ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updates bracketology projection, outlook for SEC bubble teams
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We’re nearly 72 hours away from the unveiling of the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. Despite being so close, we’re still far away from being sure of who exactly will compete in this year’s tournament. That includes a handful of SEC schools’ whose fates have not yet been determined.
Ahead of the SEC Tournament’s second round, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi took a closer look at his bracket projection. He has three of the SEC’s four bubble teams — Missouri, Texas and Auburn — holding onto spots in the field for now. The fourth bubble squad, Oklahoma, has risen to his third team out of the bracket.
The Sooners lost nine games in a row early in SEC play, but have won seven of their last nine contests. That run, and a bubble that otherwise continues to lose games — like Texas versus Ole Miss on Wednesday — has allowed Porter Moser’s team to vault into tournament contention.
According to Kalshi, here are the latest odds to make the NCAA Tournament for the SEC’s bubble teams:
If the SEC’s other bubble teams hang onto their positions and the Sooners push themselves in, the SEC would earn 12 NCAA tournament bids. Missouri (vs. Kentucky, 12:30 p.m. E.T.), Auburn (vs. Tennessee, appx. 3:00 p.m. E.T.) and Oklahoma (vs. Texas A&M, appx. 9:30 p.m. E.T.) all have an opportunity to make a statement to the selection committee today in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
