Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, Michigan get top seeds in NCAA tournament

Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few and the Bulldogs cruised through the regular season and the West Coast Conference tournament, winning every game except one by double digits. File Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI
Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few and the Bulldogs cruised through the regular season and the West Coast Conference tournament, winning every game except one by double digits. File Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo

March 14 (UPI) -- The Gonzaga Bulldogs received the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament after their undefeated regular season.

Baylor, Illinois and Michigan were awarded the other top seeds by the selection committee Sunday.

Gonzaga (26-0) cruised through the regular season and the West Coast Conference tournament, winning every game except one by double digits.

The Zags, who have won a school-record 30 consecutive games over two seasons, are the first team since Kentucky in 2015 to enter the NCAA tourney with an undefeated record.

The Bulldogs are chasing the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers, the last team to finish a season undefeated.

Baylor was on Gonzaga's heels for most of the season, having lost only one game before falling to Oklahoma State on Friday in the Big 12 tournament. The Bears (22-2) are a No. 1 seed in the men's tournament for the first time in program history.

Illinois claimed its No. 1 seed less than an hour after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes in overtime to win the Big Ten championship. The Fighting Illini (23-6) have won 14 of their last 15 games entering the NCAA tournament.

Michigan lost to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament to finish the 2020-21 season with a 20-4 record. It is the Wolverines' first No. 1 seed in the tournament since 1993.

The Big Ten leads all conferences with nine teams in this year's 68-team tournament, which will take place in or around Indianapolis due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It marks the first time in the history of the tournament that a single state will host it.

The NCAA announced in February that it will allow 25% capacity for games.

The coronavirus pandemic shut down last year's tournament, the first cancellation in its 82-year history.

Below is the full March Madness bracket for each region, along with the tournament's schedule and game locations. Game times have yet to be announced.

West Region (First Round):

No. 1 Gonzaga (26-0) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (16-7) or Appalachian State (17-11), Saturday

No. 8 Oklahoma (15-10) vs. No. 9 Missouri (16-9), Saturday

No. 5 Creighton (20-8) vs. No. 12 UC Santa Barbara (22-4), Saturday

No. 4 Virginia (18-6) vs. No. 13 Ohio (16-7), Saturday

No. 6 USC (22-7) vs. No. 11 Wichita State (16-5) or Drake (25-4), Saturday

No. 3 Kansas (20-8) vs. No. 14 Eastern Washington (16-7), Saturday

No. 7 Oregon (20-6) vs. No. 10 VCU (19-7), Saturday

No. 2 Iowa (21-8) vs. No. 15 Grand Canyon (17-6), Saturday

South Region (First Round):

No. 1 Baylor (22-2) vs. No. 16 Hartford (15-8), Friday

No. 8 North Carolina (18-10) vs. No. 9 Wisconsin (17-12), Friday

No. 5 Villanova (16-6) vs. No. 12 Winthrop (23-1), Friday

No. 4 Purdue (18-9) vs. No. 13 North Texas (17-9), Friday

No. 6 Texas Tech (17-10) vs. No. 11 Utah State (20-8), Friday

No. 3 Arkansas (22-6) vs. No. 14 Colgate (14-1), Friday

No. 7 Florida (14-9) vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech (15-6), Friday

No. 2 Ohio State (21-9) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (16-10), Friday

Midwest Region (First Round):

No. 1 Illinois (23-6) vs. No. 16 Drexel (12-7), Friday

No. 8 Loyola Chicago (24-4) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (17-8), Friday

No. 5 Tennessee (18-8) vs. No. 12 Oregon State (17-12), Friday

No. 4 Oklahoma State (20-8) vs. No. 13 Liberty (23-5), Friday

No. 6 San Diego State (23-4) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (16-9), Friday

No. 3 West Virginia (18-9) vs. No. 14 Morehead State (23-7), Friday

No. 7 Clemson (16-7) vs. No. 10 Rutgers (15-11), Friday

No. 2 Houston (24-3) vs. No. 15 Cleveland State (19-7), Friday

East Region (First Round):

No. 1 Michigan (20-4) vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary's (12-10) or Texas Southern (16-8), Saturday

No. 8 LSU (18-9) vs. No. 9 St. Bonaventure (16-4), Saturday

No. 5 Colorado (22-8) vs. No. 12 Georgetown (13-12), Saturday

No. 4 Florida State (16-6) vs. No. 13 UNC Greensboro (21-8), Saturday

No. 6 BYU (20-6) vs. No. 11 Michigan State (15-12) or UCLA (17-9), Saturday

No. 3 Texas (19-7) vs. No. 14 Abilene Christian (23-4), Saturday

No. 7 UConn (15-7) vs. No. 10 Maryland (16-13), Saturday

No. 2 Alabama (24-6) vs. No. 15 Iona (12-5), Saturday

2021 March Madness Round-by-Round Dates:

First Four: Thursday at Mackey Arena and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

First Round: Friday and Saturday at Mackey Arena, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium

Second Round: March 21-22 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium

Sweet 16: March 27-28 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse

Elite Eight: March 29-30 at Lucas Oil Stadium

Final Four: April 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium

NCAA Championship Game: April 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium

How to Watch:

CBS and Turner Sports will televise the NCAA tournament once again, with games being aired on CBS, truTV, TNT and TBS. Viewers can also watch the tournament through the March Madness Live website or the March Madness Live app.

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