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
A very long week begins for the likes of Drake, Saint Louis and all the mid-major top seeds who suffered upsets in their respective conference tournaments. None of these teams can help itself, which means all these squads can do is watch others like Michigan State rally into the projected field. The Spartans are almost certainly dancing after knocking off a pair of projected No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 in an 11-day span. March, no matter what the novel says, is indeed the cruelest month.
