After the cancelation of the 2020 NCAA men's basketball tournament due to COVID-19, No. 1 seed Baylor won its first national championship in 2021. The Bears defeated Gonzaga 86-70 in the championship game.
Baylor junior Jared Butler won Most Outstanding Player with 91 points, 30 assists, and 21 rebounds in the tournament.
No. 15 seed Oral Roberts busted many brackets with its upset against No. 2 seed Ohio State in the first round. They then beat No. 7 seed Florida in the second round, before losing to No. 3 seed Arkansas in the Sweet 16.
2021 NCAA tournament bracket
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2021 NCAA tournament scores
- First Four
- Bloomington, Indiana
- East: No. 16 Texas Southern 60, No. 16 Mt. St. Mary's 52 |
- West: No. 16 Norfolk St. 54, No. 16 App. St. 53 |
- West Lafayette, Indiana
- East: No. 11 UCLA 86, No. 11 Michigan St. 80 |
- West No. 11 Drake 53, No. 11 Wichita St. 52 |
- Bloomington, Indiana
- First Round (Round of 64)
- Midwest Regional
- No. 1 Illinois 78, 16 Drexel 49 |
- No. 8 Loyola Chicago 71, No. 9 Georgia Tech 60 |
- No. 12 Oregon St. 70, No. Tennessee 56 |
- No. 4 Oklahoma St. 69, No. 13 Liberty 60 |
- No. 11 Syracuse 78, No. 6 San Diego St. 62 |
- No. 3 West Virginia 84, No. 14 Morehead St. 67 |
- No. 10 Rutgers 60, No. 7 Clemson 56 |
- No. 2 Houston 87, No. 15 Cleveland St. 56 |
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 98, No. 16 Norfolk St. 55 |
- No. 8 Oklahoma 72, No. 9 Missouri 68 |
- No. 5 Creighton 63, No. 12 UCSB 62 |
- No. 13 Ohio 62, No. 4 Virginia 58 |
- No. 6 USC 72 , No. 11 Drake 56 |
- No. 3 Kansas 93, No. 14 Eastern Wash. 84 |
- No. 7 Oregon, No. 10 VCU | Canceled
- No. 2 Iowa 86, No. 15 Grand Canyon 74 |
- East Regional
- No. 1 Michigan 82, No. 16 Texas Southern 66 |
- No. 8 LSU 76, No. 9 St. Bonaventure 61 |
- No. 5 Colorado 96, No. 12 Georgetown 73 |
- No. 4 Florida St. 64, No. 13 UNC Greensboro |
- No. 11 UCLA 73, No. 6 BYU 62 |
- No. 14 Abilene Christian 53, No. 3 Texas 52 |
- No. 10 Maryland 63, No. 7 UConn 54 |
- No. 2 Alabama 68, No. 15 Iona 55 |
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 79, No. 16 Hartford 55 |
- No. 9 Wisconsin 85, No. 8 North Carolina 62 |
- No. 5 Villanova 73, No. 12 Winthrop 63 |
- No. 13. North Texas 78, No. 4 Purdue 69 |
- No. 6 Texas Tech 65, No. 11 Utah St. 53 |
- No. 3 Arkansas 85, No. 14 Colgate 68 |
- No. 7 Florida 75, No. 10 Virginia Tech 70 |
- No. 15 Oral Roberts 75, No. 2 Ohio State 72 |
- Midwest Regional
- Second Round (Round of 32)
- Midwest Regional
- No. 8 Loyola Chi. 71, No. 1 Illinois 58 |
- No. 12 Oregon St. 80, No. 4 Oklahoma St. 70 |
- No. 11 Syracuse 75, No. 3 West Virginia 72 |
- No. 2 Houston 63, No. 10 Rutgers 60 |
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 87, No. 8 Oklahoma 71 |
- No. 5 Creighton 72, No. 13 Ohio 58 |
- No. 6 USC 85, No. 3 Kansas 51 |
- No. 7 Oregon 95, No. 2 Iowa 80 |
- East Regional
- No. 1 Michigan 86, No. 8 LSU 78 |
- No. 5 Colorado 53, No. 4 Florida St. 71 |
- No. 11 UCLA 67, No. 14 Abilene Christian 47 |
- No. 2 Alabama 96, No. 10 Maryland 77 |
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 76, No. 9 Wisconsin 63 |
- No. 5 Villanova 84, No. 13 North Texas 61 |
- No. 3 Arkansas 68, No. 6 Texas Tech 66 |
- No. 15 Oral Roberts 81, No. 7 Florida 78 |
- Midwest Regional
- Sweet 16
- Midwest Regional
- No. 12 Oregon St. 65, No. 8 Loyola Chi. 58 |
- No. 2 Houston 62, No. 11 Syracuse 46 |
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 83, No. 5 Creighton 65 |
- No. 6 USC 82, No. 7 Oregon 68 |
- East Regional
- No. 1 Michigan 76, No. 4 Florida St. 58 |
- No. 11 UCLA 88, No. 2 Alabama 78 |
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 62, No. 5 Villanova 51 |
- No. 3 Arkansas 72, No. 15 Oral Roberts 70 |
- Midwest Regional
- Elite Eight
- Midwest Regional
- No. 2 Houston 67, No. 12 Oregon St. 61 |
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 85, No. 6 USC 66 |
- East Regional
- No. 11 UCLA 51, No. 1 Michigan 49 |
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 81, No. 3 Arkansas 72 |
- Midwest Regional
- Final Four (New Orleans)
- National semifinals
- No. 1 Baylor 78, No. 2 Houston 59 |
- No. 1 Gonzaga 93, No. 11 UCLA 90 |
- National championship
- No. 1 Baylor 86, No. 1 Gonzaga 70 |
- National semifinals
2021 NCAA tournament upsets
First Round
- No. 15 Oral Roberts 75, No. 2 Ohio State 72
- No. 12 Oregon State 70, No. 5 Tennessee 56
- No. 13 North Texas 78, No. 4 Purdue 69
- No. 11 Syracuse 78, No. 6 San Diego State 62
- No. 13 Ohio 62, No. 4 Virginia 58
- No. 11 UCLA 73, No. 6 BYU 62
- No. 14 Abilene Christian 53, No. 3 Texas 52
Second Round
- No. 8 Loyola Chicago 71, No. 1 Illinois 58
- No. 11 Syracuse 75, No. 3 West Virginia 72
- No. 15 Oral Roberts, No. 7 Florida
- No. 12 Oregon State 80, No. 4 Oklahoma State 70
- No. 7 Oregon 95, No. 2 Iowa 80
Sweet 16
- No. 11 UCLA 88, No. 2 Alabama 78
Elite Eight
- No. 11 UCLA 51, No. 1 Michigan 49
2021 NCAA tournament stats, records
Scoring offense
- Gonzaga - 86.0
- Eastern Wash. - 84.0
- Iowa - 83.0
- Oregon - 81.5
- Alabama - 80.7
Scoring defense
- Texas - 53.0
- Wichita St. - 53.0
- App. St. - 54.0
- Abilene Christian - 59.5
- Rutgers - 59.5
Rebounding margin
- Ohio St. - +17
- Alabama - +13
- Florida - +13
- App St. - +11
- UConn - +11
Individual scoring
- Tanner Groves, Eastern Wash. - 35.0
- Luke Garza, Iowa - 30.0
- Cameron Thomas, LSU - 28.5
Individual rebounding
- Mezie Offurum, Mount St. Mary's - 16.0
- E.J. Liddell, Ohio St. - 14.0
- Josiah-Jordan James, Tennessee - 13.0