Good Morning, Illini Nation: Still very early bracketology

Aug. 29—If is going to drop multiple bracketology updates during the summer, I’m going to click on it. Then write about it. That’s just how this works.

While it might be ludicrous to project an NCAA tournament field in late August — you know, seven months out from the event itself — it provides another talking point for the sport. College basketball is a 24/7/365 deal these days. Fan interest supports it.

And if what Lunardi now has projected actually happens for Illinois, consider this beat writer OK with outcome.

An NCAA tournament path that would potentially go from Lexington, Ky., to Indianapolis before the Final Four in San Antonio is rather ideal from a geography standpoint. Illini fans might take over Rupp Arena and Gainbridge Fieldhouse if that were the case.

Potential matchups that would pit Illinois against Miami in the first round, Auburn in the second, Arizona in the Sweet 16 and and Kansas in the Elite Eight is basically a storyline overload. You go from 2012 redemption/revenge to Bruce Pearl hatred to everyone discussing the 2001/2005 Elite Eight games to Bill Self. The stories literally write themselves.

Sign me up.