House of ‘Paign in as a 2 seed for the 2021 The Basketball Tournament

The Basketball Tournament hype is in full force, and the 2021 bracket has officially been released.

The single-elimination full 64-team bracket will tip-off on July 16, eventually crowning a champion on August 3. There are four regions, Columbus, West Virginia, Illinois and Wichita. Once again, the House of ‘Paign has returned to try and complete their destiny of taking home the title.

No. 16  seed House of ‘Paign was sort of a Cinderella Story in 2020, as the team comprised mostly of former Illinois basketball players won their first-round game over No. 17 War Tampa. They then advanced on and took down the No. 1 overall seed, Carmen’s Crew, in the second round. The wild ride would end in the Elite 8, though.

For the 2021 TBT bracket, things are a little different. This is a full 64-team field that is spread out like a traditional NCAA tournament bracket. This time around, the House of ‘Paign isn’t sneaking up on anyone.

House of ‘Paign was selected as the No. 2 seed in the Illinois bracket. They will be taking on the Jackson, TN Underdawgs, a team familiar with the tournament. This game will take place on July 24 at the Peoria Civic Center.

What would it take for House of ‘Paign to advance in The Basketball Tournament?

Getting past Jackson, TN Underdawgs is going to be tough, but House of ‘Paign has a ton of talent, so this should be a victory. The next fight is even tougher, though.

In the second round, the matchup is either going to be against No. 7 Always a Brave or No. 10 Tubby Time. Always a Brave is comprised of mostly former Bradley Brave players, so they will be playing at home, essentially.

Tubby Time actually worries me the most. I think they will get past the Always a Brave and be a tough matchup for the House of ‘Paign. Tubby Time features former Tubby Smith players. Names like Trevor Mbakwe and Nate Mason are going to be competing.

If House of ‘Paign can get by the first two rounds, the possible third-round matchup could be against one of the stalwarts of the TBT is Boeheim’s Army. They are the former Syracuse basketball squad that has been a part of the TBT for as long as I can remember. They are always laced with talent.

Will it be an easy road for House of ‘Paign to make a run at the title? No, it won’t be. In fact, this is an extremely difficult draw. But to be the best you have to beat the best. This is going to be a fun 2021 TBT.