ESPN recently ranked this year’s Sweet 16 teams based on tradition. The list ranked teams by looking at their winning tradition in college basketball, using both recent and historical track records as a guide, specifically: NCAA tournament appearances, National championships, Final Fours, All-time program icon (player), All-time program icon (coach), and NBA players (all time, active rosters).
For some of these teams, the Sweet 16 is but a blip on the radar, while pursuing the ultimate prize: a national title. But for others, merely making it to the second weekend of the tournament is a significant feat.