March Madness Moment: Loyola-Chicago's Fantastic Final Four Run
With March Madness being in our grasps, and the selection show just hours away, we look back on years past. And with Loyola-Chicago already having clinched their ticket, why don’t I tell the story of the 2018 Final Four run by the Ramblers? It has seemed the stars have aligned for this, and Loyola Chicago looks even more poised for a run in this year’s tournament. Enjoy the story of Loyola Chicago’s Fantastic Final Four run.
The 2010-11 ends on a sour note, as Loyola Chicago had just lost to Detriot in the first round of the Horizon basketball tournament by 21 points. The players are frustrated with their coach, Jim Whitesell, as he had never really improved the team as 3rd place was their highest finish. The offseason comes and Jim Whitesell is replaced by Porter Moser, who had coached at Arkansas Little Rock and Illinois State, and was just the associate head coach for Saint Louis.
Porter Moser during a Loyola Chicago game. (via Chicago Tribune)
Moser definitely wasn’t spectacular in his first seasons, going 7-23 and 15-16. They left the Horizon League after the 2012-2013 season and started a new era in the Missouri Valley Conference. It started to look grim for Porter Moser’s time at Loyola Chicago after an exhibition loss to D2 Lewis University. Loyola finished the season 10-22 to further disappointment. But the team improved in the next season. They finished at 24-13 for the season, sixth in the Missouri Valley. However, the team didn’t improve the next season. They instead regressed, going 18-10 and eighth in the Missouri Valley. The next year didn’t lookup. Another lackluster recruiting class for the Ramblers, and Moser’s job looking more insecure every day. Yet the season will never be forgotten for college basketball fans.
Cameron Krutwig was one of recruits that came in for the 2017-2018 season. (via Chicago Tribune)
Cameron Krutwig and Christian Negron were the two players that Loyola Chicago brought in for the season. Christian Negron hasn’t done much for Loyola Chicago, but Cameron Krutwig made an impact that will be talked about later. Loyola Chicago wasn’t expected to do much, predicted to finish third in the conference. They play Lewis as an exhibition game, and they win 79-63. They began 2017-2018 on November 17th against Wright State.
They moved past Wright State and beat Eureka two days later. They continued their hot streak with a win over the Univerity of Kansas City and headed to the Savannah Invitational. They started it off at home and won both of their games over Samford and Mississippi Valley State. They traveled to Savannah to beat both UNC Wilmington and Kent State, claiming the title and a 7-0 record. Sadly their undefeated season ends after playing Boise State in the MVC-MW Challenge. They recovered well at home with a win over UIC, 85-61. This led up to the most important regular-season game for Loyola Chicago, a game against #5 Florida in Gainesville.
An Loyola Chicago player blocks a shot en route to beating #5 Florida in Gainesville. (via USA Today)
They started the game pretty well, leading 10-4 five minutes in. They continued to pile it on, leading 20-8 at one point. Florida finished the half with a strong run, leading to the score to be 34-31 with Loyola Chicago on top. Florida came out of the half strong and took their first lead of the game. It didn’t last long, with the Ramblers on top 51-46 with 10 minutes left in the game. Florida made desperate tries to tie the game up, but Loyola stays in the lead. With two seconds left, Cameron Satterwhite drains two free throws to bump Loyola’s score up 65-59. And with that, Loyola Chicago takes down the #5 team in the country! Can you believe it?
They stay high on the win after beating Norfolk State at home, but they lose to Milwaukee in the final game of the non-conference schedule. They are met with yet another loss, this time to Missouri State. They get a nice win over Evansville, but they fall again with a loss to Indiana State. The 9-1 team that had just beat Florida had just dropped three of its last five games, and getting to an 11-4 record. But Loyola Chicago isn’t a bunch of losers, and they take this as motivation. They win their next seven games, drop a game to Bradley, and then again win seven in a row to finish first in the Missouri Valley.
And with a 25-5 record, 15-3 in the conference, Loyola Chicago was the Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Champions. And with the regular-season title in hand, Loyola had the #1 seed in the conference tournament. They faced Northern Iowa in the first round and won a tight game 54-50. They then moved on to face Bradley and again won very easily, this time 62-54. With that win, they advanced to the conference championship game against Illinois State. It isn’t even close for the Illinois State team, as they won 65-49, winning an automatic bid. The tournament was definitely very easy for the Ramblers, playing the lowest seed of each matchup. Still, the Loyola Chicago Ramblers have made the NCAA Tournament with a 28-5 record. Little did they know this would be one of the most important tournaments in Loyola Chicago history.
Loyola Chicago celebrates after hitting the game winning buzzer beater. (via The Ringer)
The tournament committee gave them no credit for their record, as they were seeded as #11. They got a tough matchup with six seed Miami (FL) who was also ranked #22 in the nation. Everybody looked at this for an easy win for Miami, including me, but they were wrong. It started off very equal, with Chicago leading 10-7 five minutes in. And they battled it out for the rest of the half, tied 28-28. Thanks to Miami’s star player Lonnie Walker IV, Miami took several seven-point leads in the first 5 minutes of the second half. Miami looked to have it, but Loyola Chicago kept on fighting for the lead. The game kept going back and forth between a Miami two and four-point lead, but with a minute left Loyola Chicago had tied it up 60-60. It comes down to the last ten seconds. Loyola Chicago desperately looks for an open man, but can’t find one. But then they find Donte Ingram for a three-pointer. AND HE HITS IT! LOYOLA CHICAGO WITH THE DAGGER AND THEY WIN 64-62! OH MY GOODNESS!
Loyola Chicago hits yet another late shot to win again (via The New York Times)
Regular March Madness moment, right? Eleven seed upsets happen all the time, and this is just one of many. After the game, ESPN said it isn’t much of an upset as Loyola Chicago was borderline Top 25. They had yet another tough matchup in 3 seed, #13 nationally in Tennessee the next round. Loyola was put into an unfamiliar situation early, going down big. Tennessee looked to have the lead in hand, but Loyola Chicago quickly switched the game into their favor with a 29-25 lead. Loyola Chicago kept the momentum up, even leading by nine at one point. But Tennessee doesn’t give up that quick, bringing the score to 61-59 with 1:50 left in the game. The next minute is a wild scramble to score, and they end up hitting a shot and getting a free throw, up 62-61 with 21 seconds left. Loyola Chicago holds the ball down one, ready to take the last shot. They feed Clayton Custer with five seconds left, and HE HITS IT! Tennessee quickly inbounds the ball and heaves it. But it isn’t enough. LOYOLA CHICAGO CONTINUES THE RUN! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
By this time Loyola Chicago became the story of the tournament. Their 98-year-old chaplain Sister Jean became an internet celebrity after being courtside for each game. This pretty much unknown college from Chicago, being two ranked teams and facing another? This was an improbable story that everyone loved. Even with their wins over ranked teams, they were the underdogs against 7 seed, #22 in the rankings with Nevada in the Sweet 16. The oddsmakers looked correct at first, with Nevada leading big early. However, the strong-willed Loyola Chicago stuck with Nevada and went into the half with a lead.
Marques Townes shots the dagger to move Loyola Chicago to the Elite Eight. (via March Madness)
Building on their first-half momentum, Loyola Chicago came out of the half very strong and led by as much as 10. But Nevada fought back, the score 64-63 with a minute left. Loyola Chicago looks to lock it up, but Nevada brings it back within one with 36 seconds left. Loyola Chicago runs down the shot clock, and right before it goes off MARQUES TOWNES HITS THE THREE-POINTER! WITH SIX SECONDS LEFT, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BENCH, HE ENDS IT! Caleb Martin of Nevada throws up a prayer three-pointer and hits it. Nevada gains little hope but their foul attempts do not work. And with that, the game ends. LOYOLA CHICAGO IS GOING TO THE ELITE EIGHT!
Loyola Chicago celebrates after making it to the Final Four. (via NCAA.com)
The Loyola Chicago team becomes even more of a phenomenon. Major news outlets reporting the stories, and many fans joining the Ramblers to cheer for the underdogs. In the regional final, they were to face yet another underdog story, this one in Kansas State, a team heralding Dean Wade. They started terrific, leading by more than 10 multiple times. The hard work in the tournament seemed to be paying off, with a very easy game against Kansas State. They moved right through Kansas State, the final score a 16 point win 78-62. And for the first time in 55 years, Loyola Chicago is in the Final Four!
If people weren’t noticing Loyola Chicago, they noticed them now. During media time, Loyola Chicago was attracting more attention than blue-bloods like Villanova, Kansas, and Michigan. Sister Jean was getting more attention than NBA prospects. Michigan started off well, but Loyola Chicago matched it. However, Michigan began pulling away by the minute. Unfazed by the eight-point lead, the Ramblers battled back. Within five minutes Loyola Chicago had the lead and went into the half with a 29-22 lead. Michigan came rejuvenated, storming back with the help of Duncan Robinson’s three-point shooting ability. With 6:20 left in the game, Michigan took the lead and never looked back. The star power of Michigan was too much, and Michigan runs away with the game 69-57. And with that loss, Loyola Chicago’s Cinderella run officially ended.
The 2018 Loyola Chicago team will be remembered for its run for many years. So many memorable characters, with exuberant coach Porter Moser, chaplain Sister Jean, and even players like Cameron Krutwig and Aundre Jackson. The impact of this team remains mostly unseen but still important. Porter Moser saved his job. With that run, he would run to be bottom of the league for a couple of years to get fired. They finished second in the conference the next year at 25-11. And it all leads to this season. This season Loyola Chicago is ranked nationally, has a 24-4 record, and has Cameron Krutwig leading the team. Cameron Krutwig is one of the only players in MVC with 1,500 points, 800 rebounds, and 300 assists. He is surrounded by good company with Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, and Hersey Hawkins being the members. Loyola Chicago has earned yet another NCAA tournament bid and hopes to make a run yet again. After all, everyone likes a good cinderella. But no matter how long Loyola Chicago makes it, nothing will ever match the magic of the 2018 Loyola Chicago team.
The 2018 Loyola Chicago team will be remembered for a long time. (via Washington Post)