Loyola-Chicago Basketball: How the Ramblers reached the Final Four

Loyola-Chicago has done the improbable and made it to the Final Four of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. How did the Ramblers do it? And what does it mean going forward?

When the South Region was announced on Selection Sunday, two teams stood out when it came to predicting the games – Virginia and Arizona. The Cavaliers dominated the ACC from start to finish with an amazing defense, while the Wildcats arguably had the best player in the entire field.

But March Madness happened, with both favorites getting eliminated in the very first round. To make things even crazier, the two and three seeds Cincinnati and Tennessee failed to make the Sweet Sixteen.

Everything seemed to be in place for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats to make the Final Four, but fate was against them as well. It opened up the door for Loyola-Chicago to make an incredible run to win the South Region.

Just getting to the tournament ended a 33-year drought of not playing in the biggest tournament. And this is also the program’s first appearance in the Final Four since winning it all in 1963, with 55 years in between.

The Ramblers also become just the fourth 11 seed in NCAA history to make the Final Four, joining LSU from 1988, along with most recently VCU and George Mason.

The path to the Final Four for Loyola-Chicago is an interesting one, and it might not have happened if it wasn’t for another team’s decision in the off-season. Take a look at the journey for the Ramblers, along with the impact a title can have on the program.