Seattle Redhawks

The Seattle University Redhawks carry one of college basketball's more storied mid-major names, playing out of the compact Redhawk Center in the heart of the city. A private Jesuit school, Seattle U competes in the Western Athletic Conference and draws on a basketball tradition that once rivaled the sport's biggest programs. The Redhawks lean on identity and history as much as present-day results, reminding fans that this program once shared a national stage with the Kentuckys and UCLAs of the world.

Seattle's golden era ran from the 1950s through the late 1960s, when the Chieftains (as they were then known) made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. The high point came in 1958, when a team led by future NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor reached the national championship game before falling to Kentucky. After decades as a Division II and D-I independent program, Seattle U returned to Division I in 2012 and joined the Western Athletic Conference, rebranding as the Redhawks in the 2000s.