Loyola Chicago: 2021-22 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

Loyola Chicago isn't exactly Duke or Kentucky, but the Ramblers are now a familiar name in the NCAA tournament bracket.

Loyola Chicago has only been to the NCAA tournament twice since 1985, but it has made both trips count. The first time the Ramblers had one of the most shocking Final Four runs ever, in 2018. Last season they upset No. 1 seed Illinois in the second round to go to the Sweet 16. Along the way, they've won bettors at BetMGM some money with big upsets.

Loyola Chicago is back in the bracket. The Ramblers beat Drake 64-58 on Sunday to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and get the auto bid to the NCAA tournament.

Loyola will probably be a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, and not one anyone wants to see in the first round.

Ramblers punch another NCAA ticket

This Loyola Chicago team isn't as good as the previous two NCAA entrants, but it's still a quality team capable of winning a game or maybe even two.

The Ramblers were at their best in the semifinals of the MVC tourney. Against top-seeded Northern Iowa, a team that beat Loyola Chicago 102-96 un overtime of the regular-season finale, the Ramblers crushed UNI in a 66-43 win. The Ramblers are an efficient team on both ends of the floor, and their defense was phenomenal against Northern Iowa.

In Sunday's MVC final, Drake came out shooting it well and took an early 18-8 lead. Loyola answered with a 19-0 run. It was the type of stretch that validates all the sleeper love Loyola will get after the bracket is revealed. They played great defense, getting turnovers and turning that into points. For about seven minutes they completely overwhelmed a solid Drake team that came in with a 24-9 record. Drake battled in the second half and it wasn't an easy win for Loyola, as the Bulldogs cut Loyola's lead to as little as two points in the final 30 seconds, but the Ramblers held on to win.

Loyola does a bit of everything well. They shoot it well from inside and outside the arc. They are an active defensive team. Early in the season the Ramblers lost by just 2 points to Michigan State and 9 to Auburn, and also had 10 wins against teams that were in the top 100 of KenPom going into Sunday's games.

In other words, there are a lot of single-digit seeds that are hoping to avoid Loyola Chicago in the first round.

Loyola Chicago has experience

While Loyola has lost a lot of good players from both of its previous tournament appearances, it is still an experienced team. Plenty of the players who were part of the upset of Illinois last season are back. Four seniors took advantage of the NCAA offering an another year of eligibility to 2021 seniors due to COVID-19 and returned to Loyola for an extra season. Loyola's coach Porter Moser left for Oklahoma in the offseason, but new coach Drew Valentine did a great job to keep Loyola on track. This version of the Ramblers won't be overwhelmed by March Madness.

Just like last season, those who rely on analytics will note that Loyola is under-seeded and a good upset pick. The betting line for the Ramblers' first-round game could be lower than similar seed matchups, because Loyola had a No. 24 ranking in KenPom, which influences point spreads. By the numbers Loyola should be closer to a No. 6 seed, but it would be surprising if they're higher than a 10.

You'll hear a lot about Loyola Chicago as the bracket gets analyzed and people pick upset favorites. By now, hearing about the Ramblers won't be so unusual. We already know what success for Loyola Chicago in the NCAA tournament looks like.

Loyola-Chicago: 2021 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

The Ramblers are going dancing again this March. After a 75-65 win over Drake to win the Missouri Valley conference tournament, Loyola Chicago earned an automatic bid to this year’s March Madness tournament.

This will mark Loyola’s second tournament in the last four years. Back in 2018, they were the underdog darlings of the bracket. They knocked off Miami, Tennessee, Nevada and Kansas State en route to their first Final Four appearance since 1963, when the Ramblers won their one and only NCAA Championship. The 2018 team also charmed the nation with their enthusiastic superfan, Sister Jean.

This year’s team is led by leading scorer Cameron Krutwig, who averages 14.8 points a game. And while Sister Jean wasn’t able to attend the MVC tourney this year, she told the Loyola Phoenix that she was “with them in prayer and in spirit.”

“I ask God to bless their hands so that they have control of the ball to get it into the baskets,” Sister Jean said via the Phoenix. “To keep it from turnovers, to get the rebound and convert the rebounds to points.”

Loyola-Chicago: 2017-18 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

ST. LOUIS -- Step aside, Northwestern. Take a seat, DePaul.

For now, Loyola-Chicago is the king of Windy City basketball.

The Ramblers earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 33 years with a 65-49 win over Ilinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game on Sunday.

Donte Ingram scored 18 points and Cameron Krutwig added 11 points and nine rebounds for Loyola-Chicago (28-5), which reached the Sweet 16 in its last NCAA tourney appearance, in 1985.

"We've got much respect for all of the other programs in Illinois and Chicago," Ingram said. "But we're here now and we're going to enjoy this one and think about what we have moving forward."

Mailk Yarbrough and Phil Fayne led Illinois State (18-15) with 12 points each. Fayne added 12 rebounds.

Loyola-Chicago, which has won 10 in a row, had been an afterthought in Chicago-area basketball circles the past few years.

"It feels awesome," Krutwig said. "It means everything to me right now. Obviously, we're going to celebrate."

Ingram, who earned tournament MVP honors, hit five of 11 shots including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. His four-point play with 6:21 left in the first half capped a 7-2 run that put the Ramblers up 27-18.

"It really changed the outcome of the game," Ingram said. "That was one of those momentum swings. When I get my shot I'm confident and I'm going to take it."

Loyola-Chicago scored eight of the first 11 points in the second half to take a 43-30 lead.

The Ramblers were appearing in their first conference title game since 2002, when they were members of the Horizon League.

"Tonight we had a laser-like focus to come and get it done," Ingram said. "And we just didn't look back."

Loyola-Chicago never trailed and raced out to a 9-2 lead after a 3-pointer from Ben Richardson.

"I'm just so happy for these kids. They're doing it the right way," Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser said. "This will connect them for the rest of their lives."

The Ramblers' 10-game winning streak is the longest in Moser's seven years at the helm.

Illinois State, which missed 14 of its first 17 shots, lost in the title game for the third time in the last four years.

"We missed some shots right around the rim," Illinois State coach Dan Muller said. "I think it might have been nerves or a little fatigue."

CLOSE CALLS

The championship game was the only contest in the nine-game tournament decided by 10 points or fewer.

BIG PICTURE


Loyola-Chicago: Moser became the second coach in MVC history to win a title as a player and coach. He played for the Creighton title team in 1988-89. Chris Lowery of Southern Illinois also achieved the feat.

"I'm going to be honest, it was probably more fun as a player," Moser said. "That's why I'm so happy for these guys."

Illinois State: The Redbirds are hoping to receive a berth in the National Invitational Tournament. It would be their 15th NIT appearance overall and second in a row. The Redbirds began play on Sunday with a 78 RPI.

"I'm very, very hopeful for the NIT," Muller said. "We're the eighth-best league in the country."

Loyola-Chicago: 2015 College Basketball Invitational Champions

MONROE, La. -- Devon Turk had 14 points, and Loyola of Chicago rallied to win the College Basketball Invitational title, 63-62 over Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday night.

Loyola was down four points with five minutes left when Turk buried a 3-pointer from the wing to make it a one-point game.

Milton Doyle then hit a jumper, and Jeff White's steal led to two Doyle free throws to give the Ramblers a 61-58 lead with about three minutes left.

With three seconds left and Loyola up 63-60, Louisiana-Monroe's Jamaal Samuel missed the first foul shot of a one-and-one, and his teammates grabbed the board to cut the lead to one. But the Warhawks ran out of time.

Doyle finished with 13 points.

The Ramblers' Earl Peterson, who averaged 14 points per game in the championship series, was named the tournament's most valuable player, according to Loyola's website. He had 12 in this game, hitting five of seven shots from the field.

Majok Deng had 17 points for Louisiana-Monroe.

The dramatic end of the game was fitting as the teams tussled and kept the score close.

Early on, a three-point play from Majok Deng gave ULM an 11-7 lead, but five straight Loyola points gave the Ramblers a 14-12 lead. The Warhawks opened up a five-point lead before Loyola rallied again. Turk answered with a three, the 205th of his career to break the school record, according to the school's website.

The game stayed competitive throughout. Every time Loyola seemed to be taking control, ULM answered until the Ramblers' late run sealed it.

For the second straight game, Loyola shot better than 50 percent from the field. It hit 54.5 percent against one of the nation's top-10 field goal percentage defenses.