The 2021 men’s basketball tournament was full of upsets from the very beginning. Notorious for busting every single one of the millions of brackets submitted every single year, this tournament was no exception.
From the very beginning, there was upset after upset. 14-Seed Abilene Christian upset 3-seed Texas in the very first round of 64, setting up for a terrific and enthralling season.
The road to the final four was not easy for any team.
Darkhorse UCLA, an 11-seed, defeated BYU, Abilene Christian, and 2-seed Alabama, who was a favorite to win the entire thing. Then, the well-battled team took on Michigan- yet another favorite to win and won by two to take on Gonzaga in the final four of the tournament.
This game would be no easy feat, for Gonzaga was undefeated through the entirety of the season. They remained such all the way up until their final game of the season- the National Championship game. Their road to the final four included wins against Norfolk State, Oklahoma, Creighton, and well-established USC.
UCLA did not go down without a fight, and the UCLA-Gonzaga final four-game was everything it was cracked up to be. The two teams were tied at the end of regulation. The game was solely by a half-court, last-second game-winner at the end of single overtime by Gonzaga freshman Jalen Suggs.
On the other side of the bracket, the final four-game was not necessarily so close- but that does not discredit the work of both teams. Houston was a high-ranking team from the very beginning, coming in at a 2-seed. Their road to the final four consisted of strong teams such as Cleveland State, Rutgers, Syracuse, as well as Oregon State- before meeting Baylor in the final four.
The match-up between Houston and Baylor was not as close, and Baylor demonstrated their incredible basketball IQ through their win of almost 30- a testament to the greatness of the Baylor program.
The national championship game consisted of both Baylor and Gonzaga, slated to be one of the most competitive games in recent memory. Undefeated Gonzaga brought a long reputation of success with them. Baylor brought a well-earned number one seeding and incredible wins.
However, the game was not so close. Baylor got the lead out early and continued to do so for the entirety of the game. In the end, Baylor was declared the National champion- in an 86-70 win.
College basketball will not be back for a while, but the excitement does not leave- for the transfer portal od open. And before you know it, it will be time to dance again.