ESPN's bracketologist, Joe Lunardi, believes the SEC is well on its way to sending 13 teams to the 2024-25 men's NCAA tournament, which would be a new record.

"I can't believe I keep typing the number 13 and the same conference in the same line, but here we are," he said during Sunday's SportsCenter. "And that Texas highlight you showed of Tramon Mark's layup to beat Texas A&M is what kept the SEC with 13 of its 16 teams in the field. Of course, Auburn is at the top of that list and rightfully so. I think there is an excellent chance that we're going to break the record of bids from a conference in a year. The record is 11, 11 out of 16 by the Big East back in 2011. And I think the SEC getting at least a dozen, I would bet your mortgage payment on that."

There isn't an SEC team at the moment with a losing record, and only South Carolina—currently 10-10—doesn't have an overall winning record. That will likely change down the stretch, as teams face the meat of their conference schedule. South Carolina, for instance, is already 0-7 in the SEC, while LSU is 1-5 in conference play and Arkansas is 1-6. But those three teams are currently at the bottom of the SEC picture anyway.

Lunardi also believes that North Carolina—which is 13-8 on the year but doesn't have many signature wins on its résumé—is sitting firmly on the bubble.

"We remember two years ago, the Tar Heels where the preseason No. 1 rank team consensus, not only on the bubble, didn't make the tournament that season. Here we go, a top 10, top 15 team at worst coming into the year, and now 1-7 against Quad 1," he said. "The only win in that category, a neutral court triumph over UCLA. Next two weeks are going to tell the tale. They play all the top teams in the ACC. They're at Pitt, they're at Duke, and then home for Pitt and again Clemson. All four teams Quad 1, all likely to make the tournament. It's time for Carolina to put a couple of notches in their belt."