While there's a long way to go still, ESPN's Joe Lunardi has released his first mock bracket projections for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. This comes after a flurry of moves in the transfer portal as well as decisions for the NBA. And the good news is that he has UNC in his field at the moment.

This week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi revealed his too-early 2025-26 bracket, therefore setting expectations for each team entering the upcoming season. Unsurprisingly, the Wolverines are one of his highest-seeded teams and his second-highest rated team in the Big Ten.

He has the Hoosiers in as a First Four team. He has Indiana paired with Marquette in a battle of 10-seeds. Lunardi has the winner a