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2021 March Madness: 5 mid-majors capable of a Final Four run

By Benjamin Zacher

Mar 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Loyola Ramblers pose for a photo after defeating the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Loyola Ramblers pose for a photo after defeating the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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March Madness Loyola Ramblers Cameron Krutwig Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
March Madness Loyola Ramblers Cameron Krutwig Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Loyola Chicago (22-4)

  • SEED: 8th (Midwest)
  • RANKINGS: 9th (KenPom), 10th (NET)

It has been just three years since the Ramblers made their improbable run to the Final Four – and, somehow, nearly every metric states that this year’s Loyola Chicago team is better than the 2018 crew.

Among those is the fact that the Ramblers maintain the best defensive efficiency in college basketball, ranking just above teams like Alabama, Illinois, and Michigan.  No team holds opponents to fewer teams than Loyola Chicago either, with the Ramblers holding teams to just 55.5 points per game.  The Ramblers have allowed 60 points or more in just six of their 28 games this season.

The architect of their immaculate defense and methodical style of play – which ranks 342nd in adjusted tempo – is Cameron Krutwig, one of the best players in the nation and a starter on the 2019 Final Four squad.  Krutwig has been a monster, leading the team in points (15.0), rebounds (6.7), assists (3.0), and blocks (1.2).  The senior is just one of four players in Missouri Valley Conference history to amass 1,500 points, 800 rebounds, and 300 assists for his career – alongside Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Hersey Hawkins.

This is all without mentioning the Ramblers’ offensive prowess – they rank 49th in offensive efficiency, ninth in effective FG%, 80th in 3P%, and fourth in 2P%.  The offense has had a bit of a sputter at times, including towards the end of the regular season when Loyola Chicago averaged 56.8 in the last four games – which included a loss to Drake and three incredibly narrow wins over Valparaiso and Southern Illinois – but it has since recovered, with the Ramblers pouring in 75 on Drake in the MVC Championship game.

The lone thing holding the Ramblers back is their draw(s) in the NCAA Tournament.  Awaiting Loyola Chicago on Friday are the reigning ACC champs in Georgia Tech, a squad that can score at a highly efficient rate – and, should they get past the Yellow Jackets, the Ramblers will have a date with the Big Ten champions in Illinois.  Lining up against Moses Wright and Kofi Cockburn back-to-back will be brutal for Krutwig – meaning guard play will be incredibly crucial to Loyola’s postseason aspirations.

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