In a sport known for recruiting and dynasties, the 2020-21 season has turned men’s college basketball on its head. Following a year with no NCAA Tournament, this season is set to make up for the absence of March Madness last year.
With plenty of uncommon names in the projected top 20 NCAA Tournament seeds, a championship prediction is harder to come by than ever. Six of the top 20 represent the Big Ten conference, whose presence dominates the projected field.
Along with having two potential No. 1 seeds, the conference has a total of nine teams projected to make the tournament. Illinois is bound to make its long awaited return to the tournament with authority, projected as a No. 2 seed after missing the tournament the past eight seasons.
Rutgers will likely make the tournament for the first time since 1991 following a win over IU on Wednesday. The Hoosiers were projected to be one of the last four teams in, but now chances are looking slim for their first appearance since 2016.
As the Big Ten and unconventional names rose, such as Baylor University and University of Alabama, the blue bloods fell off this season. The usual favorites University of Kentucky, Michigan State, Duke University and Syracuse University join IU in potentially missing the tournament. Duke and Michigan State have been in every tournament this century, while Kentucky has yet to miss the big dance since 2013.
Not only is this compelling for the 2021 tournament, but it’s important for the future of college basketball. Freshmen have dominated the sport for the past decade, leading the usual suspects to championships.
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The combination of upperclassmen success this season with the addition of college prospects being paid to play overseas or in the NBA G League has changed the college landscape. With less freshman stars heading to the big programs, talent has begun to even out between the historical powers and everyone else.
By leveling out recruiting and experienced talent becoming more important, college basketball could have much greater variance in the future.
Instead of the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds being more predictable by the year, the 2021 bracket is set to be substantially different. Blue bloods like Kansas University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of North Carolina, University of Connecticut and University of Louisville should all make the tournament this year, but these powerhouses will be playing as much lower seeds than they’re used to.
The Big Ten has not had a national champion since 2000 despite participating in seven championship games in that time. If there was ever a year to break the drought, it is now. The conference has the powerhouses, the depth and the arenas. With Indiana hosting all of the 2021 tournament games, it could give an advantage to nearby Big Ten schools.
I believe six of the projected nine Big Ten teams, Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, and either Wisconsin or Maryland, will make the Sweet 16. If this ends up being the case, the conference will have no excuse to fall short of winning the national title.
