March Madness 2021

We are all ready for things to get back to normal.  2020 was a particularly difficult year and we are not out of the woods yet.  Thankfully, things seem to be moving in the right direction.  By the right direction, I mean MARCH MADNESS IS BACK!!!  Whew!  Going through March without the NCAA Tournament last year was painful.  It was even more painful because I had tickets to the Final Four!!!  When I heard the tournament would be played without fans, I was very disappointed, but when I heard the tournament was canceled, I was devastated. I thought I could check the Final Four off my bucket list, but it was not to be. Indianapolis is not a possibility for this year’s Final Four, but maybe I can see it in New Orleans next year.

For the first time, each round of the NCAA Tournament will be played in the same state.  All games will be played in the state of Indiana at different venues.  The NCAA has established guidelines for how teams will be replaced if they are unable to participate due to COVID-19.  I am hopeful that all the teams who earned a bid for the tournament will be able to compete for the NCAA Championship.  On a personal note, I am excited to see Alabama compete for the championship as a No. 2 seed.  In their last appearance in 2018, No. 9 Alabama defeated No. 8 Va. Tech in the first round, but lost to No. 1 Villanova in the second round.  Villanova went on to win the NCAA Championship.  As a No. 2 seed, Alabama will not be facing a No. 1 seed so early in the tournament.  

As expected, the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament Bracket match the results of the AP Top 25 Poll.  The overall No. 1 seed is Gonzaga who went undefeated this season.  They are joined by Illinois, Baylor, and Michigan who finished the season in second through fourth place, respectively.  The No. 2 seeds are led by Alabama who finished the season in fifth place.  Alabama is joined by Houston, Ohio State and Iowa who finished the season in sixth through eighth place, respectively.  These are eight very good teams who all have the talent and discipline it takes to win the NCAA Championship.  These teams will have to play their best basketball because there are teams with lower seeds who have won the tournament in recent years, namely No. 4 Virginia (2019) and No. 5 Villanova (2016, 2018).  These teams have won the last 3 out of 4 NCAA Championships and they know what it takes to win. After missing the opportunity to play for a championship in 2020, every team in the tournament will do everything possible to hoist the NCAA Championship Trophy on April 5th. I can't wait to see who makes it to the Final Four. 

• The Back Roads to March: The Unsung, Unheralded, and Unknown Heroes of a College Basketball Season
• The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team
• Getting to Us: How Great Coaches Make Great Teams
• The Road to Madness: How the 1973-1974 Season Transformed College Basketball