2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2020–21 season. The 82nd edition of the tournament began play on March 18, 2021, in sites around the state of Indiana,[2] and concluded with the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 5, with the Baylor Bears defeating the previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs 86–70 to earn the team's first ever title.
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Season | 2020–21 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | 68 (including one that did not play) | ||||
Finals site | Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||
Champions | Baylor Bears (1st title, 2nd title game, 3rd Final Four) | ||||
Runner-up | Gonzaga Bulldogs (2nd title game, 2nd Final Four) | ||||
Semifinalists |
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Winning coach | Scott Drew (1st title) | ||||
MOP | Jared Butler (Baylor) | ||||
Attendance | 173,592[1] | ||||
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For logistical considerations surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (which resulted in the cancellation of the previous year's tournament), the NCAA announced in January 2021 that all tournament games would be held in Indiana rather than at sites across the country. This was the only time in the history of the tournament to date that a single state has hosted it in its entirety.[3]
This marked the first time since 1976 that neither Duke or Kentucky qualified for the tournament.[4] It was also the first time since 1995 that Duke failed to make the tournament, breaking a streak of 24 consecutive appearances. America East champion Hartford and WAC champion Grand Canyon made their NCAA Tournament debuts.
The tournament was marked by many upsets, with Yahoo Sports journalist Pete Thamel calling it "one of the most dizzying NCAA men's tournaments in history". With only half of the 16 second-round games having been played, there had been 11 upsets to that point, using the NCAA's definition of "upset" as a win by a team seeded five or more lines below its defeated opponent. This had already broken the record for most upsets prior to the round of 16; by the end of the second round, this number went up to 12. In addition, at least one team seeded #9 through #15 won a first-round game for the fourth time ever, and the first time since 2016. Also, a record four teams seeded 13 or lower won first-round games.[5] Another notable mark set during the tournament was a record-breaking 14 upsets throughout the event, breaking the original record of 13 upsets from the 1985 and 2014 tournaments.
The Final Four game between UCLA and Gonzaga (the first semifinal game to go into overtime since 1998) saw a game-winning buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs to take Gonzaga into the championship game, the first buzzer-beater in a national semifinal since 1977. By defeating Gonzaga in the championship game, the Baylor Bears became the second consecutive first-time NCAA champions, following the Virginia Cavaliers in 2019. The last time this happened was in 2002 and 2003, when the Maryland Terrapins and Syracuse Orange (then nicknamed Orangemen) won their first titles in their respective years. Baylor also joined Texas Western (now known as the University of Texas at El Paso) as the only two teams from the state of Texas to have won an NCAA Division I Basketball championship, the Miners having done so in 1966.
Tournament procedure
editA total of 68 teams entered the 2021 tournament, with 31 of them (down from 32, due to the Ivy League having canceled all winter semester sports due to COVID-19)[6] having received an automatic bid by winning their conference's tournament. The remaining 37 bids were "at-large", with selections extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. Teams met sport sponsorship requirements and were considered for NCAA championship selection if they played 13 games, which represented a 50 percent reduction of the current minimum. For NCAA championship consideration, all 13 games had to be against other Division I opponents. Teams could also play 12 regular-season games against Division I opponents and one conference tournament game to be eligible for tournament consideration.[7]
The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 68. The four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams played in the First Four round: for the 2021 tournament, the games were played between the overall 65th and 66th seeds, the 67th and 68th seed, and the last four at-large seeds.[8]
The top four teams outside of the ranking (commonly known as the "first four out" in pre-tourney analyses) acted as standbys in the event a school was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols.[9][10] However, if a team withdrew within 48 hours of the tournament's commencement, they would not be replaced; the bracket was not reseeded, and the affected team's opponent would automatically advance to the next round.The replacement teams are as follows, in order:
NET | School | Conference | Record |
---|---|---|---|
56 | Louisville | ACC | 13–7 |
51 | Colorado State | Mountain West | 18–6 |
43 | Saint Louis | Atlantic 10 | 14–6 |
53 | Ole Miss | SEC | 16–11 |
Schedule and venues
editOn January 4, 2021, the NCAA announced that due to logistical considerations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (which prompted the cancellation of the 2020 tournament), the entirety of the tournament would be conducted at sites within the Indianapolis metro area and central Indiana, rather than across the country.[13] Players stayed at hotels near the Indiana Convention Center, which served as the main practice facility.[14] Lucas Oil Stadium had two courts named "Unity Court" and "Equality Court" during the First Round, Second Round, and Elite Eight.
On February 19, it was announced that all venues would operate at a maximum of 25% capacity. As this capacity includes staff and players, the exact number of spectators varied by venue.[15][16] Artificial crowd noise was used at all venues to augment the limited in-person attendance.[17]
This tournament marked the first time ever that Indiana Farmers Coliseum was a tournament venue, the first time since 2017 that Bankers Life Fieldhouse was a tournament venue, the first time since 1940 that Hinkle Fieldhouse was a tournament venue, the first time since 1980 that Mackey Arena was a tournament venue, and the first time since 1981 that Assembly Hall was a tournament venue.
First Four:
- Thursday, March 18
First and Second Rounds:
- Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20
- Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana (Host: Purdue University)
- Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana (Host: Indiana University Bloomington)
- Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Ball State University)
- Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Butler University)
- Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: IUPUI)
- Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Unity Court and Equality Court) (Hosts: IUPUI, Horizon League)
- Sunday, March 21 and Monday, March 22
- Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Ball State University)
- Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Butler University)
- Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: IUPUI)
- Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Unity Court and Equality Court) (Hosts: IUPUI, Horizon League)
Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight):
- Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28
- Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Ball State University)
- Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Butler University)
- Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30
- Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Unity Court and Equality Court) (Hosts: IUPUI, Horizon League)
National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four and Championship):
- Saturday, April 3 and Monday, April 5
- Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (Hosts: IUPUI, Horizon League)
Original 2021 NCAA Tournament schedule and venues
editThe following sites were originally selected to host each round of the 2021 tournament;[18] with the exceptions of Boise and Minneapolis, all cities and venues listed are scheduled to host tournament games after 2021:
First Four
- March 16 and 17
First and Second Rounds
- March 18 and 20
- March 19 and 21
Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
- March 25 and 27
- Midwest Regional, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Host: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities)
- West Regional, Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado (Host: Mountain West Conference)
- March 26 and 28
- South Regional, FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee (Host: University of Memphis)
- East Regional, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York (Host: Atlantic 10 Conference)
National Semifinals and Championship (Final Four and Championship)
- April 3 and 5
Qualification and selection
editAutomatic qualifiers
editConference | Team | Appearance | Last bid |
---|---|---|---|
America East | Hartford | 1st | Never |
American | Houston | 22nd | 2019 |
Atlantic 10 | St. Bonaventure | 8th | 2018 |
ACC | Georgia Tech | 17th | 2010 |
ASUN | Liberty | 5th | 2019 |
Big 12 | Texas | 35th | 2018 |
Big East | Georgetown | 31st | 2015 |
Big Sky | Eastern Washington | 3rd | 2015 |
Big South | Winthrop | 11th | 2017 |
Big Ten | Illinois | 31st | 2013 |
Big West | UC Santa Barbara | 6th | 2011 |
CAA | Drexel | 5th | 1996 |
C-USA | North Texas | 4th | 2010 |
Horizon | Cleveland State | 3rd | 2009 |
Ivy League | Season not played | ||
MAAC | Iona | 15th | 2019 |
MAC | Ohio | 14th | 2012 |
MEAC | Norfolk State | 2nd | 2012 |
Missouri Valley | Loyola Chicago | 7th | 2018 |
Mountain West | San Diego State | 13th | 2018 |
NEC | Mount St. Mary's | 6th | 2017 |
Ohio Valley | Morehead State | 8th | 2011 |
Pac-12 | Oregon State | 15th | 2016 |
Patriot | Colgate | 4th | 2019 |
SEC | Alabama | 22nd | 2018 |
Southern | UNC Greensboro | 4th | 2018 |
Southland | Abilene Christian | 2nd | 2019 |
SWAC | Texas Southern | 9th | 2018 |
Summit League | Oral Roberts | 6th | 2008 |
Sun Belt | Appalachian State | 3rd | 2000 |
WAC | Grand Canyon | 1st | Never |
WCC | Gonzaga | 23rd | 2019 |
Tournament seeds
editThe tournament seeds and regions were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process.
In contrast to previous years, the S-Curve used to establish overall seeds will also be used as primary determinant of the tournament bracket; this was made possible by the relatively condensed locations of this year's tournament making geographic concerns irrelevant. However, rules that can modify pairings to avoid early rematches and to distribute top conference representatives to different regions will remain in effect.[19][20]
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*See First Four
Tournament bracket
editNote: Unlike past tournaments, teams are not grouped as pods. Second round games will match teams that played at different venues in the first round.
First Four
editThe First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.
March 18 – West Regional Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Bloomington | ||||
16 | Norfolk State | 54 | ||
16 | Appalachian State | 53 |
March 18 – West Regional Mackey Arena West Lafayette | ||||
11 | Wichita State | 52 | ||
11 | Drake | 53 |
March 18 – East Regional Mackey Arena West Lafayette | ||||
11 | Michigan State | 80 | ||
11 | UCLA | 86OT |
March 18 – East Regional Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Bloomington | ||||
16 | Mount St. Mary's | 52 | ||
16 | Texas Southern | 60 |
West Regional
editFirst Round Round of 64 Saturday, March 20 | Second Round Round of 32 Monday, March 22 | Regional Semifinals Sweet 16 Sunday, March 28 | Regional Final Elite 8 Tuesday, March 30 | |||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Gonzaga | 98 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | Norfolk State | 55 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Gonzaga | 87 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Equality | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | Oklahoma | 71 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | Oklahoma | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | Missouri | 68 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Gonzaga | 83 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | Creighton | 65 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Creighton | 63 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | UC Santa Barbara | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Creighton | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | Ohio | 58 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | Virginia | 58 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Equality | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | Ohio | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Gonzaga | 85 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | USC | 66 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | USC | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
11 | Drake | 56 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | USC | 85 | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | Kansas | 51 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Kansas | 93 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | Eastern Washington | 84 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | USC | 82 | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | Oregon | 68 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | Oregon | WO | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | VCU[A] | |||||||||||||||||
7 | Oregon | 95 | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Iowa | 80 | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Iowa | 86 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | Grand Canyon | 74 | ||||||||||||||||
West Regional Final
editTBS
|
March 30
7:15 pm EDT |
#6 USC Trojans 66, #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 85 | ||
Scoring by half: 30–49, 36–36 | ||
Pts: I. Mobley, 19 Rebs: I. Mobley, 7 Asts: I. Mobley, E. Mobley, 3 |
Pts: D. Timme, 23 Rebs: J. Suggs, 10 Asts: J. Suggs, 8 |
Equality Court – Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 6,166 Referees: Randy McCall, Doug Shows, Bert Smith, Tony Henderson [22] |
West Regional all tournament team
edit- Drew Timme, Gonzaga (MOP)
- Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
- Evan Mobley, USC
- Isaiah Mobley, USC
- Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
East Regional
editFirst round Round of 64 Saturday, March 20 | Second Round Round of 32 Monday, March 22 | Regional Semifinals Sweet 16 Sunday, March 28 | Regional Final Elite 8 Tuesday, March 30 | |||||||||||||||
Mackey Arena | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan | 82 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | Texas Southern | 66 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan | 86 | ||||||||||||||||
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | LSU | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | LSU | 76 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | St. Bonaventure | 61 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan | 76 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | Florida State | 58 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Colorado | 96 | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | Georgetown | 73 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Colorado | 53 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | Florida State | 71 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | Florida State | 64 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | UNC Greensboro | 54 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Michigan | 49 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
11 | UCLA | 51 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | BYU | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
11 | UCLA | 73 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | UCLA | 67 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | Abilene Christian | 47 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Texas | 52 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | Abilene Christian | 53 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | UCLA | 88OT | ||||||||||||||||
Mackey Arena | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Alabama | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | UConn | 54 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | Maryland | 63 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | Maryland | 77 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Alabama | 96 | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Alabama | 68 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | Iona | 55 | ||||||||||||||||
East Regional Final
editTBS
|
March 30
9:57 pm EDT |
#11 UCLA Bruins 51, #1 Michigan Wolverines 49 | ||
Scoring by half: 27–23, 24–26 | ||
Pts: J. Juzang, 28 Rebs: J. Bernard, 9 Asts: J. Jaquez Jr., 4 |
Pts: H. Dickinson, 11 Rebs: C. Brown Jr., 9 Asts: E. Brooks, M. Smith, 4 |
Unity Court – Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,515 Referees: Bo Boroski, Verne Harris, Lee Cassell |
East Regional all tournament team
edit- Johnny Juzang, UCLA (MOP)
- Chaundee Brown Jr., Michigan
- Tyger Campbell, UCLA
- Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
South Regional
editFirst round Round of 64 Friday, March 19 | Second Round Round of 32 Sunday, March 21 | Regional semifinals Sweet 16 Saturday, March 27 | Regional Final Elite 8 Monday, March 29 | |||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Baylor | 79 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | Hartford | 55 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Baylor | 76 | ||||||||||||||||
Mackey Arena | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | Wisconsin | 63 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | North Carolina | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | Wisconsin | 85 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Baylor | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | Villanova | 51 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Villanova | 73 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | Winthrop | 63 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Villanova | 84 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Equality | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | North Texas | 61 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | Purdue | 69 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | North Texas | 78OT | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Baylor | 81 | ||||||||||||||||
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | Arkansas | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | Texas Tech | 65 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
11 | Utah State | 53 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | Texas Tech | 66 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | Arkansas | 68 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Arkansas | 85 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | Colgate | 68 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Arkansas | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
15 | Oral Roberts | 70 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | Florida | 75OT | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | Virginia Tech | 70 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | Florida | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
Mackey Arena | ||||||||||||||||||
15 | Oral Roberts | 81 | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Ohio State | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | Oral Roberts | 75OT | ||||||||||||||||
South Regional Final
editCBS
|
March 29
9:57 pm EDT |
#3 Arkansas Razorbacks 72, #1 Baylor Bears 81 | ||
Scoring by half: 38–46, 34–35 | ||
Pts: D. Davis, J. Notae, 14 Rebs: J. Smith, D. Davis, D. Sills, 6 Asts: D. Sills, 4 |
Pts: M. Teague, 22 Rebs: J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua, 6 Asts: D. Mitchell, 6 |
Unity Court – Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,519 Referees: Terry Oglesby, Jeff Clark, Paul Szelc |
South Regional all tournament team
edit- Davion Mitchell, Baylor (MOP)
- Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
- Jared Butler, Baylor
- Jalen Tate, Arkansas
- MaCio Teague, Baylor
Midwest Regional
editFirst round Round of 64 Friday, March 19 | Second Round Round of 32 Sunday, March 21 | Regional Semifinals Sweet 16 Saturday, March 27 | Regional Final Elite 8 Monday, March 29 | |||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Illinois | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
16 | Drexel | 49 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Illinois | 58 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | Loyola Chicago | 71 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | Loyola Chicago | 71 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
9 | Georgia Tech | 60 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | Loyola Chicago | 58 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | Oregon State | 65 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | Tennessee | 56 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
12 | Oregon State | 70 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | Oregon State | 80 | ||||||||||||||||
Indiana Farmers Coliseum | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | Oklahoma State | 70 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | Oklahoma State | 69 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Equality | ||||||||||||||||||
13 | Liberty | 60 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | Oregon State | 61 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Houston | 67 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | San Diego State | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
11 | Syracuse | 78 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | Syracuse | 75 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | West Virginia | 72 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | West Virginia | 84 | ||||||||||||||||
Hinkle Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
14 | Morehead State | 67 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | Syracuse | 46 | ||||||||||||||||
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Houston | 62 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | Clemson | 56 | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Oil Stadium – Unity | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | Rutgers | 60 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | Rutgers | 60 | ||||||||||||||||
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Houston | 63 | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Houston | 87 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | Cleveland State | 56 | ||||||||||||||||
Midwest Regional Final
editCBS
|
March 29
7:15 pm EDT |
#12 Oregon State Beavers 61, #2 Houston Cougars 67 | ||
Scoring by half: 17–34, 44–33 | ||
Pts: M. Calloo, 13 Rebs: E. Thompson, 7 Asts: E. Thompson, 6 |
Pts: M. Sasser, 20 Rebs: J. Gorham, 10 Asts: D. Jarreau, 8 |
Equality Court – Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 7,519 Referees: Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson, Mike Reed |
Midwest Regional all tournament team
edit- DeJon Jarreau, Houston (MOP)
- Quentin Grimes, Houston
- Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago
- Marcus Sasser, Houston
- Ethan Thompson, Oregon State
Final Four – Lucas Oil Stadium
editNational Semifinals Saturday, April 3 | National Championship Game Monday, April 5 | ||||||||
W1 | Gonzaga | 93OT | |||||||
E11 | UCLA | 90 | |||||||
W1 | Gonzaga | 70 | |||||||
S1 | Baylor | 86 | |||||||
S1 | Baylor | 78 | |||||||
MW2 | Houston | 59 |
National semifinals
editCBS
|
April 3
5:14 pm EDT |
S1 Baylor Bears 78, MW2 Houston Cougars 59 | ||
Scoring by half: 45–20, 33–39 | ||
Pts: J. Butler, 17 Rebs: J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua, 6 Asts: D. Mitchell, 11 |
Pts: M. Sasser, 20 Rebs: J. Gorham, 6 Asts: J. Gorham, 3 |
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 8,131 Referees: Doug Sirmons, Pat Adams, Chris Rastatter |
CBS
|
April 3
8:34 pm EDT |
W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 93, E11 UCLA Bruins 90 (OT) | ||
Scoring by half: 45–44, 36–37 Overtime: 12–9 | ||
Pts: D. Timme, 25 Rebs: J. Ayayi, 6 Asts: A. Nembhard, 8 |
Pts: J. Juzang, 29 Rebs: C. Riley, 10 Asts: T. Campbell, 7 |
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 8,131 Referees: Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson, James Breeding |
National championship
editCBS
|
April 5
9:20 pm EDT |
S1 Baylor Bears 86, W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 70 | ||
Scoring by half: 47–37, 39–33 | ||
Pts: J. Butler, 22 Rebs: M. Vital, 11 Asts: J. Butler, 7 |
Pts: J. Suggs, 22 Rebs: D. Timme, 5 Asts: A. Nembhard, 4 |
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
Referees: Randy McCall, Bo Boroski, Keith Kimble |
Final Four all-tournament team
edit- Jared Butler, Baylor (MOP)
- Johnny Juzang, UCLA
- Davion Mitchell, Baylor
- Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga
- Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Source:[23]
Game summaries and tournament notes
editUpsets
editPer the NCAA, "Upsets are defined as when the winner of the game was seeded five or more places lower than the team it defeated." The 2021 tournament saw a record total of 14 upsets; 7 of them were in the first round, 5 of them were in the second round, and one of them in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, respectively.[24]
Round | West | East | South | Midwest |
---|---|---|---|---|
First round | No. 13 Ohio defeated No. 4 Virginia, 62–58 |
|
|
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Second Round | No. 7 Oregon defeated No. 2 Iowa, 95–80 | None | No. 15 Oral Roberts defeated No. 7 Florida, 81–78 |
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Sweet 16 | None | No. 11 UCLA defeated No. 2 Alabama, 88–78 (OT) | None | None |
Elite 8 | None | No. 11 UCLA defeated No. 1 Michigan, 51–49 | None | None |
Record by conference
editConference | Bids | Record | Win % | FF | R64 | R32 | S16 | E8 | F4 | CG | NC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Big 12 | 7 | 11–6 | .647 | – | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
WCC | 2 | 5–2 | .714 | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
American | 2 | 4–2 | .667 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
Pac-12 | 5 | 13–5 | .722 | 1 | 5† | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – |
Big Ten | 9 | 8–9 | .471 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
SEC | 6 | 7–6 | .538 | – | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
ACC | 7 | 4–7 | .364 | – | 7 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
Big East | 4 | 4–4 | .500 | – | 4 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
Missouri Valley | 2 | 3–2 | .600 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Summit | 1 | 2–1 | .667 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
C-USA | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
MAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
Southland | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
MEAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
SWAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Atlantic 10 | 2 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 2† | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Mountain West | 2 | 0–2 | .000 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
America East | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Atlantic Sun | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Big Sky | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Big South | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Big West | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Colonial | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Horizon | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
MAAC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ohio Valley | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Patriot | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Southern | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
WAC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Northeast | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Sun Belt | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
† Includes a game declared no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols with VCU. Oregon of the Pac-12 conference advanced to the second round and VCU of the Atlantic 10 conference was eliminated from the tournament.
- The FF, R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the First Four, Round of 64 (first round), Round of 32 (second round), Regional semifinals (Sweet 16), Regional Finals (Elite Eight), National semifinals (Final Four), National Championship Game, and national champion, respectively.
- The Record column does not include wins or losses in games declared no-contest.
Media coverage
editTelevision
editCBS Sports and Turner Sports had US television rights to the tournament.[25][26] As part of a cycle that began in 2016, CBS televised the 2021 Final Four and the national championship game. Because the 2020 tournament had been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, the last two rounds in back-to-back editions were broadcast on CBS for the first time since 2015 (TBS would have broadcast the 2020 Final Four and National Championship according to the arrangement).
Television channels
edit- First Four – truTV and TBS
- First and Second Rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
- Regional semifinals and Final (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) – CBS and TBS
- National semifinals (Final Four) and championship – CBS
Studio hosts
edit- Greg Gumbel (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Ernie Johnson (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals and Final Four
- Adam Zucker (New York City) – First round and Second round
- Matt Winer (Atlanta) – First round (Game Breaks)
Studio analysts
edit- Charles Barkley (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Seth Davis (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Jim Jackson (Indianapolis) – National Championship Game
- Andy Katz (Atlanta) – First Four, first round, second round and Regionals
- Clark Kellogg (New York City and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Candace Parker (Indianapolis) – Final Four
- Kenny Smith (Atlanta and Indianapolis) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Gene Steratore (New York City and Indianapolis) (Rules Analyst) – First Four, first round, second round, Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Game
- Wally Szczerbiak (New York City) – First Four, first round, second round and Regionals
Commentary teams
edit- Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson – First round at Hinkle Fieldhouse; Second Round and Regional Semi-finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Sunday); South Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South); Final Four and National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium
- Hill joined Nantz, Raftery and Wolfson during the Regionals, Final Four and National Championship Games.
- Brian Anderson/Jim Jackson/Allie LaForce – First Four at Mackey Arena; First and Second Rounds at Bankers Life Fieldhouse; Regional Semi-finals at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Saturday); West Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South)
- Ian Eagle/Grant Hill or Jim Spanarkel/Jamie Erdahl – First round at Mackey Arena; Second Round and Regional Semi-finals at Hinkle Fieldhouse (Sunday); Midwest Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Equality (North)
- Hill called the First & Second Rounds, Spanarkel did the Regionals.
- Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner/Dana Jacobson – First round at Indiana Farmers Coliseum; Second Round at Hinkle Fieldhouse; Regional Semi-finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Saturday); East Regional Final at Lucas Oil Stadium Equality (North)
- Brad Nessler/Steve Lavin/Avery Johnson (First Four only)/Evan Washburn – First Four at Assembly Hall; First and Second Rounds at Indiana Farmers Coliseum
- Spero Dedes/Brendan Haywood/Lauren Shehadi – First round at Bankers Life Fieldhouse; Second Round at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South)
- Andrew Catalon/Steve Lappas/AJ Ross – First and Second Rounds at Hinkle Fieldhouse
- Carter Blackburn/Debbie Antonelli/Evan Washburn (Friday)/Dana Jacobson (Saturday)/Lauren Shehadi (Monday) – First round at Assembly Hall; Second Round at Hinkle Fieldhouse
- Lisa Byington/Steve Smith/AJ Ross (Friday & Sunday)/Lauren Shehadi (Saturday) – First round at Lucas Oil Stadium Unity (South); Second Round at Indiana Farmers Coliseum
- Tom McCarthy/Avery Johnson/AJ Ross (Friday)/Lauren Shehadi (Saturday) – First round at Lucas Oil Stadium Equality (North)
ESPN International had international rights to the tournament. Coverage used CBS/Turner play-by-play teams until the Final Four.[27]
- Sean McDonough/Jay Bilas or Dick Vitale - Final Four and National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium
- Bilas did UCLA vs. Gonzaga, Vitale did Houston vs. Baylor and the National Championship Game
Most-watched tournament games
editAll times Eastern. Tournament seedings and region are in parentheses.
Rank | Round | Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Rating[28][29][30][31][32] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | National Championship | April 5, 2021, 9:20 ET | (1 S) Baylor | 86 | (1 W) Gonzaga | 70 | CBS | 16.92 | 9.4 |
2 | Final Four | April 3, 2021, 8:34 ET | (11 E) UCLA | 90 | (1 W) Gonzaga | 93 | 14.94 | 7.6 | |
3 | Sweet 16 | March 28, 2021 5:00 ET | (4 E) Florida State | 58 | (1 E) Michigan | 76 | 9.03 | 5.1 | |
4 | Final Four | April 3, 2021, 5:14 ET | (2 MW) Houston | 59 | (1 S) Baylor | 78 | 8.18 | 4.4 | |
5 | Round of 32 | March 21, 2021, 5:15 ET | (11 MW) Syracuse | 75 | (3 MW) West Virginia | 72 | 7.86 | 4.5 | |
6 | Sweet 16 | March 27, 2021 5:15 ET | (5 S) Villanova | 51 | (1 S) Baylor | 62 | 7.54 | 4.2 | |
7 | Round of 32 | March 21, 2021, 2:40 ET | (9 S) Wisconsin | 63 | (1 S) Baylor | 76 | 7.42 | 4.5 | |
8 | Elite Eight | March 30, 2021, 9:57 ET | (11 E) UCLA | 51 | (1 E) Michigan | 49 | TBS | 6.89 | 3.9 |
9 | Sweet 16 | March 28, 2021, 2:10 ET | (5 W) Creighton | 65 | (1 W) Gonzaga | 83 | CBS | 6.66 | 3.9 |
10 | Sweet 16 | March 28, 2021, 7:15 ET | (11 E) UCLA | 88 | (2 E) Alabama | 78 | TBS | 6.51 | 3.7 |
Radio
edit
First Fouredit
First and Second Roundsedit
|
Regionalsedit
Final Four and National Championshipedit
|
Internet
editFastBreak is an online-only program providing whiparound coverage of all tournament games similar to NFL RedZone during the first weekend.
- Dave Briggs, Rex Chapman, Tony Delk (New York City)[33]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "2021 ATTENDANCE SUMMARY~" (PDF).
- ^ "NCAA announces dates for preliminary March Madness rounds". ESPN.com. January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "NCAA announces further details for 2021 Division I men's basketball championship". Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ "Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, Michigan get top seeds in NCAA men's basketball tournament". ESPN.com. March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Thamel, Pete (March 22, 2021). "Why this may already be the craziest NCAA men's tournament ever". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ "Ivy League cancels basketball season for 2020-21 as part of ban on winter sports due to COVID-19". CBSSports.com. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ "DI Council approves Nov. 25 start date for men's and women's basketball". NCAA. September 16, 2020.
- ^ "New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ Gleeson, Scott (March 14, 2021). "March Madness: Here's how Duke could play in the 2021 NCAA Tournament after all". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Gleeson, Scott; Mast, Shelby (March 14, 2021). "NCAA Tournament bracketology: Final March Madness projection on Selection Sunday". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Memphis, Colorado State, Saint Louis, Ole Miss are top seeds in NIT bracket. Louisville did not play in the NIT". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Wells, Adam (February 21, 2021). "NCAA Tournament teams won't be replaced if forced to withdraw due to COVID-19". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "NCAA men's basketball tournament to be played entirely in Indiana". ESPN.com. January 4, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Benbow, Dana Hunsinger; Doyel, Gregg; Osterman, Zach. "It's official: 2021 NCAA tournament to be played entirely in Central Indiana, Indianapolis". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend 2021 NCAA Tournament games". CBSSports.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "NCAA to allow limited number of fans for Division I men's basketball tournament". ESPN.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Daley, Dan (March 26, 2021). "March Madness 2021: Broadcast Audio Mixes in Crowd Sound — Real and Augmented". Sports Video Group. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "Future Division I Men's Basketball Championship sites". NCAA. March 22, 2019.
- ^ "New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ "The NCAA bracket S-curve, explained". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ NCAA staff (March 20, 2021). "VCU-Oregon game ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ "Official collapses, wheeled off court on stretcher from NCAA tournament game". March 30, 2021.
- ^ "NCAA All-Tournament Teams". Associated Press. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "We're tracking upsets in the 2021 NCAA tournament". NCAA.com. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ Bonesteel, Matt (April 12, 2016). "CBS and Turner Sports lock down NCAA tournament through 2032". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Commentator Teams". Warner Media. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ "ESPN's College GameDay Covered by State Farm Headlines Men's College Basketball Studio Programming this Weekend". ESPN Press Room U.S. April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Paulsen (March 24, 2021). "NCAA Tournament off to solid start despite dip". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Paulsen (March 30, 2021). "Super Sweet 16: schedule change boosts regional semis". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Paulsen (March 31, 2021). "Steep declines for men's Elite Eight". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Paulsen (April 6, 2021). "Final Four ratings: Gonzaga-UCLA thriller hits post-hiatus high despite drop". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Paulsen (April 7, 2021). "Nearly 17 million watch Baylor bully Bulldogs". sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "Community news: Summer concert series announced and more". Ct Insider. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.