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
Championship Week will no doubt deliver its share of drama, but very little figures to impact the very top of the bracket. The four current No. 1 seeds — Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Illinois — are almost certain to be on the top line a week from now. Their order might change, but not the composition. It’s pretty rare to have such an overwhelming consensus as to the four best teams in the country. And three of the four, excluding only Michigan, thought they would be in exactly this position when the season began.
