Now that February has come and gone, college basketball fans are gearing up for March Madness 2021. A year after the NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, a few teams appear to be well on their way toward grabbing a top seed.

Plenty can happen until Selection Sunday on March 14, but a lot would have to change in order for the nation’s elite teams to miss out on one of the tournament’s four No.1 seeds. Three teams in particular are viewed as virtual locks to be positioned at the top of one of the bracket’s regions.

Gonzaga, Baylor and Michigan are predicted to make up 75% of the No.1 seeds in March Madness. Various college basketball experts have all three teams as top seeds in their latest brackets, and the betting odds suggest those projections will be proven correct.

Gonzaga is the No.1 ranked team in the country with a perfect 24-0 record. All but one of their victories have come by double digits. The Bulldogs are favored to win their first national championship in school history.

Baylor was also undefeated until Saturday when it lost to Kansas. The Bears are the best team in the Big 12 with a 4-1 record against ranked teams. Sportsbetting.com gives Baylor the second-best odds to earn a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Both Baylor and Michigan are given -1429 odds to be a No.1 seed in March Madness. The Wolverines are also 18-1 with their lone blemish coming in a Jan. 16 loss to Minnesota. Michigan beat Indiana in its last regular season game Sunday, making the Wolverines 6-1 against ranked teams.

Michigan’s biggest win of the season was a 92-87 victory over rival Ohio State, who might have the best chance to grab the NCAA Tournament's fourth No.1 seed. The Buckeyes have lost three games in a row, opening the door for a team like Illinois to potentially take that spot.

West Virginia and Alabama are among the other contenders to get one of the four No.1 seeds when the NCAA Tournament tips off March 18. All games will be played at neurtral sites in the state of Indiana this year to limit travel and the risk of spreading the virus.

Perhaps as compelling as the projected top seeds are the big-name schools that are in position to miss out on the tournament field. Powerhouses Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina and Kentucky, which have combined to win five NCAA titles since 2008-09, are all on the bubble.

Gonzaga Basketball
Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs controls the ball against Mattias Markusson #14 of the Loyola Marymount Lions in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center on Feb. 27, 2021, in Spokane, Washington. William Mancebo/Getty Images
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