2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

[John Kelly]

Here's the schedule:

• Selection Sunday — March 14
• First Four — Thursday, March 18
• First round — Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20
• Second round — Sunday, March 21, and Monday, March 22
• Sweet 16 — Saturday, March 27, and Sunday, March 28
• Elite Eight — Monday, March 29, and Tuesday, March 30
• Final Four — Saturday, April 3
• NCAA championship game — Monday, April 5

 

[John Kelly]

Researching the six venues in central Indiana now.

Games will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, as well as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

Not familiar with Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

 

[John Kelly]

Indiana Farmers Coliseum is the home court of the IUPUI Jaguars.

It is located on the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

 

[John Kelly]

Right now, the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament will be played March 18-April 5 at six venues in central Indiana.

Family members of the players will be allowed to attend.

The NCAA soon will announce if fans will be allowed to enter the arenas.

The Colts were hosting 12,500 fans per game last season at Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

[WildBill]

Would be a shame not to allow some fans in. The 12.5k number works fine, normally there is 70k in there but maybe 25k are actually fans of the teams. They could give each team about 5k tickets to distribute to their fanbase and some students and then clear out the stadium and bring in the fans of the next two teams. Seems very likely this year is going to have a first time winner and a lot of teams that don't get so far have a shot to get to the Final 4 so would be best if they gave these other program's fans a chance to see their team play for a title.

I went to the Final 4 in Indy some years ago, also went to see the Pacers game that weekend. Both facilities are top notch, that might have been the nicest NBA arena I have been to.

 

[John Kelly]

The Final Four is played in Indianapolis every fifth year, I believe.

Why?

NCAA headquarters are located in Indy.

There's a good-faith agreement in place between the NCAA and the city of Indianapolis.

 

[John Kelly]

I love the Friday before the national semifinals at the Final Four.

Four teams conduct a ceremonial practice for one hour apiece.

Admission is free.

Good chance to get a peek at the Final Four site.

 

[FairWarning]

Big 10 just moved their conference tourney to Indy today.

Watched ND-Duke (bad loss at home for Duke), it had the intensity of a JV game. Duke, UK, Kansas and other powers don't get the benefit of the crowd and the refs. It is easy to really see how good these players are in these games with all of the extras taken away.

 

[boston massacre]

Here's the schedule:

• Selection Sunday — March 14
• First Four — Thursday, March 18
• First round — Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20
• Second round — Sunday, March 21, and Monday, March 22
• Sweet 16 — Saturday, March 27, and Sunday, March 28
• Elite Eight — Monday, March 29, and Tuesday, March 30
• Final Four — Saturday, April 3
• NCAA championship game — Monday, April 5

Lady's Will Be in Bubble in San Anton.

UCONN'S Freshwoman Paige Beuckers Practically Beats #1 South Carolina By Herself Last Night.

Scored 32 of #2 UCONN'S 63 Points.

 

[John Kelly]

Big 10 just moved their conference tourney to Indy today.

Watched ND-Duke (bad loss at home for Duke), it had the intensity of a JV game. Duke, UK, Kansas and other powers don't get the benefit of the crowd and the refs. It is easy to really see how good these players are in these games with all of the extras taken away.

The blueblood programs are struggling for two main reasons: Young players with reduced practice time.

Though I don't doubt FW's assertion about the refs and the crowds.

Interestingly, Kansas and North Carolina are on pace to make the tourney and Duke appears to be on the bubble.

Kentucky, on the other hand, will need to win the SEC Tournament.

 

[John Kelly]

Other NCAA tourney notes:

Players are allowed six family members for each NCAA tournament game.

For Butler home games this season, school officials allowed 25% capacity in a fieldhouse that seats 9,100.

Butler games have averaged about 1,670 fans per game.

 

[John Kelly]

The Selection Show will be held on Sunday, March 14 from 6-7 p.m. ET on CBS.

The First Four will take place on Thursday, March 18 with a 5 p.m. game on truTV and a 6:20 p.m. tip on TBS.

As previously announced, the 48 games that comprise the first and second rounds will start later than usual this year. With games starting at noon each day, the first round will be played on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 with the second round following on Sunday, March 21 and Monday, March 22. Games will air across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

The schedule has been organized so that there will be at least one game played from noon until nearly midnight across the four days of the first two rounds. Of course, second-round games will be spaced out a bit more given there will be half as many.

Sweet 16 games will air on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. CBS will broadcast the first two games in the afternoon on both days with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. TBS will televise two games in prime-time each night beginning at 7 p.m.

Elite Eight games -- scheduled for Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30 -- will also be split by the channels. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. Monday on CBS and 6 p.m. Tuesday on TBS.

CBS will also provide coverage for this year's Final Four on Saturday, April 3 and national championship game on Monday, April 5. Pregame coverage for the Final Four will begin at 2 p.m. with the first game set for 5 p.m. The title game will tip at 9 p.m.


Source: cbssports.com

 

[John Kelly]

Sixty-eight teams compete in 67 games over a period of 19 days.

 

[John Kelly]

CBS will broadcast 24 of the 67 NCAA tournament games.

Turner Sports will telecast the other 43 games across its three networks: TBS, TNT and truTV.

 

[John Kelly]

Looks like Mackey Arena and Assembly Hall will only be used for the First Four games.

The rest of the tournament will take place in the four venues in Indianapolis.

 

[ejd_5277]

Why use the far-flung (relatively speaking) venues for the first four games only on a night when only 4 total games are played?

Makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[railbird]

very unfair to play all games in indy, gives big 10 teams a huge advantage

 

[Viejo Dinosaur]

very unfair to play all games in indy, gives big 10 teams a huge advantage

Where or what do you suggest?
Have you heard of the Pandemic?

 

[railbird]

i suggest 4 regional sites hosting 16 teams.. Pandemic is over

 

[Viejo Dinosaur]

i suggest 4 regional sites hosting 16 teams.. Pandemic is over

Yeah....

 

[railbird]

Yeah....

where you going to church now?

 

[Viejo Dinosaur]

where you going to church now?[/QUOTE

Satanist Cathedral...

 

[John Kelly]

Why use the far-flung (relatively speaking) venues for the first four games only on a night when only 4 total games are played?

Makes no sense whatsoever.

Hmmm...

Good question.

Of course, Dayton is the usual host of The First Four.

 

[FairWarning]

Hmmm...

Good question.

Of course, Dayton is the usual host of The First Four.

And Dayton isn’t very far from Indy, 100 miles or so.

 

[cheapseats]

No CIT this year.

 

[John Kelly]

No CIT this year.

Good research.

CBI?

 

[John Kelly]

Just now seeing some first-round NCAA tournament games will be played at Mackey Arena and Assembly Hall.

All NCAA games beyond the first round will take place at venues in Indianapolis.

 

[John Kelly]

Time to research the scoring environments of those six sites in central Indiana.

 

[John Kelly]

Selection Sunday is four weeks away.

 

[John Kelly]

There will be 37 at-large selections this season, one more than the usual 36.

The Ivy League is not playing this season, meaning there will be 31 automatic qualifiers.

Source: ncaa.org

 

[John Kelly]

Last Saturday, the NCAA revealed its Top 16 seeds for the upcoming men's basketball tournament.

The seedings were based on games through Friday, February 12.

Here are the top 16 teams, released Feb. 13:

1. Gonzaga
2. Baylor
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Illinois
6. Villanova
7. Alabama
8. Houston
9. Virginia
10. West Virginia
11. Tennessee
12. Oklahoma
13. Iowa
14. Texas Tech
15. Texas
16. Missouri

 

[John Kelly]

Here's a betting angle for you: Watch for one of the above teams to be ultimately seeded fifth or sixth and circle them as a candidate to be upset in the first round.

Likewise, find a team not on the above list to be seeded third or fourth in the NCAA tournament and circle them to make a deep run in the tournament.

 

[John Kelly]

How goofy are the NET rankings?

Colgate is ranked 11th right now.

 

[FairWarning]

Who is the highest ranked double-masked team?

 

[John Kelly]

Hahaha.

Still waiting to hear if fans will be allowed to attend March Madness games scheduled for arenas in Indianapolis.

An announcement is expected soon.

 

[FairWarning]

Hahaha.

Still waiting to hear if fans will be allowed to attend March Madness games scheduled for arenas in Indianapolis.

An announcement is expected soon.

I’ll say no, they won’t want the general fans coming in from all over the nation to one city. Maybe the final four they will allow some, when it’s only 4 groups and not 68..

 

[trytrytry]

going to bet a possible BIAS maybe bet both ways .. parlays and rounds robins all games over and or all under within a given venue. might be some similarities. floor , fans, cardboard cutouts, lighting, rims, warm up times, food choices.

 

[John Kelly]

I’ll say no, they won’t want the general fans coming in from all over the nation to one city. Maybe the final four they will allow some, when it’s only 4 groups and not 68..

You're on record, FW.

Looks like players will each be allowed six family members.

 

[IWishIWasAPro]

Auto-bid teams determined prior to Saturday, March 13, will be asked to arrive in Indy on March 13. Teams earning auto bids early enough on Saturday afternoon/evening will immediately depart from their league championship, provided they can arrive in Indy later Saturday night.

 

[FairWarning]

Do the tutors have to arrive on March 13 also? They are student athletes after all.