During Loyola Chicago’s first-round game against Miami in 2018, I sat next to the then-sports editor of The Loyola Phoenix and two Rambler Sports Locker reporters on press row in Dallas. In the second half, he turned to us and made us stop what we were doing to look around.
“You’re at March Madness,” he said. “Take it all in.”
Boy, did we. Then, the Ramblers went to the Final Four — college basketball’s biggest stage. Nothing could top that, right? You’d think. But that moment in Dallas stands out above any other because we stepped away from being reporters for a second.
We were college kids enjoying the moment.
Porter Moser told his players a similar sentiment after the Ramblers finished off a wire-to-wire win over No. 1 seed Illinois and became the first team to knock off a top seed in this year’s NCAA tournament. During star big man Cameron Krutwig’s postgame interview with CBS, Moser told his players to get behind him.
Loyola teammates dancing around Krutwig as he tries to do a postgame TV interview pic.twitter.com/SnILpMW38x
— Shannon Ryan (@sryantribune) March 21, 2021
“We’re all part of this thing,” Moser said. “I wanted them to stay out and enjoy it because that etches in your memory, that moment right there. When I was doing [my interview], I told them to stand behind me. … I just didn’t want to rush in the locker room.”
He’s absolutely right. It’s not too often you get to play in a Sweet Sixteen after beating a top-five team in the country. For Krutwig and Lucas Williamson, this is two trips to the Sweet Sixteen in four years — even more of a rarity.
It’s so rare that Krutwig had to make up words to describe this type of win.
“This one feels special-er and sweeter in the moment because I’m here, because I’m in the present right now,” said Krutwig, who put up a double-double against talented Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn.
And if you’re a Loyola Chicago fan who waited 33 years between tournament appearances from 1985-2018, this is even sweeter for you. It’s the first time the Ramblers have made the Sweet Sixteen in two straight NCAA tournament appearances since 1963-64.
Forget the disrespect of an 8-seed from the selection committee. Forget all the people who said Illinois would dominate your team. Forget it all.
Loyola Chicago is in the Sweet Sixteen again. Like Henry told us in 2018, “take it all in.”
Trust me. Enjoy the moment.