2021 March Madness: 8 biggest takeaways from Championship Week

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 22: A view of the NCAA logo during a game between the Albany Great Danes and the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Wells Fargo Center on March 22, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

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March Madness Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports /

3. COVID can make the road easier

Texas and Georgia Tech each got a break this week when their semi-final opponents Kansas and Virginia each pulled out of their conference tournaments the day of the scheduled matchups due to COVID. Teams that are still in conference tournaments at that time are typically playing every day, including the teams that Texas and Georgia Tech beat in each of their conference finals.

While Texas and Georgia Tech got the night off in the middle of their conference tournament run, the teams they would go on to face the next day in the final were battling it out in their own intense semi-final showdowns. Oklahoma State knocked off top-seed Baylor 83-74 and Florida State won their semi against UNC 69-66.

The team rest showed in each of the conference championship games especially late down the stretch. As FSU played on a back-to-back and OKSU fought for the 3rd day in a row, GT and UT had a little more left in the tank and ran away with the victories.

Texas beat Oklahoma State 91-86 holding off a big Pokes rally in the second half to secure the Longhorns their first-ever Big 12 tournament championship. Georgia Tech won 80-75 over the Seminoles taking over in the last 2 minutes of the game.

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