General consensus is No. 20-ranked Loyola Chicago is a lock for the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens this weekend at Arch Madness.
The No. 1-seeded Ramblers sure looked like a tournament team Saturday afternoon in a dominating 65-49 win over No. 4-seeded Indiana State to advance to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship game for the first time since 2018.
Loyola Chicago doesn’t want to worry about an at-large bid, though — they want that automatic bid.
“We didn’t come down here to get one [win],” said 2021 MVC Player of the Year Cameron Krutwig. “You never take winning for granted, especially in March. But you’ve gotta move on and get past it because tomorrow comes quick.”
The Ramblers wasted no time in getting the offense going, making 11 of their first 15 shots — including six of their first seven three-pointers — to take a 13-point lead with 10:25 left in the first half. They assisted on nine of those made shots, running that efficient offense we’ve come to know since their 2018 Final Four run.
But they did the job on defense, too, holding Indiana State to 20-for-52 shooting and 4-for-12 from three-point territory. They also held Sycamores star Tyreke Key to 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting, which isn’t an easy task.
“We just were trying … [to] make him make tough shots,” said Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser. “And he can make tough shots, and he did make tough shots. [If] he makes a tough two, he makes a tough two. You’re not going to hold a 1,600-point scorer scoreless.”
Now, Loyola Chicago has to get ready to play on Arch Madness Sunday for the first time in four years. Krutwig and Lucas Williamson were freshmen that season.
Now, the two seniors are preparing to try and do what their elder statesmen did: lead the Ramblers to the NCAA Tournament.
Funny how that works.
“It just comes kinda full circle,” Krutwig said.