What was learned about state of college basketball from the Sweet 16 field — and why it matters

College sports has become little more than a game of mercenaries, a constant coming and going of hired guns who wear a school’s jersey long enough to collect an NIL check and then move on to the next highest bidder.

Just look at what’s happening in the ongoing NCAA Tournament.

There’s a post on X this week that shows the starting lineup of each team in the Sweet 16, with the players represented only by a school logo of the school where they began their college careers. “Try to figure out which teams are which,” says the tagline.

In many cases, it’s impossible.

Where every Sweet 16 Team's Starting-5 began playing college basketball.
(Try to figure out which teams are which) pic.twitter.com/MPomf1dyuT

— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) March 25, 2025

Michigan’s starting five is represented by five different logos, none of them Michigan’s. They’re from North Texas State, Texas Tech, Texas Tech, Auburn and Yale. Not a single starter began his career at his current school.

Ditto for Arizona and Kentucky.

Auburn’s starting unit is represented by one Auburn logo and logos from four different schools.

The starting lineup for nine of the 16 schools features four or five players who began their college careers elsewhere, and many of those players have played for more than two schools.

In all, 51 of the 80 starters in the Sweet 16 originally played for other schools — an average of 3.1 per team. According to CBS, transfers accounted for more than half of the scoring through the first two rounds of the tournament.

Not that loyalty is completely dead. All five of Purdue’s starters have been at the school since the start of their collegiate careers. Duke and Michigan State are next, with four (BYU has three).

Taken a step further, another X post showed the original schools for the top eight players (based on minutes played) of every team in the Sweet 16.

All eight of Kentucky’s players originally played elsewhere. Michigan and Texas Tech have only one player among their top eight who began their careers at those schools; Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas have just two apiece.

I saw a bunch of questions regarding which teams which and plenty of confusion. Fear not…I got yall boys🤞 pic.twitter.com/3TWhh6UOUQ

— Rick Older (@RickOlder) March 25, 2025

Purdue again leads the way in loyalty, with all ...