March Madness 2021: Predicting the No. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament

The March Madness bracket will be revealed on Sunday but we have an idea of who the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament will be. 

In most years leading up to March Madness, there is a lot of drama in regards to NCAA Tournament seeding when it comes to the conference tournaments. Teams are jockeying for position and many are, perhaps, trying to secure a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.

Amid the unprecedented circumstances entering the 2021 NCAA Tournament, though, that has not necessarily been the case. We’ve had a good idea as to which teams would be the No. 1 seeds in March Madness for some time now. And though the conference tournaments have not played out according to chalk — Oregon State and Georgia Tech, raise your hands — not much has changed.

The Big Ten Championship Game prior to Selection Sunday and the bracket reveal at 6 p.m. ET is the only possibly monkey wrench that could be thrown into the proceedings. But even then, we’re still likely looking at the same four teams in the mix. So with that, let’s delve into the relatively confident predictions for the four No. 1 seeds in 2021 March Madness.

Predicting the four No. 1 seeds for March Madness 2021

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-0)

The lock of all locks, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are going to be the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after executing a perfect run through the year, culminating in a cruise to the WCC Tournament championship.

Led by potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Jalen Suggs and a tremendous cast under Mark Few, this might be the best team ever assembled at Gonzaga. College basketball fans have been waiting for years for the Bulldogs to finally get over the hump and cut down the nets with a National Championship. With the way they’ve played, even weathering COVID hardships, they appear on track to do exactly that in 2021.

2. Baylor Bears (22-2)

Though Gonzaga and Michigan have been forced to pause due to COVID-19 throughout the year, no top team in the country has seen as many substantial hiatuses as Baylor in the 2020-21 campaign. Despite that, the Bears were still able to navigate the highly talented Big 12 in the regular season, losing only one game, which came against Kansas in their second game back from a massive pause.

Jared Butler and the Bears were upended in the Big 12 Tournament by Oklahoma State, a team on the rise in most bracketology metrics. Even without the conference tourney crown to their credit, though, the overall body of work, including an 8-2 record against Quad 1 teams, will easily secure Baylor a No. 1 seed.

3. Illinois Fighting Illini (22-6) – Playing Ohio State on Sunday in Big Ten Championship Game

There were high expectations for the Illinois Fighting Illini coming into the year given their level of talent and depth throughout the roster. Early in the year, there were some hiccups but it’s clear this team has hit their stride. Winners in 13 of their last 14 games, the Illini are vying for a Big Ten title as they face Ohio State after cruising to a win over Iowa on Saturday.

Led by Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn amid a substantial supporting cast, the strong finish to the year for Illinois, especially in the conference tournament, should lock them into a No. 1 seed regardless of the outcome against Ohio State on Sunday. Even still, it wouldn’t be a bad feeling to go into the NCAA Tournament sporting a bit of conference tourney hardware.

4. Michigan Wolverines (20-4)

Much like Baylor, there has been little rhythm to the Michigan Wolverines’ 2020-21 season thanks to a number of COVID-19 pauses within the program. And that may have actually hurt their overall record as a late-season schedule put them in a tough spot, leading to losing two of their three final regular-season games — albeit against Illinois and rival Michigan State.

Losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals might make things a bit more hairy for the Wolverines as the Buckeyes and Alabama Crimson Tide are both likely two seeds who could add a conference tournament championship to their résume to try and secure a No. 1 seed. But in the end, it’ll likely be Michigan that hangs on and stays on the top line.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.