Gonzaga a 9 Seed, BYU a 10 seed, Gaels Edged Out in Latest Joe Lunardi Bracketology

uFeb. 9, 2013; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Kevin Pangos (4) talks with head coach Mark Few during a game against the against Loyola Marymount Lions during the second half at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs beat the Lions by a final score of 74-55. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Yes I know, the tournament is just about 10 months away. But, it’s never too early for bracketology. Teams are changing rapidly with incoming and outgoing transfers, in addition to all of the new recruits. If anyone were to predict an NCAA Tournament bracket in May, it would be Joe Lunardi, who is the wizard of bracketology. That being said, the wizard has the Zags as a nine seed, the Cougars as a ten seed, and the Gaels as one of the first four teams out in his May 15th addition.

Gonzaga should come as no surprise, considering they have made it too the big dance the last 15 years. A nine seed seems about right. Losing both Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris will be an enormous hit to their front court, and the Zags lost out on high impact transfers Josh Davis and Mike Moser. Their guard play will be fantastic, with the addition of Gerard Coleman and the return of Pangos and Bell. They will still be talented, but certainly not as much as last season, and there ranking in this bracketology appropriately reflects that. Gonzaga’s first round matchup is La Salle, and 1 seed in their bracket is Michigan State.

BYU comes in as a ten seed in this installment. The Cougars are predicted to get back on track, and make the NCAA tournament after being excluded from the field last year. Lunardi appropriately acknowledges that BYU has a great team returning next season, and are going to be an extremely tough team to beat next season. Tyler Haws and Matt Carlino will return to make a lethal backcourt, and incoming freshman center Eric Mika, four star prospect, will be an immediate force down low. In this fictitious bracket, the Cougars are taking on seven seed VCU, and Florida is the two seed in their bracket.

Unfortunately for the Gaels, they just missed the cut of the 68 team field. The Saint Mary’s team is in trouble after being slapped with NCAA sanctions, which they are appealing, and losing star point guard Matthew Dellavedova. Although their roster is still full of talent, Lunardi, among others, argue that without Dellavedova the Gaels will regress significantly, assuming that they do not find anyone to replace him. The Gaels are among the first four out with St. Johns, Washington, and Massachusetts.

No big surprises here, BYU and Gonzaga appear to make up the upper echelon of the conference, while Saint Mary’s is on the decline. The offseason is far from over, and a lot can change in that amount of time, but as of right now, this is just a snapshot of how the top of the conference stands.