Loyola Chicago Basketball (25-7) is playing the familiar role of ‘spoiler’ to ‘power conference’ schools at March Madness. Five of LUC’s six most recent NCAA Tournament wins have come against ‘autonomous six’ leagues and they face a powerful foe on Friday.
Star center Cameron Krutwig no longer anchors the post and Porter Moser no longer coaches this squad, but the Ramblers return Sister Jean and the bulk of last season’s Sweet Sixteen team. Those are big losses, but the Ramblers don’t seem to have missed a beat.
Friday will be the true test of the Drew Valentine-led squad.
Ohio State (19-11) is your prototypical big and physical Big Ten team. Star player E.J. Liddell (19.6 ppg & 7.9 rebounds) is a 6’7, 240-pound physical specimen. Chris Holtmann employs a pair of 6’8 big bodies in Zed Key (starter) and Kyle Young (off the bench) in the frontcourt. Each of them average over eight points and around five rebounds per game.
Malaki Branham had an outstanding freshman season averaging 13.3 points per game and making an amazing .425 from deep and an astounding .825 from the line. Branham was Ohio’s ‘Mr Basketball, leading LeBron James’ old high school to a state title.
Ohio State is the seven seed and the favorite to win this game, for Loyola to play that familiar role of spoiler there are three things they must do.