2021 March Madness: 5 mid-majors capable of a Final Four run

With the 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket finally unveiled – after a tumultuous 728-day wait since the last Selection Sunday – March Madness is officially upon us, and with it are bracket predictions.  Naturally, filling out those brackets comes with the enjoyment and thrill of figuring out what mid-major squad will make a memory of a lifetime – and knock off a perennial, high-seeded powerhouse.

This season – which has obviously proven to be one of, if not the most bizarre of all time – is no different.  Undoubtedly, this is an extremely top-heavy tournament with a clear-cut frontrunner in the race for the national championship – but that should, by no means, discard any mid-major squad from making a deep run.

To add some context to this: outside of the power seven conferences, there are five mid-major teams in KenPom’s top 25 – which includes Gonzaga.  That number is up to six in the NET rankings, with the addition of Colgate, in the top 25.

We are not that far removed from mid-majors making some noise in the NCAA Tournament.  Loyola-Chicago reached the Final Four just three years ago, in the same tournament that saw UMBC knock off Virginia in the opening round.  Last year’s tournament, before it met its untimely cancellation due to COVID-19, was destined to have Dayton and San Diego State as two of its best teams and top contenders.

Outside of Gonzaga, this year’s bracket has not been as favorable by way of giving mid-majors high-seeds.  BYU and San Diego State have the highest seeding among those considered mid-majors, with both checking in on the 6-line – with other teams like St. Bonaventure and Loyola Chicago also landing in the single-digits.

But this tournament is chockful of teams capable of pulling off a first-round upset – and potentially reaching an even further point in the field.  With a season as bizarre as this one, it should not shock anyone that this is possible – but the tricky part becomes figuring out who are the most likely squads to propel themselves to Cinderella status.

With the 2021 NCAA Tournament right around the corner, however, it is time to take a stab at the five teams that have the best chance of catapulting themselves into the category of mid-major darling – and who could still be alive come April.