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 | Watch the highlights
- West: No. 16 Norfolk St. 54, No. 16 App. St. 53 | Watch the highlights
- West Lafayette, Indiana
- East: No. 11 UCLA 86, No. 11 Michigan St. 80 | Watch the full game
- West No. 11 Drake 53, No. 11 Wichita St. 52 | Watch the full game
- Bloomington, Indiana
- First Round (Round of 64)
- Midwest Regional
- No. 1 Illinois 78, 16 Drexel 49 | Watch the highlights
- No. 8 Loyola Chicago 71, No. 9 Georgia Tech 60 | Watch the full game
- No. 12 Oregon St. 70, No. Tennessee 56 | Watch the highlights
- No. 4 Oklahoma St. 69, No. 13 Liberty 60 | Watch the highlights
- No. 11 Syracuse 78, No. 6 San Diego St. 62 | Watch the full game
- No. 3 West Virginia 84, No. 14 Morehead St. 67 | Watch the highlights
- No. 10 Rutgers 60, No. 7 Clemson 56 | Watch the full game
- No. 2 Houston 87, No. 15 Cleveland St. 56 | Watch the highlights
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 98, No. 16 Norfolk St. 55 | Watch the highlights
- No. 8 Oklahoma 72, No. 9 Missouri 68 | Watch the highlights
- No. 5 Creighton 63, No. 12 UCSB 62 | Watch the full game
- No. 13 Ohio 62, No. 4 Virginia 58 | Watch the full game
- No. 6 USC 72 , No. 11 Drake 56 | Watch the highlights
- No. 3 Kansas 93, No. 14 Eastern Wash. 84 | Watch the highlights
- No. 7 Oregon, No. 10 VCU | Canceled
- No. 2 Iowa 86, No. 15 Grand Canyon 74 | Watch the highlights
- East Regional
- No. 1 Michigan 82, No. 16 Texas Southern 66 | Watch the highlights
- No. 8 LSU 76, No. 9 St. Bonaventure 61 | Watch the highlights
- No. 5 Colorado 96, No. 12 Georgetown 73 | Watch the highlights
- No. 4 Florida St. 64, No. 13 UNC Greensboro | Watch the highlights
- No. 11 UCLA 73, No. 6 BYU 62 | Watch the highlights
- No. 14 Abilene Christian 53, No. 3 Texas 52 | Watch the full game
- No. 10 Maryland 63, No. 7 UConn 54 | Watch the highlights
- No. 2 Alabama 68, No. 15 Iona 55 | Watch the highlights
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 79, No. 16 Hartford 55 | Watch the highlights
- No. 9 Wisconsin 85, No. 8 North Carolina 62 | Watch the highlights
- No. 5 Villanova 73, No. 12 Winthrop 63 | Watch the highlights
- No. 13. North Texas 78, No. 4 Purdue 69 | Watch the full game
- No. 6 Texas Tech 65, No. 11 Utah St. 53 | Watch the highlights
- No. 3 Arkansas 85, No. 14 Colgate 68 | Watch the highlights
- No. 7 Florida 75, No. 10 Virginia Tech 70 | Watch the full game
- No. 15 Oral Roberts 75, No. 2 Ohio State 72 | Watch the full game
- Midwest Regional
- Second Round (Round of 32)
- Midwest Regional
- No. 8 Loyola Chi. 71, No. 1 Illinois 58 | Watch the full game
- No. 12 Oregon St. 80, No. 4 Oklahoma St. 70 | Watch the full game
- No. 11 Syracuse 75, No. 3 West Virginia 72 | Watch the full game
- No. 2 Houston 63, No. 10 Rutgers 60 | Watch the full game
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 87, No. 8 Oklahoma 71 | Watch the highlights
- No. 5 Creighton 72, No. 13 Ohio 58 | Watch the highlights
- No. 6 USC 85, No. 3 Kansas 51 | Watch the highlights
- No. 7 Oregon 95, No. 2 Iowa 80 | Watch the full game
- East Regional
- No. 1 Michigan 86, No. 8 LSU 78 | Watch the full game
- No. 5 Colorado 53, No. 4 Florida St. 71 | Watch the highlights
- No. 11 UCLA 67, No. 14 Abilene Christian 47 | Watch the highlights
- No. 2 Alabama 96, No. 10 Maryland 77 | Watch the highlights
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 76, No. 9 Wisconsin 63 | Watch the highlights
- No. 5 Villanova 84, No. 13 North Texas 61 | Watch the highlights
- No. 3 Arkansas 68, No. 6 Texas Tech 66 | Watch the full game
- No. 15 Oral Roberts 81, No. 7 Florida 78 | Watch the full game
- Midwest Regional
- Sweet 16
- Midwest Regional
- No. 12 Oregon St. 65, No. 8 Loyola Chi. 58 | Watch the highlights
- No. 2 Houston 62, No. 11 Syracuse 46 | Watch the highlights
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 83, No. 5 Creighton 65 | Watch the highlights
- No. 6 USC 82, No. 7 Oregon 68 | Watch the highlights
- East Regional
- No. 1 Michigan 76, No. 4 Florida St. 58 | Watch the highlights
- No. 11 UCLA 88, No. 2 Alabama 78 | Watch the full game
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 62, No. 5 Villanova 51 | Watch the full game
- No. 3 Arkansas 72, No. 15 Oral Roberts 70 | Watch the full game
- Midwest Regional
- Elite Eight
- Midwest Regional
- No. 2 Houston 67, No. 12 Oregon St. 61 | Watch the full game
- West Regional
- No. 1 Gonzaga 85, No. 6 USC 66 | Watch the highlights
- East Regional
- No. 11 UCLA 51, No. 1 Michigan 49 | Watch the full game
- South Regional
- No. 1 Baylor 81, No. 3 Arkansas 72 | Watch the highlights
- Midwest Regional
- Final Four (New Orleans)
- National semifinals
- No. 1 Baylor 78, No. 2 Houston 59 | Watch the full game
- No. 1 Gonzaga 93, No. 11 UCLA 90 | Watch the full game
- National championship
- No. 1 Baylor 86, No. 1 Gonzaga 70 | Watch the full game
- 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