For more than 48 hours, the NCAA men's tournament returned to precisely what we fondly remembered — overtimes, upsets and the type of merry chaos that make the event one of the most exhilarating on the American sporting calendar.
After the NCAA canceled the tournament in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, college basketball endured a 2020-21 season of fits and stops, sporadic flourishes and frequent shutdowns. So it was only obvious that COVID-19 would loom over the tournament, which was logistically overhauled to be held exclusively in Indianapolis to attempt to prevent disruption.