After a season in which March Madness was cancelled for the first time in history, Virginia will once again look to defend its national championship. The Cavaliers are among the early favorites to win the NCAA tournament in 2021 along with Gonzaga and Baylor.
There are plenty of other candidates as well as a few teams that are on the rise. Last year, it was Dayton that quietly put together one of the best seasons in recent history only to be thwarted by the coronavirus that ended up cancelling last year’s tournament.
Which team will it be for the 2020-21 NCAAB season? Here are three teams that are on the rise:
Get the Best 2021 March Madness Odds at Online NCAA Basketball Bookies.
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Illini left their mark on the Big Ten last season finishing 13-7 in conference play and 21-10 overall. With stars Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn returning in 2020-21, the Illini are a legitimate conference champion favorite.
Both Dosunmu and the 7-foot Cockburn tested the NBA draft waters but ultimately decided to return to Illinois. Dosunmu was the team’s leading scorer averaging 16.6 points per game. Cockburn averaged 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Head coach Brad Underwood had another successful recruiting class bringing in Adam Miller, who played with Dosunmu in high school, and point guard Andre Cubelo.
Underwood will also have transfers Jacob Grandison (Holy Cross) and Austin Hutcherson (Wesleyan) eligible after sitting out last year. Grandison will add depth as he can play multiple positions.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Head coach Eric Musselman turned around the Nevada basketball program quickly. His strategy included bringing in multiple high-profile transfers that fit his style of play. He’s doing the same at Arkansas.
Guard Isaiah Joe withdrew from the NBA draft and returns along with his 16.9 points per game scoring average. Joe is a 41 percent shooter from behind the arc and fits well in Musselman’s up-tempo offense.
Desi Sills (10.6 ppg) returns as well and Musselman brings in a load of talent via the transfer market. Jalen Tate comes over from Northern Kentucky where he was the Horizon League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
Justin Smith transferred from Indiana where he scored 10.4 point and grabbed 5.2 rebounds a game last season. At 6-foot-7, Smith is a solid addition to Musselman’s frontcourt.
There are a handful of other transfers as well. They will help Musselman climb the SEC ladder this season. Arkansas went 20-12 overall and 7-11 in SEC play last season. Remember, in Year 2 at Nevada Musselman’s team went 28-7.
Houston Cougars
Kelvin Sampson has built a winner in Houston. Last season, the Cougars sat atop the American Athletic Conference at 13-5 along with Tulsa and Cincinnati. This season, the Cougars are ready to claim the AAC for themselves.
Sampson will have one of the best perimeters in all of college basketball. The backcourt returns Houston’s top two scorers in Caleb Mills (13.2 ppg) and Quentin Grimes (12.1 ppg).
Houston brings in four-star point guard Tramon Mark and three-star recruits Jamal Snead and Kiyron Powell. The 6-foot-10-inch Powell should have an impact after Sampson learned that forward Fabian White Jr., who averaged 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds last season, will miss the 2020-21 campaign due to a torn ACL.
Sampson has now won 23, 33, and 27 games in the last three seasons at Houston. With a talented roster, Houston is ready to make the move to elite national program.
