Bracketology 2021: Houston, Marquette and Texas among biggest winners

Some teams did incredibly well during the week of major tournaments and events. Who helped their Bracketology resumes the most?

When it comes to a typical NCAA Basketball season, there’s a week where some of the biggest matchups of the non-conference come together in several high-profile tournaments and showcase events. ESPN host what’s called “Feast Week”, which includes major events that have huge Bracketology implications.

Although it’s s different scheduling circumstance, this past week arguably was the 2020-21 version of “Feast Week”. We had the Maui Invitational, Jimmy V Classic doubleheader, Champions Classic doubleheader, and multiple games from “Bubbleville” in the Mohegan Sun. There were plenty of great games to watch from Sunday through Friday, including several programs finally being able to play.

Of course, I have to acknowledge the postponement of Saturday’s mega matchup between the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs and No. 2 Baylor Bears. Positive tests in Gonzaga’s camp caused the game to be canceled, although both programs have said that there will be an effort to reschedule this game. The Bulldogs arguably need this more for resume purposes but the Bears have a title contender on their hands and want to showcase it on the big stage this month.

While that game wasn’t able to go on, many more were, with several teams making major statements that’ll come a long way to March. Honestly, getting games in for some of these programs is a positive for now, as they’re giving the Selection Committee something to consider.

There were several big “Winners” from the past week. Here are some to specifically acknowledge.