There are two major questions in the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Does this year Gonzaga finally win?
Or will the Big Ten flex and break the 21-year championship drought?
“Dude, Gonzaga can score.” I say the first time I see a bulldog every time. Gonzaga led the nation with 92.1 points per game, and Corey Kispert, Drew Timbey and Jalan Suggs are notable offensive players. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gonzaga finally breaks down.
I think the second question can be answered with “yes”.
Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa are all Final Four caliber teams. In fact, the Big Ten’s dream would be to see all the schools that are running it in Indianapolis for the second time. Illini won the Big Ten tournament.
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Michigan State is the last Big Ten team to win a national championship. The Spartans broke up with Tom Izzo in 2000 and had a grueling performance by SN first-team All-American Methane Cloves.
Seven Big Ten teams finished second, including Indiana (2000), Illinois (2005), Ohio State (2007), Michigan State (2009), Michigan (2013, 2018) and Wisconsin (2015). Of those seven teams, I always felt that the 2005 Illinois team was the best. Illini fans probably felt the same about the 1989 team that lost to Michigan in the final.
How I feel about the team this year. Of those four Big Ten contenders, Illinois is best suited to win it all. SN is a combination of first-team All-American Ayo Dosunumu and center Kofi Cockburn, and Trent Frazier is the right third wheel.
So, I think these questions will clash in the national championship game. Illinois defeated Gonzaga in the national championship game. Should you trust this pick? Well, I picked Virginia to win it all in 2018 and they lost to No. 16 UMBC in the first round. I tried Duke in 2019, and they lost to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.
I will be with the Big Ten this time.
March Madness bracket forecast 2021
Western region
South Zone
East Zone
Midwest region
Final four pics
- Gonzaga
- Florida State
- Ohio State
- Illinois
Gonzaga has a decent form, but a matchup with Virginia could test his patience if it comes to that. Kansas also recalculates, but it is not enough in Elite Eight.
Florida State eventually breaks into the Sweet 16 against Michigan, and the runners-up battle in a Texas fight en route to runners-up from the conference championship weekend. Leonard Hamilton finally reaches the final four.
Ohio State and Illinois edged the Big Ten on the other side of the bracket, and the Illini won the fourth thrilling match between the teams in the Final Four.
Gonzaga sets off against Illinois in the finals.
National Champion: Illinois
It is the most complete team in the country, and it shines with a run led by those star players. Illinois had teams capable of doing so in 1989 and 2005. This team breaks up with Gonzaga in a high scoring thriller.
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