Almost a generation ago, a small school from the Northwest made its first noise in college basketball. For the first time, the Gonzaga Bulldogs won games in the NCAA tournament of 1999, going all the way to the Elite Eight. Then they validated their arrival with Sweet 16 appearances the next two years.

Unlike other unheralded programs that have emerged to make national headlines, the Zags didn't go away. They have stacked solid season upon solid season and as they enter 2016-17, they boast an 18-year streak of playing in the NCAA tournament -- a run of success that includes eight...