Welcome to Bracketology 2021, where our resident bracketologist, Justin Meyer, gives you his prediction of what the selection committee would have the NCAA Tournament look like if the season were to end today. He has done bracketology for more than 10 years, and this is his seventh season as part of the Bracket Matrix.
This is not what he would make the bracket if he were the selection committee, and this is not a guess for what it will look like on Selection Sunday (unless, of course, it is Selection Sunday). It is merely a snapshot of where things stand right now.
Our Bubble Watch series is back! Check out the latest entry here to see where everyone stacks up relative to the bubble and learn what your team needs to do to dance. You can also find the last bracketology update here.
This year, the entire 2021 NCAA Tournament will be held in Indiana because of the pandemic, meaning the regions will be unattached to a location. That will not be a factor in what region teams play in.
Without further ado, here is your update for how the Field of 68 stands right now in our Bracketology 2021 (as of games played through Monday, March 1, 2021):
Bracketology 2021
Region 1
1 GONZAGA vs 16 NICHOLLS/NORTH CAROLINA A&T
8 LOYOLA CHICAGO vs 9 Maryland
5 Virginia vs 12 WINTHROP
4 Texas vs 13 TOLEDO
6 BYU vs 11 Colorado State
3 Kansas vs 14 EASTERN WASHINGTON
7 Tennessee vs 10 Boise State
2 Iowa vs 15 BRYANT
Region 4
1 Illinois vs 16 GRAND CANYON
8 Oregon vs 9 LSU
5 Colorado vs 12 Drake/Seton Hall
4 Texas Tech vs 13 LIBERTY
6 USC vs 11 ST. BONAVENTURE
3 FLORIDA STATE vs 14 BELMONT
7 SAN DIEGO STATE vs 10 North Carolina
2 ALABAMA vs 15 JAMES MADISON
Region 2
1 MICHIGAN vs 16 CLEVELAND STATE/PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
8 Virginia Tech vs 9 UCLA
5 Purdue vs 12 WESTERN KENTUCKY
4 Oklahoma State vs 13 UC SANTA BARBARA
6 Clemson vs 11 Connecticut/Xavier*
3 Houston vs 14 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
7 Wisconsin vs 10 Louisville
2 West Virginia vs 15 SIENA
Region 3
1 BAYLOR vs 16 TEXAS STATE
8 Missouri vs 9 Rutgers
5 Oklahoma vs 12 WICHITA STATE
4 VILLANOVA vs 13 NAVY
6 Creighton vs 11 Georgia Tech
3 Arkansas vs 14 UNC GREENSBORO
7 Florida vs 10 VCU
2 Ohio State vs 15 UMBC
*= It goes against bracket rules to pair two teams from the same conference against one another. But with three of my four last teams in coming from the Big East, I broke the rule for this bracket, because I felt it was more important to convey that information. If this were the final bracket, the committee would be faced with a big decision on whether to break its rule or force the fifth team in to play an extra game.
The Bubble
Last Four Byes
Louisville
Boise State
Colorado State
Georgia Tech
Last Four In
Connecticut
Xavier
Drake
Seton Hall
First Four Out
Michigan State
Duke
Utah State
Saint Louis
Next Four Out
Indiana
Stanford
Minnesota
Ole Miss
S-Curve
- Gonzaga
- Michigan
- Baylor
- Illinois
- Ohio State
- Iowa
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- Kansas
- Houston
- Florida State
- Arkansas
- Villanova
- Texas Tech
- Oklahoma State
- Texas
- Virginia
- Oklahoma
- Purdue
- Colorado
- USC
- Creighton
- Clemson
- BYU
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Wisconsin
- San Diego State
- Missouri
- Oregon
- Virginia Tech
- Loyola Chicago
- Maryland
- LSU
- Rutgers
- UCLA
- North Carolina
- VCU
- Louisville
- Boise State
- Colorado State
- Georgia Tech
- Connecticut
- St. Bonaventure
- Xavier
- Drake
- Seton Hall
- Wichita State
- Western Kentucky
- Winthrop
- Toledo
- UC Santa Barbara
- Navy
- Liberty
- Belmont
- UNC Greensboro
- South Dakota State
- Eastern Washington
- Bryant
- Siena
- UMBC
- James Madison
- Grand Canyon
- Texas State
- Cleveland tate
- Prairie View A&M
- Nicholls
- North Carolina A&T
Per Conference
Big Ten – 8 (Michigan, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin, Maryland, Rutgers)
ACC – 7 (Florida State, Virginia, Clemson, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Louisville, Georgia Tech)
Big 12 – 7 (Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma)
SEC – 6 (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, LSU)
Big East – 5 (Villanova, Creighton, Connecticut, Xavier, Seton Hall)
Pac-12 – 4 (Colorado, USC, Oregon, UCLA)
MWC – 3 (San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State)
AAC – 2 (Houston, Wichita State)
A-10 – 2 (VCU, St. Bonaventure)
MVC – 2 (Loyola Chicago, Drake)
WCC – 2 (Gonzaga, BYU)
