Early March Louisville Men's Basketball NCAA Tournament Projections

With the postseason on the horizon, few teams are as hot as the Louisville men's basketball program.

The Cardinals (23-6, 16-2 ACC) have now won seven consecutive games, and are winners in 17 of their last 18 games overall. They've not only clinched a double bye in the ACC Tournament, they're still mathematically in the running for the No. 1 overall seed and a share of the league's regular season title.

As you can imagine, first year head coach Pat Kelsey has Louisville in a very good standing for the NCAA Tournament. According to BracketMatrix, a website that averages out several dozen NCAA Tournament projections among major "bracketologists," the Cardinals average out to a six seed in their most recent update (Mar. 4).

So where do some of these projections have Louisville going for the Big Dance? Below is a sampling from some of the more noteworthy NCAA Tournament projectors.

Selection Sunday is set for Sunday, Mar. 16, with the First Four set for Mar. 18-19. The first and second rounds are scheduled for Mar. 20-23, with the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight slated for Mar. 27-30. The Final Four from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tex. will take place on Apr. 5, with the national championship set for Apr. 7.

Sports Illustrated

• Projector: Kevin Sweeney
• Seed/Region: No. 7 in South
• First Round Matchup: No. 10 Baylor
• Second Round Pairing: No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 Montana
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Auburn, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Arizona

ESPN

• Projector: Joe Lunardi
• Seed/Region: No. 6 in Midwest
• First Round Matchup: No. 11 Ohio State/Arkansas
• Second Round Pairing: No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Jax State
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Houston, Alabama, Wisconsin, Texas A&M

CBS

• Projector: Jerry Palm
• Seed/Region: No. 7 in West
• First Round Matchup: No. 10 Georgia
• Second Round Pairing: No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 Norfolk State
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Tennessee, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

The Athletic

• Projector: Joe Rexrode
• Seed/Region: No. 6 in South
• First Round Matchup: No. 11 Ohio State
• Second Round Pairing: No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Utah Valley
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Auburn, Michigan State, Texas Tech, Purdue

Fox Sports

• Projector: Mike DeCourcy
• Seed/Region: No. 6 in Midwest
• First Round Matchup: No. 11 VCU
• Second Round Pairing: No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Towson
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Alabama, Michigan State, Iowa State, Missouri

USA Today

• Projector: Erick Smith
• Seed/Region: No. 6 in South
• First Round Matchup: No. 11 Boise State/Ohio State
• Second Round Pairing: No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 14 Chattanooga
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Auburn, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Michigan

SBNation

• Projector: Chris Dobbertean
• Seed/Region: No. 6 in East
• First Round Matchup: No. 11 Ohio State/Xavier
• Second Round Pairing: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 14 South Alabama
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Duke, Florida, Iowa State, Purdue

BracketVille

• Projector: Dave Ommen
• Seed/Region: No. 7 in East
• First Round Matchup: No. 10 Baylor
• Second Round Pairing: No. 2 Florida vs. No. 15 Central Connecticut
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Duke, Florida, Texas Tech, Purdue

• Projector: Tim Krueger
• Seed/Region: No. 8 in West
• First Round Matchup: No. 9 Gonzaga
• Second Round Pairing: No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Bucknell/Quinnipiac
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Houston, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Arizona

Bleacher Report

• Projector: Kerry Miller
• Seed/Region: No. 7 in East
• First Round Matchup: No. 10 VCU
• Second Round Pairing: No. 2 Florida vs. No. 15 Robert Morris
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Duke, Florida, St. John's, Michigan

NCAA

• Projector: Andy Katz
• Seed/Region: No. 5 in West
• First Round Matchup: No. 12 UC San Diego
• Second Round Pairing: No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Lipscomb
• Region's Top Four Seeds: Tennessee, Iowa State Purdue, Texas A&M

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky