NCAA Basketball: Preview of all 31 autobids for 2021 NCAA Tournament

Hartford Hawks – America East

The Hawks are currently playing their 37th season of College Basketball at the Division 1 level and this is the first time they have ever qualified for the NCAA tournament. They finally made it after qualifying for the America East title game last year before the season was canceled. This year the Hawks got the game at home and while it was low scoring and had points of really bad basketball the Hawks prevailed and get the chance to represent their school in the NCAA tournament.

Best Player: Traci Carter

Carter is on his third school with Hartford as he started his career at Marquette before transferring to La Salle and then Hartford. Carter isn’t the leading scorer but he is the team leader and the best player because of what he can do on both ends of the floor. He is a great shooter from deep and he is the best defender on the Hartford team who prides itself on the defensive end of the floor. Carter is the heart and soul of the team and rarely leaves the floor.

Chance at Upset

The Hawks are going to have their work cut out for them. Many nights offense is a challenge for Hartford and their defense is good. In order for the Hawks to be successful, they have to muck a game up, and play at an extremely slow pace. The Hawks are going to be a 16 seed and they are going to be paired up with a one seed.

All of the one seeds like to run the floor and have the better athletes. Hartford gets to represent their conference and hang a conference title banner, which is important but they have zero chance of an upset.

Norfolk State Spartans – MEAC

The Spartans are always going to be remembered for Kyle O’ Quinn and their upset of number 2 seed Missouri the last time they made the tournament in 2011-2012. This is only the second time Norfolk State has ever qualified for the tournament. The Spartans are playing their best basketball of the year as they have blown out their competition over the last four games.

Norfolk State comes out of the MEAC which not many know about and they play an exciting up-tempo style. The Spartans are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country.

Best Player: DeVante Carter

Carter played his high school ball at powerhouse prep school Montverde Academy. He is also the best scorer on the team as he puts the ball on the group and takes high percentage shots at the basket. For a team that shoots the ball as well as the Spartans do, Carter is an outlier in that area. He shoots less than 30% from deep. If you look deeper into those numbers it will show that he doesn’t take many threes either he drives the lane and does his work inside the arc.

Chance at Upset

The MEAC is seemingly never anything higher than a 16 seed and likely is going to be playing in one of the first four games which means Norfolk State will get paired up with one of the top two teams in the tournament if they can win the first four game.

There has only been one 16 who has ever beat a one and this is defiantly not the year for that to happen. Norfolk State will be a tough matchup in the first four and will likely win that game but they have zero chance at beating a one seed.