This year’s tournament was filled with close games and storylines that would be fitting in an underdog-story Hollywood movie. It became clear early in the season that, at least partially due to COVID-19, the traditionally good teams weren’t the same powerhouses that we’ve seen them be in the past. As a result, the tournament was primed for some early upsets and new faces in the later rounds. This is the list of the top-10 games of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
10. (8) Loyola Chicago 71, (1) Illinois 58
Sister Jean’s analysis of Loyola Chicago’s rebounding during their pre-game prayer made this game a top-10 lock before it even began. It’s always dramatic watching a top seed go down early in the tournament, especially to a suspected Cinderella team.
9. (5) Creighton 63, (12) UCSB 62
Despite Creighton pulling out the win, UCSB kept fans on the edge of their seats for the entire game. If it weren’t for a missed layup, the Gauchos could have been on their way to just their second appearance in the Round of 32 in school history.
8. (11) UCLA 51, (1) Michigan 49
If not for the relatively low score, this game would have been ranked higher. Johnny Juzang continued his dominance in the tournament, going 11-for-19 from the field for 28 of UCLA’s 51 points. An Isaiah-Livers-less Michigan team ended an impressive tournament run without its star player, despite having depth issues for its previous three games.
7. (14) Abilene Christian 53, (3) Texas 52
This game was a classic upset—a three seed sunk by a couple of last-second free throws. A close game throughout, Abilene Christian became the rare 14-seed to have an even lower-seeded team accompany them in the second round.
6. (7) Florida 75, (10) Virginia Tech 70
A three-pointer with two seconds remaining in the game from the Hokies’ Nahiem Alleyne sent this game to overtime, but Tre Mann sealed the game with 25 seconds left in O.T. with a three of his own. Florida took the win in a thriller to open up the first round of this year’s tournament.
5. (11) UCLA 88, (2) Alabama 78
A well-played first 40 minutes for both teams led to a lopsided overtime which saw UCLA score 23 points to Alabama’s 13. Jaime Jaquez Jr. put on a show from beyond the three-point line in overtime, helping punch UCLA’s ticket to the Elite 8.
4. (3) Arkansas 72, (15) Oral Roberts 70
A 15 seed? In the Sweet 16? Unfortunately for the upset-junkies, Oral Roberts fell two points short of making history as the second 15 seed to win their second game. A late jumper by Davonte Davis ultimately gave Arkansas a lead they wouldn’t lose, but I’m sure every non-Razorback fan watching wanted this game to go into overtime.
3. (11) UCLA 86, (11) Michigan State 80
Historically, this matchup has been better suited as a Final Four game, but this year it took place before brackets were due. If the seeds were hidden on the broadcast of the game, though, I would have believed the game took place in early April. Johnny Juzang’s warning to the rest of the teams in the tournament became apparent early: We’re here for the long run.
2. (15) Oral Roberts 75, (2) Ohio State 72
What’s better than a one seed losing in the second round? A two seed losing in the first round! This early bracket-buster was an incredible game and was the biggest upset since the infamous Virginia-UMBC game in 2018. Buckeyes fans can only hope that their team follows in the Cavaliers’ footsteps and goes on a revenge tour in 2022.
1. (1) Gonzaga 93, (11) UCLA 90
The lesson you should have learned after reading this list is, undoubtedly, if Johnny Juzang played in the game, it was probably a thriller. This was no exception. Despite Juzang’s incredible game and game-tying putback, Jalen Suggs and the Zags won in overtime after Suggs’ buzzer-beating shot from nearly half-court that will be talked about for the next few decades.
Bracket courtesy of the NCAA
