After taking a year off, March Madness is back in a big way and we are already down to the Final Four.

The 2021 NCAA March Madness tournament has been different this year, all taking place in or around Indianapolis. The national pandemic has reared its ugly head a few times, but overall, things have gone smoothly. About any way you slice it, this has still been an incredible stretch of hoops.

One of March Madness's most exciting aspects is getting to watch underdogs go out and prove themselves against the best teams. The upsets started early and no brackets escaped unscathed.

UCLA is no stranger to March Madness, but they are playing the part of the underdog this season. Starting their tournament having to win one of the “First Four” games, UCLA (11-seed) is a talented squad that has battle the whole way.

On the other side, Houston is a more unfamiliar program than the others that remain. To the casual observer, they would be big underdogs as well. Houston is a 2-seed for a reason. Their consistency and defensive aggression have put pressure on all levels of opponents this season and have led to a 28 and 3 record.

Unfortunately for both of the above squads, for all of their success, the trials are far from over.

Awaiting Houston is Baylor (1-seed), who looks as strong now as they have all year. For most of the NCAA season, if you had to pick the two teams most likely to make the finals it would be Baylor and… the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Gonzaga (1-seed) was the overall favorite heading into March Madness and they have done absolutely nothing to cast doubt on that expectation.

Having rolled through each of their opponents to this point, Gonzaga just needs to continue to play within themselves and not get overconfident, even though it feels a bit like a Baylor-Gonzaga championship has been in the making all year.

This is still March Madness and we have seen a few wild happenings in the big dance. Nothing is set in stone and Houston’s consistency or UCLA’s underrated talent and scrappy defense could still win the day.

Houston and Baylor tip-off Saturday (4/3) at 4:14 pm CT (don’t ask us why) on CBS.

UCLA and Gonzaga go head-to-head right after at 7:34 pm CT on CBS.

Women’s Final Four

The table is set for the lady’s Final Four as well with three 1-seeds advancing and some unsurprising programs hoping to build on their already impressive histories.

UConn (1-seed) plays Arizona (3-seed) Friday (4/2) at 8:30 pm on ESPN. With a coaching staff that has been here time and time again and the AP Player of the Year, freshman Paige Bueckers, the Huskies suddenly find themselves as national title favorites once more. Arizona must find a way to rattle Bueckers or they may need to keep the bus running.

South Carolina (1-seed) and Stanford (1-seed) face off Friday (4/2) at 5:00 pm. This will be an epic showdown between teams that have been powerhouses again this year. Stanford was the team that finally put an end to Missouri State’s great season and will likely be favorited in this one. Their talent and size will be tough to overcome, though the Gamecocks defense is elite. It will be a great battle.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement as we follow the action and keep you up to speed. Your bracket may look ugly, but there is plenty of beautiful basketball on deck.

The madness is winding down with only four teams remaining. Most of the field is not surprising, then there is Loyola-Chicago.

To make it to the final four, Villanova has won every game by double-digits. They can make it rain from deep, but do not live-and-die by the three, with a capable and balanced attack. It is those threes that fuel their big runs; a stark reminder that no lead and no team is safe. They have the looks of a champion.

Kansas entered into the final four in dramatic fashion. An overtime thriller against Duke is all a lot of teams could ask for. This 1-seed has bigger things on their mind, though they must now face one of the best in the country in Villanova. Many could have predicted this matchup at this point between the two tradition-rich teams. The other side of the bracket? Not so much.

Okay, Michigan is not the biggest surprise of the tournament. They were champions of the Big 10 tourney, showing that they had the chops to go toe-to-toe with any team. As far as their path to the final four, some other teams did a lot of lifting for them, knocking out Xavier, North Carolina, and Gonzaga. Now only an 11-seed stands between them and a championship appearance. Their opponent should not be underestimated, however.

How fun are this Loyola-Chicago Ramblers?

When the Missouri Valley Conference saw the departure of Wichita State, a lot of the conference's most recent successes went with it. Northern Iowa became the most recent tourney appearance with the Missouri State Bears picked as conference favorites for 2018. Loyola-Chicago had different plans.

Like Michigan, Loyola has definitely had a few strong potential opponents knocked out for them. However, the 11-seed Ramblers have still been underdogs in every game they have played. Their most impressive win came against 3-seed Tennessee in the second-round.

One more 3-seed stands between them and an appearance in the national championship. Most of the nation (barring the state of Michigan) will likely be on their side as they look to complete their historic and unbelievable run.

Women's bracket

Mississippi State defeated UCLA last night to clinch a spot in the final four. This was not a big surprise and neither is their opponent, fellow 1-seed Louisville. Louisville had a surprise opponent in their last game after 6-seed Oregon State knocked of 2-seed Baylor.

The other two final four teams will be determined tonight. Heavy-favorites, the UConn Huskies will play 2-seed South Carolina at 7:00 PM (EST). The University of Connecticut has looked untouchable so far, to no one's surprise.

The other game tonight will be much less predictable. Another 1-seed vs. 2-seed game, Notre Dame will face stiff competition from Oregon. Being a slight underdog seed-wise, the Ducks have dismantled each of their opponents so far, and an upset would not be surprising in this one. It tips off directly following the UConn game.

If you could not guess, The Basketball Movement plans to stay on top of these and other happenings all-over the realm of basketball. Remember to keep checking in as we continue to break down the greatest sport on Earth!