Which Sweet 16 team should you be rooting for?
A week ago, your team made it into the NCAA Tournament and you were excited at the possibilities. Do this, beat them, hold on, make a run and you'd be in the Final Four in no time. Some teams were doing a little dreaming while others fully expected a great shot at a national championship. Sixteen of those teams remain while fans of the other 52 schools are left to wonder what happened.
I know, I know. It is so hard to get back into watching a tournament you are no longer a part of. It stinks to watch teams you think you are better than play on the biggest stages and survive and advance. So why not adopt a school for the next couple of weeks? Maybe you won't fall in love with them, but they'll give you just enough of a reason to keep watching some basketball in between all of the "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" commercials.
North Carolina
You've spent all season loving the fact that you were in the greatest conference in all the land. You'd see fans of teams in other conferences and bark about how the ACC is just so good that winning the conference tournament was tougher than winning the big dance. It's akin to bragging about the awesome neighborhood you live in, even if it's the smallest house. However, all the neighbors prematurely were evicted before their time and everyone is throwing that shade back at you. So you need the one left standing to make their run to flex your strength again. That is, unless you are the hated rival right next door.
Recommended for Notre Dame, Virginia, Miami, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest fans.
Kentucky
You like the one and done movement. The splashy game. You like the sly John Calipari. Really, you empathize with the whole "everyone hates you so you hate everyone" deal. Like two big time rivals that have respect for each other.
Recommended for Duke and Iowa State fans.
Kansas
The Jayhawks are Kentucky without all the hate. It helps if your old coach used to work there.
Recommended for Maryland and Florida State fans.
UCLA
You love the high-flying offense but don't really care about the defense? You want in on the next big NBA star and already have your money (an allegiance) ready for whoever drafts Lonzo Ball.
Recommended for Oklahoma State and Florida Gulf Coast fans.
Gonzaga
Mid-major power schools everywhere have got to be rooting for Gonzaga. The Zags have been the jewel of a mid-major having consistent success for going on 20 years. The problem is that they have yet to make a Final Four or win a championship and that can keep the stigma of the mid-majors down. But a Bulldogs win is your win. You want this
Recommended for Wichita State, SMU, Nevada, Dayton and Kent State fans.
Michigan
How about a team that is riding high and playing as well as anyone towards a title run? While not technically a Cinderella, it's hard not to root for them.
Recommended for Middle Tennessee, Princeton, East Tennessee, Winthrop, Vermont and South Dakota State fans.
West Virginia
You really like "Press" Virginia and love to see guards swarming in the backcourt. When it looks like there are eight defenders on the court. Force turnovers and get huge dunks! Love it! Fans of schools who love to press should enjoy watching the Mountaineers.
Recommended for Louisville, Arkansas, VCU and UC Davis fans.
Purdue
Okay, the Boilmakers are boring. They play hard, tough defense and the offense isn't shiny. The play old school in many ways which is quite all right and has been working so far. But you really, really, really wish you had a guy like Swanigan.
Recommended for Saint Mary's and Seton Hall fans.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a solid team that has been to two Final Fours in the last three years. A solid program that hasn't yet taken its place among the elites but has become a sound, reliable program.
Recommended for Villanova and Michigan State fans (even if your team just lost to the Badgers – sorry Nova, fans).
Butler
Just a few years ago Butler was just some Horizon League school that caught fire and somehow made it to the national championship game. They did it again the following year. Just a couple of years later and they are members of the Big East conference. Now they are No. 4 seed facing North Carolina. Schools who are sitting just on the brink of either getting to a power conference or one who just did should be rooting for the Bulldogs.
Recommended for Cincinnati and Marquette fans.
Xavier
Xavier is in the same boat, except only BYU has more NCAA Tournament appearances without getting to the Final Four. There are other schools out there that know that kind of pain.
Recommended for Creighton and Vanderbilt fans.
Oregon, Baylor and Arizona
You don't really care who wins the tourney, but you love teams who have nice threads. Oregon and Baylor rock those neon unis while Arizona is sparkling on the court.
Recommended for UNC-Wilmington and Marquette fans plus NBA All-Star Game jersey fanatics.
Florida
Florida has won national championships but is deep down a football school. While you have one eye on the tournament, you're really just waiting for spring practice.
Recommended for USC fans.
South Carolina
Hey! We're a school from a power conference that doesn't get here very often. In fact, the Gamecocks haven't won two games in a tournament – ever – until this year. We only party once in a while, but we sure do it up!
Recommended for Rhode Island, Northwestern, Minnesota and Kansas State fans.
More must-reads: