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Joe Lunardi projects Michigan as B1G champion, No. 2-seed in way-too-early bracketology
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ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi is a believer in Michigan heading into next season.
Lunardi released a (very) early version of his 2022 bracket projection on Tuesday, and it has Michigan listed as a No. 2 seed and as the Big Ten’s automatic qualifier.
Lunardi currently has UCLA, Kansas, Gonzaga and Alabama listed as No. 1 seeds.
Eight Big Ten teams made the field, including Ohio State and Purdue as No. 2 seeds. Lunardi also projects Northwestern to make the Big Dance as a No. 11-seed.
Michigan is returning some of the core that brought the Wolverines to a No. 1 seed in 2021. Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner and Mike Smith are all likely gone, but both Eli Brooks and Hunter Dickinson are returning to Ann Arbor for another season.
Juwan Howard has also signed multiple impact recruits this offseason, including Caleb Houstan and Kobe Bufkin. Dickinson could also make another leap after producing 14.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in a tremendous freshman season.
Lunardi said this projection will be updated next month after more rosters become solidified through the transfer portal.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.