Only Dean Smith has gone to more consecutive Sweet 16’s than Mark Few

Even without a star-studded team like in years’ past, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few still has his team dancing in the Sweet 16.

This year’s Bulldogs squad turned a 1-point halftime deficit into a 21-point victory against Kansas, beating the shorthanded Jayhawks 89-68 in Saturday’s Round of 32.

With this victory, Gonzaga made its ninth-straight Sweet 16 under Few.

Before Few’s dominance in the NCAA Tournament, there was a legendary coach by the name of Dean Smith.

If you need a refresher on who Smith was, he was the longtime, legendary UNC basketball head coach for 36 years. Smith’s Tar Heels made the NCAA Tournament 27 times during his tenure as head coach, which included the 1982 and 1993 National Championships.

Not only did Smith’s North Carolina teams just make the tournament, but they typically advanced far.

One fact that highlights this was UNC’s ability to constantly reach the Sweet 16, which North Carolina did for 13 straight years (1980-81 season to 1992-1993).

What Mark Few’s done in recent years is impressive, but he still has four years to reach Smith. Has there been anyone who’s surpassed Smith’s record?

You’ll see the Big Dance constants like UNC, Michigan State, Duke and Kentucky in today’s game, but they rarely consistently advance in the tournament. Defending champion UConn might be building something special, too, but they’ll need to win on Sunday, March 24 for a Sweet 16 trip.

Could Hubert Davis be the next Tar Heel coach to build an NCAA Tournament legacy like Smith and Davis? He and the 2023-2024 North Carolina squad can continue building upon their current run, as they’ll play the winner of Alabama-Grand Canyon on either March 28 or March 29.

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Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire