Louisville basketball's National Title hype takes massive hit after bold prediction

Louisville basketball is expected to be one of the best teams in college basketball next season, as many consider their roster to be completely stacked. The Cardinals will have key returning players, including J'Vonne Hadley, Kasean Pryor, and Kobe Rodgers, while also boasting elite transfers such as Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and Adrian Wooley, as well as game-changing recruits in Mikel Brown Jr. and Sananda Fru.

This roster is poised for a deep March and April run and possesses all the tools necessary to make a Final Four appearance. The Cardinals are ranked in many experts way-too-early top 10 and are ranked as high as No. 7 by ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

However, a fellow ESPN expert appears to hold Louisville in much less regard. ESPN's bracketologist, Joe Lunardi, recently put out another men's bracketology for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and he just slapped the Cardinals in the face with the most enormous disrespect.

Louisville basketball's National Title hype takes massive hit after bold prediction

Back in early May, Lunardi predicted that Louisville would be a 5-seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, causing Cardinals fans to scream with anger. Louisville is projected to win its first ACC Title by some experts, but Lunardi ranked them as a 5-seed.

Well, it gets worse. The ESPN expert appears to hold Louisville in extremely low regard, as he now predicts the Cardinals to be the No. 7 seed in the Midwest region. Some experts rank Louisville as the seventh-best team in the nation, which would make them a 2-seed, while Lunardi ranks them as a 7-seed, placing them among the top 30 teams in the country.

Make that make sense. Louisville fans would love to hear Lunardi's reason because this is laughable. The Cardinals' transfer class is one of the best in the nation. They added a 5-star and two 4-stars and will bring in a 5-star and a 4-star from their 2025 commitments. Additionally, note that they have key stars returning and that their coach has won the ACC Coach of the Year award. It is hard to imagine this team being anything but a top 3 seed in the next NCAA Tournament.

Lunardi predicts that Louisville will face Maryland in the first round, and if the Cardinals can secure their first NCAA Tournament win since 2017, they will likely meet UConn in the second round. The No. 1 seed in the region is Houston, with Kentucky, Michigan, and Arkansas rounding out the top five.

If Louisville receives a 7-seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the word disappointing would be an understatement. This roster's potential is winning the 2026 NCAA Title, and the Vegas oddsmakers agree. The Cardinals currently have the tenth-best odds to win the 2026 NCAA Title.

For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.