The NCAA tournament we lost last season has been found — and will be different than any previous such event.
The realities of the coronavirus pandemic mean the 2021 NCAA tournament will be held at a single destination – the state of Indiana – with multiple venues utilized and the usual tournament schedule adjusted. The Final Four is slated to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 3 and 5, but uncertainty will continue to reign following a regular season characterized by numerous cancellations and postponements throughout college basketball.
What is expected to remain familiar is the selection of a 68-team field, which is where Joe Lunardi comes in. Joey Brackets will continue to perform the bracket math and make projections on the field until Selection Sunday on March 14. For a deeper look at the NCAA tournament bubble, visit John Gasaway’s Bubble Watch (ESPN+) . — ESPN college basketball staff
Bracket Watch
One down, 67 to go. A strange year got a little bit stranger when Liberty clinched the ASUN automatic bid before even playing the conference championship game. The Flames face North Alabama, a transitional Division I program not yet eligible for NCAA championships, for the title on Sunday and are the league’s automatic qualifiers win or lose. In the meantime, Saturday’s most impactful games might be the Atlantic 10 semifinals. All four teams — St. Bonaventure vs. Saint Louis, VCU vs. Davidson — are in the at-large conversation should they fail to win the automatic bid.
