The Sweet Sixteen means we’re down to brass tacks and facts, as the Cockneys say. There are some surprising teams left of course but even so, the power conferences have 10 of the 16 spots. And of the other six, one goes to Gonzaga of the Big West, a program that can go toe to toe with any in the country. Loyola is sort of trending in Gonzaga’s direction although not nearly as far along, while Houston has a spectacular tradition including Elvin Hayes and Phi Slamma Jamma.
The only team you’d look at and think, how’d they get there?