
Last year’s March Madness tournament was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a year on, it’s still changing the way collegiate and professional sports are being played. Instead of the typical regionalized pool, the 2021 March Madness bracket will all be played within the state of Indiana, and the majority of matches in Indianapolis, including the National Championship game itself.
The Virginia Cavaliers are the reigning champions, winning it all in 2019 after edging out Texas Tech 85-77. Virginia were the 1 seed in the South and the only top-seeded team to make the final 4, along with the 2 seeds Michigan State, 5 seeds Auburn and Texas Tech as a 3rd Seed.
No team seeded lower than 5th made it to the Elite Eight, with three of the four top seeds also making it that far, and in fact, only one team seeded higher than 5th, the 12th seeds, Oregon made it to the Sweet 16.
While not every year is that straightforward, the rankings are usually a good guide to who has a shot of progressing and winning it all when picking your March Madness bracket.