NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 2021 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 teams
By Adam Childs
6. Florida State Seminoles
Leonard Hamilton has quietly been one of the best coaches in the country and has his Seminoles in yet another Sweet 16. This team is not nearly as good as last year when they had a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing, but they are still very good.
Led by four guys averaging at least 10 points a game, the Seminoles are very balanced and use their superior length to their advantage. They have played like a top-ten team at times this year but struggled to be consistent.
This is a team that can play with anyone but also has trouble scoring at times. Michigan is a tough matchup for them and will test their offense. If they can continue to get the balance they got in the first two games, though, they have a great shot at continuing their quest for that elusive Final Four.
5. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
Porter Moser has his team back and looking quite capable of making another Final Four run. Three years ago they used last-second shots and a favorable draw to make a run but this year they took down maybe the hottest team in the country in Illinois.
They are a high-energy team that is extremely well-coached that executes their gameplan to perfection. They had a perfect plan to stop Illinois and they did just that. Their region is wide open now and the Ramblers could be considered the favorite to make it out.
They don’t jump off the page at you, but you shouldn’t bet against them. This team is for real and doesn’t seem ready to stop anytime soon.