ESPN’s Joe Lunardi Makes Bold Prediction About Illinois in the NCAA Tournament
Against the odds, ESPN’s bracket expert Joe Lunardi predicts a deep run for Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. Lunardi, unlike his peers—such as FOX’s Mike DeCourcy and CBS’ Jerry Palm—was the only one to project Illinois (21-12) as a 6 seed.
Now that the tournament bracket is set, and Lunardi’s prediction was spot on (Illinois earned the 6 seed in the Midwest region), his focus has shifted to forecasting the team’s tournament performance. Illinois fans will be hoping Lunardi’s predictions for the Big Dance are as accurate as his seeding forecast.
Time to dance pic.twitter.com/LRQEhFrsQs
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 16, 2025
Lunardi highlighted Illinois’ improved health, noting that the team is “finally 100 percent healthy, which isn’t great news for teams in this region.” He also praised the Illini’s strong offensive lineup, featuring first-year players Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, and Tomislav Ivisic.
While Lunardi acknowledged Illinois’ inconsistent three-point shooting (ranking fourth in the nation with 30.1 attempts per game, but only converting 31.1% of them), he remained confident in their potential, boldly stating:
“We see Illinois making its second consecutive Elite Eight.”
Lunardi supported this prediction by pointing to coach Brad Underwood’s success in March, the return of forward Morez Johnson Jr. from a wrist injury, Riley’s timely improvement, and Jakucionis’ consistent play throughout the season.
However, Illinois first needs to handle business on Friday night in Milwaukee, where they will face Xavier, who defeated Texas 86-80 in Wednesday’s play-in game for the 11 seed.
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