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
Monday’s big winner — in more ways than one — was Illinois, which hammered Michigan on the road to further solidify its case for a No. 1 seed. The biggest loser? That would have to be Boise State, which — coming off two hard-fought and excusable losses at San Diego State — returned home and found a way to drop a Quad 4 game to Fresno State. The Broncos now find themselves as the dreaded “First Team Out.”