March Madness and uncertainty are interwoven. From higher seeds getting upset to Cinderella teams advancing, it’s hard to win games at the NCAA Tournament. It’s even more daunting to achieve deep runs across several years.
That’s what makes Gonzaga’s achievement so impressive. On Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 89-68 in the Round of 32, and the Zags advanced to their ninth straight Sweet 16 appearance.
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Yes, you read that right. For nine consecutive years, Gonzaga has played games in the second week of the tournament.
Gonzaga won 14 of its final 16 contests entering the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs improved defensively and are in the top 40 in effective field-goal percentage nationally. Only weeks ago, Gonzaga’s 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances streak was in jeopardy. Then, the script flipped. The Bulldogs’ stellar road wins against Kentucky and Saint Mary’s showed the Zags’ evolution.
The program has been on the rise since the mid-1990s. A school in a mid-major conference, the WCC, Gonzaga has become a March Madness staple, with appearances in every NCAA Tournament since 1999. Since the 2008-09 season, the Zags have appeared on every final AP poll.
Gonzaga has the longest active Sweet 16 streak in the country. The next best, Houston, is at five after the Cougars’ overtime win on Sunday. Now, Gonzaga will play No. 1 seed Purdue, looking to advance to its seventh Elite Eight in program history.
It raises the question: Are the Zags the new model of consistency in men’s college basketball? Let’s explore to find out.
Longest Sweet 16 streaks (since 1985)
Team | Sweet 16 streak | Elite Eight app. | Final Four app. | National championship app. | National titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Carolina Tar Heels | 9 (1985 to 1993) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Gonzaga Bulldogs | 9 (2015 to 2024) | 5 | 2 | 2 | |
Duke Blue Devils | 9 (1998 to 2006) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Gonzaga (2015 to 2024)
Gonzaga’s Sweet 16 streak began in 2015. That season, the Zags advanced to their first Elite Eight since 1999.
During this run, Gonzaga has reached five Elite Eights, two Final Fours and two national championship games. But the Zags lost both national championship games; to North Carolina in 2017 and Baylor in 2021.
In eight of the 10 seasons, Gonzaga finished in the top 10 of the KenPom rankings. In five of those seasons, the Zags ranked in KenPom’s top five (2017, 2019, 2020 2021 and 2022, when they finished either No. 1 or No. 2).
It isn’t just the consistency that is impressive but also how Gonzaga finds different ways to win. In seven of those seasons, Gonzaga ranked inside the top 10 in the country in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency (points scored per 100 possessions that are adjusted for opponent). Two of those 10 seasons saw Gonzaga finish in the top 10 of KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions that are adjusted for opponent) with one of them being 2017 when they reached the national championship game.
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Fifteen WCC player of the year award winners were from Gonzaga. The Zags developed several future NBA players, including Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk and Chet Holmgren. Drew Timme — who played for Gonzaga from 2020 to 2023 — ended as the Zags’ all-time leading scorer. Gonzaga recruited eight five-star recruits and five McDonalds All-Americans from 2015 to 2024.
Under Mark Few, Gonzaga created a winning culture. The Zags recorded at least 30 wins in all but three seasons from 2015 to 2024. While Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament three times during this span, it has outperformed its lower seed position. As a No. 11 seed, Gonzaga reached the Sweet 16 in 2016 after upsetting No. 6 Seton Hall and No. 3 Utah.
Not to be discounted, this year’s Zags rarely turn over the ball and generate second-chance opportunities. Forward Graham Ike scored at least 20 points in a seven-game stretch that started on Feb. 10. His dominance in the paint combined with Ryan Nembhard’s floor leadership gives the Bulldogs a deadly 1-2 punch.
“All the ones that came before them that set this thing up, it’s a testament to all the great players that came through this program,” Few said on reaching the Sweet 16 a ninth-consecutive season.
Duke (1998 to 2006)
Duke reached the Sweet 16 for nine consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2006. It reached four Elite Eights, three Final Fours, won the national championship in 2001 and was a finalist in 1999.
Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament during this span except for 2003, when they were a No. 3 seed. Duke recorded at least 30 wins in six of nine seasons between 1998 to 2006.
Duke boasted several national players of the year during this span, including Shane Battier, Jason Williams, JJ Redick and Shelden Williams.
Since the KenPom rankings were created in 2003, Duke was ranked in the top 10 from 2002 to 2006. In two of those seasons (2002 and 2004) Duke ranked No. 1 in the overall KenPom rankings and in the top five in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.
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Before this span, Duke had a streak of seven straight Sweet 16 appearances from 1986 to 1992, also under Coach K.
North Carolina (1981 to 1993)
As impressive as Gonzaga’s nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances are, it has a ways to go to match North Carolina’s 13-in-a-row streak from 1981 to 1993. Additionally, the Tar Heels’ run featured two national championships, three national championship game appearances, four Final Fours and eight Elite Eights. But North Carolina’s run does come with a caveat. From 1981 to 1984, the tournament wasn’t expanded to its current field of 64. Since 1985, when the tournament expanded to 64 teams, the Tar Heels’ Sweet 16 streak would be nine in a row, matching Gonzaga and Duke.
Under coach Dean Smith, the Tar Heels recorded at least 20 wins during this span and accumulated at least 30 wins three times from 1981 to 1993. Only five times were the Tar Heels a No. 1 seed during the NCAA Tournament during this span.
Several future NBA players were on North Carolina rosters from 1981 to 1993, including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Scott Williams and current Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis.
A note on UCLA (1967 to 1980)
Technically, UCLA has the longest consecutive Sweet 16 streak at 14, from 1967 to 1980.
But much like the beginning of the Tar Heels’ streak, UCLA’s Sweet 16 run occurred before the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams. There were different field sizes during this span: It was 16 teams from 1967 to 1974 and then doubled in size to 32 in 1975. So the Bruins were already in the Sweet 16 by making the tournament from 1967 to 1974.
Still, it’s a monumental achievement of consistency. The Bruins won eight national titles during this span, and they made 11 Final Fours. UCLA recorded at least 20 wins in each season during this span. Three of those teams (1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73) finished undefeated.
Required reading
- Gonzaga’s transfer duo lead the way against Kansas, into another Sweet 16
- NCAA Tournament power rankings: Reseeding the Sweet 16 after top teams survive
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(Photo: Chris Gardner / Getty Images)
