Loyola Chicago is not the first No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four. LSU earned that distinction, followed by George Mason and VCU.
Although the Ramblers remain underdogs — Michigan is favored to win their semifinal game — don’t dismiss them as a hopeless long shot. They are equipped to succeed where the other No. 11 seeds fell short.
Loyola defends. The Ramblers are efficient offensively, working for good shots while avoiding turnovers. Polished guards Clayton Custer and Ben Richardson control the flow.
They feature several capable three-point shooters and they have some inside heft as well.
“We have felt all along that we have a ton of weapons,” Ramblers coach Porter Moser told reporters. “We recruited to this. We can space you, we can drive you, we can shoot it . . . It’s not trying to find one guy, it’s who’s the open guy, keep sharing it, moving it.”
So Loyola is more than just an intriguing X-factor that adds an unknown element to the NCAA Tournament. The Ramblers have a chance.
DEFENSE MAKES MICHIGAN MISERABLE TO PLAY
Trouble is, Michigan has been playing fabulous basketball for some time now. The Wolverines bring a 13-game winning streak into Saturday’s game.
They have been known for their crisp offensive execution under coach John Beilein, but this might be the best defensive team he has ever had.
So Michigan’s battle with Loyola should be ferocious.
“I think there’s a lot of similarities in these two teams, and that’s why we’re both here,” Wolverines coach John Beilein said during a Final Four news conference. “I think we play the game efficiently at both ends of the floor. But both of us start with our defense, I think. We really pride ourselves in playing good D.”
VILLANOVA ALSO MADE DEFENSIVE STRIDES
Experts like Villanova to win the national title, thanks to the deadly one-two punch of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. Either player can take over a game at key junctures and both have thrived in high-pressure situations.
The Wildcats struggled with injuries earlier this season, but they shored up their defense and rebounding once they finally got healthy. The return of Phil Booth from a broken hand was especially critical.
“There’s a uniting characteristic about him,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said at his Final Four news conference. “He lights up a room, and all our guys know it and we all know it. When we got him back, we started to come together more, especially defensively. And it’s just getting better and better every day. That’s kind of the beauty of this, that we keep getting time.”
The Wildcats have won nine consecutive games, mostly in convincing fashion. Their four NCAA Tournament victories have come by an average of 18.2 points. In retrospect, they should have been the No. 1 overall seed instead of Virginia, which fell hard to No. 16 seed UMBC.
JAYHAWKS COUNTER WITH LONG-RANGE THREATS
On the other hand, Kansas attacks with several outstanding three-point shooters. The Jayhawks found themselves midway through the season and figure to come out firing Saturday.
Malik Newman, who scored 77 points in his last three NCAA Tournament games, will lead the way. But can they defend well enough to win?
“To slow Villanova down — they’re averaging, whatever, 88 a game — we’ve got to really be able to guard our man and not put ourselves in so many situations where they stretch us out and they can get that ball whipping around and forcing help and rotations, we’ve got to rebound the ball and obviously we have to be able to attack their pressure and their switching man,” Kansas coach Bill Self said at his Final Four news conference.
“But they’re a terrific team. But I think we have a terrific team, too. It should be a heck of a basketball game.”
