The Varying States of Bracketology
The 2020–21 college basketball season is unique. All involved — coaches, players, administrators, media, fans — can expect postponements, cancellations and adjustments to the normal cycle of games and the postseason.
This includes the NCAA tournament, which is under the largest microscope after the abrupt end to the 2019–20 season. The 2021 tourney is on schedule, albeit at a single site, but it would be foolish to proceed without pandemic contingencies.
In addition to the standard 68-team NCAA projections, Bracketology now includes 48-team and 16-team versions. The truth is there is no way to know at this point what Selection Sunday will bring, so all bases must be covered .
68-Team Bracket
Bracket Watch
Although not an official item on the NCAA team sheets, it can be useful to track "wins against the field." In that category, using current projections, four teams are tied with six victories each: Gonzaga, Baylor, Ohio State and Illinois. These are four of the top five teams on our latest seed list, sandwiching Michigan (stuck on three wins against the field), which hasn't played since Jan. 22.
On the Bubble
Last Four Byes
First Four Out
Last Four In
Next Four Out
68-Team Bracket
First Four
48-Team Bracket
Bracket Watch
Minnesota stayed on the right side of the 48-team bubble with its narrow victory over Purdue, edging LSU for the final at-large spot in this projection. In a normal season we might be asking, as was the case a year ago with Rutgers, do the Gophers need a road win to validate their tournament credentials? The answer this season, with few or zero fans in the stands, is "probably not."
On the Bubble
Last Four In (at-large)
Last Four In (auto qualifiers)
First Four Out (at-large)
First Four Out (auto qualifiers)
48-Team Bracket
16-Team Bracket
Bracket Watch
Missouri remains in the 16-team projection, but only because Wisconsin is skipped as the fifth Big Ten team on the board. And what a strange stretch for Mizzou. The Tigers nearly cough up a huge lead against first-place Alabama, then completely no-show at Ole Miss. These could be nothing more than potholes, but it's fair to wonder if Missouri's record is beginning to reconcile with its so-so metrics.