Miami moves up to No. 9-seed on Joe Lunardi's latest bracket projection
Miami is now projected to be a No. 9-seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
Lunardi released his latest bracket projection on Friday morning ahead of this weekend’s slate. The Hurricanes were previously a No. 10-seed.
The change comes after Miami took care of business vs. Boston College on Wednesday night. The Hurricanes have now won five of their last seven contests heading into the final weekend.
If Miami wins on Saturday vs. Syracuse, it will clinch a double-bye in the ACC Tournament. That means it wouldn’t have to play again until the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 10.
Miami’s résumé is a complicated one. The Hurricanes currently rank No. 58 in the NET, which is outside the normal expectation for an NCAA Tournament team. But Miami has nine combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories — significantly more than most bubble teams.
The issue is with Miami’s three Quad 3 losses (UCF, Florida State and Virginia). FSU’s injuries and Virginia’s recent inconsistencies have forced those losses into Quad 3, but the Cavaliers could end up moving back into Quad 2 territory before selection Sunday.
Miami has another chance for a Quad 2 win vs. Syracuse at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.