George Mason and VCU each got bounced from its conference tournaments, requiring an at-large bid. If there's a reason to think the Ramblers can do it, it's their body of work heading into the NCAA Tournament. Now we all will tune in to see if Loyola can eclipse the accomplishments of George Mason and VCU, the last two mid-major teams to make a run to the Final Four from the 11-line. Winners in 32 of their 37 games this year, Loyola has been one of the most successful teams in all of college basketball this season. While Loyola's Final Four run certainly counts as a Cinderella story in the the lore of the tournament, these haven't been massive upsets or a big surprise to anyone who has followed the Ramblers in 2018. The way the game unfolded broke the mold from previous tournament wins as well, with Loyola leading by as many as 21 in the second half and then holding on for the program-defining win in the final minutes.įor the first time since 1963, Loyola is going to the Final Four! /6QUQngjbuM- CBS Sports March 25, 2018 The unusual way the region unfolded gave Loyola an Elite Eight foe different from the top seeds that George Mason and VCU had to beat in 20. It's one of the things that makes Loyola so good in the closing moments of these close games: opponents can't turn their attention to any one player because anyone on the floor could potentially be the go-to guy of the moment. There isn't a bad passer on the team, and any one of the rotation players has the potential to to be the team's primary offensive threat on a given night. This group doesn't wow you with size or speed when they get off the bus, but the ball moves faster than any player and no one passes the ball better as a team than the Ramblers. Loyola's team fits the model of what so many love about college basketball and this tournament as well. Off the court Loyola introduced the rest of the country to Sister Jean, a kind-hearted and noble face of the NCAA Tournament after a season mostly defined by scandal tied to an ongoing corruption investigation by the FBI. On the court Loyola packed all of the thrills, beating the third-place team in the ACC (Miami), the SEC regular season co-champions ( Tennessee) and the Mountain West champions ( Nevada) by a combined four points. 1 seed and four conference tournament champions, has been where we've found this year's most unlikely outcomes, from the first-ever 16-over-1 upset to a mid-major from the Missouri Valley Conference making a Final Four run as a No. There was no jealousy or envy, it was about winning and he was ready mentally to step up when it was his time."Īrguably the toughest corner of the bracket, the one with the overall No. And that's such a great lesson for so many kids. He is the epitome of character and winning. "Ben sat there and watched Donte and Clayton and Marques and Dre have big shots," head coach Porter Moser told CBS Sports after the game. Senior guard Ben Richardson scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Ramblers, who will play Michigan in the Final Four. ATLANTA - Loyola-Chicago has captured the hearts of college basketball fans everywhere this March, and now it will have a chance to compete for a national championship on the game's biggest stage after beating Kansas State 78-62 to be crowned as champions of the South Region.
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