The concern has been that while the nonconference schedule is loaded, the league schedule may not be tough enough to fully prepare Dan Hurley’s team for March.
If the Big East really is good enough to send seven teams to the tournament, that changes the equation. UConn would face more demanding games before March Madness, and even if that leads to a few more losses, it could pay off when the real bracket begins.
There’s also a bigger-picture angle here. A deeper conference could help keep UConn in the Big East. Earlier this spring, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports suggested that UConn could eventually leave the league, saying it was “imperative” that the Big East “step up its game” to keep the Huskies.
Landing seven tournament teams would be exactly the kind of response that would matter. It would strengthen the league’s reputation, create more tournament shares to distribute, and bring more money to the member schools.
A better TV deal could follow as well, and that means even more revenue down the line. With athletic departments chasing every possible dollar for NIL, that kind of financial lift is no small matter.
As the academic year begins, the sport calendar is starting to heat up, and UConn is now less than two months away from practice and exhibition season. Until then, the Huskies will keep recruiting, and they remain in the mix for one of the top recruits in the country in the Class of 2027. The name, according to the report, should sound familiar.
In Other News...
UConn Faces A New March Reality Even Under Dan Hurley
Joe Lunardis early bracket picture has UConn sitting in a place that has become less automatic than it felt during the programs recent run of dominance. The Huskies were projected as a No. 3 seed in ESPNs first look, a reminder that even under Dan Hurley, the road back to the top line of the bracket may look a little different this time around. The early forecast also reflects a schedule that figures to test them, along with a roster shaped by key departures and a group that still needs to prove it can absorb those changes quickly.
UConn landed in the East Region in Lunardis projection, which would start with a first-round meeting against Yale before the path could tighten in a hurry. Purdue, North Carolina State or Cincinnati could be waiting next, the kind of mid-early March collision course that leaves little margin for a team still sorting out its identity. For a program that has spent recent seasons setting the standard, the bigger question may not be where the Huskies are seeded, but how soon they can look like the team that belongs higher. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Still Has One Big Hurdle With Nation's Top 2027 Recruit
Kaleena Smiths early recruitment has already started to take shape, and UConn remains in the mix for one of the most coveted players in the Class of 2027. The Huskies are still selling what they usually do in these races: a championship-level program, a long track record of developing elite guards and a national platform that keeps them in the center of the sport.
The challenge, though, is the same one UConn often faces when chasing top West Coast talent. Smith has plenty of schools to weigh, from Baylor and Tennessee to USC, UCLA and Texas A&M, and the pull of staying closer to home could matter in the end. UConn is still on her visit list, but among the schools she is considering, it is the one farthest from California. [Read more 🡒]
St. Johns Just Made A Late Move UConn Fans Will Notice
St. Johns has quietly made a roster move that UConn fans in the Big East will want to keep an eye on, adding Reed Bailey ahead of the 2026-27 season. Bailey has already logged four years of college basketball, and his availability comes through a recent court injunction that has opened the door for some players to return for a fifth year, giving the Red Storm a chance to add an experienced piece at a time when roster construction matters more than ever.
The timing matters because St. Johns is trying to fill in for players headed to the NBA Draft while also covering an injured transfer, and that kind of late roster help can change the balance in a league where every edge counts. Baileys status is not fully settled, though, because the NCAA is challenging the fifth-year ruling, which leaves one important part of this move hanging in the air even as St. Johns continues building for the future. [Read more 🡒]