It has been 728 long days since our last Selection Sunday, but now it’s official: we have a bracket for the men’s 2021 NCAA Tournament.
How each No. 1 seed can reach the Final Four in the men’s NCAA tournament
Which No. 1 seed has the easiest path to the Final Four?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Unsurprisingly, undefeated Gonzaga will be the No. 1 overall seed, representing the West region. Baylor, Illinois, and Michigan took the remaining three No. 1 seeds, heading to the South, Midwest, and East regions, respectively.
Each region has it’s own positive and negatives, so let’s take a look at each one in depth as it relates to those No. 1 seeds.
Gonzaga has the easiest path to the Final Four in the West
Gonzaga is without a doubt the best team in the country. They went undefeated this season and are looking for the program’s first national championship. The Zags played an extremely difficult non-conference schedule before running through the WCC, and as a result, the committee gifted them the easiest path to the Final Four. Three of Gonzaga’s marquee non-conference wins this season include double-digit wins over the No. 2 (Iowa), No. 3 (Kansas), and No. 4 (Virginia) seeds in their region.
They’ll see the winner of the play-in game between No. 16 seeds Norfolk State and Appalachian State, then either No. 8 Oklahoma or No. 9 Missouri. Both Oklahoma and Mizzou have played well this season, but enter the tournament on a bit of a slide. The No. 4 seed, reigning champion Virginia, is dealing with coronavirus concerns after pulling out of the ACC tournament with a positive test, and the Cavaliers will have to play well to get out of the first round against a tough Ohio team.
Baylor has the toughest path to the Final Four in the South
The Bears shouldn’t have any issues getting past Hartford in the first round, but the winner of North Carolina and Wisconsin awaits. Neither one is the “normal” Tar Heel or Badger squad that we’ve come to expect, but both have had really strong moments this season that could create problems for Baylor.
They have Purdue as the No. 4 seed, and tough teams in Texas Tech (No. 6), Ohio State (No. 2), and Arkansas (No. 3) threatening from the other half of the region.
Illinois has the most exciting path to the Final Four in the Midwest
The Illini almost got toughest path, but there are a bunch of fun potential matchups in the Midwest. The best 8/9 game of the tournament is in their region as Loyola Chicago squares off against ACC tournament champ Georgia Tech. This one might not seem super exciting on paper, but both teams defend well and have really likable, fun players in Cameron Krutwig and Moses Wright.
If they make the Sweet 16, Tennessee or Oklahoma State could be waiting. Cade Cunningham is one of the most fun players in the tournament, and a matchup between the Cowboys and Illini would be amazing. Houston is the No. 2 seed in the region, with West Press Virginia taking the No. 3 seed. Yes, yes, yes.
The East region is completely open with Michigan as its No. 1 seed
Who knows which team we’ll see coming out of the East region. The Wolverines got paired with Florida State, arguably the toughest of the four No. 4 seeds. FSU switches everything defensively and has bonafide stars in Scottie Barnes and M.J. Walker. Michigan’s No. 2 seed, Alabama, won the SEC tournament and Nate Oats has the Tide playing some good basketball. They like to get up and down the court and live off of threes and points in the paint.
If it’s not ‘Bama, the Wolverines could see Big 12 champ Texas in the Elite Eight. The bottom half of the East region also houses UConn, one of the hottest teams heading into the postseason. Michigan is the best team in the region — that’s why they’re the 1-seed — but with personnel questions around Isaiah Livers’s status, it feels the most open.
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