It wasn’t the ending anyone envisioned.
Loyola Chicago, a team that broke brackets just this past Sunday by defeating No. 1 seed Illinois, entered its game against Oregon State as a 7-point favorite. At one point, ESPN gave the Ramblers an 80% chance to win. But it’ll be the Beavers — not the Ramblers — playing in the Elite Eight on Monday.
So what the hell happened?
The offense went stagnant in the first half. When it straightened itself out in the second half, the defense couldn’t get a stop. The fouls piled up. The free throws clanked off the rim.
It was, quite frankly, a bad day to have a bad day.
This isn’t to take away from what these Ramblers did, especially in a pandemic season. They put together a great run, went 26-5 and proved they belong in national conversations — outside of the usual Sister Jean stories, of course.
But now, the question is: What’s next?
Where does a program that’s had two NCAA tournament appearances, an NIT berth and three conference championships in the last four years go next after an early exit in the Sweet Sixteen?
It’s a complicated question, especially with the NCAA’s “free year” ruling that would allow seniors to come back next season. We don’t know if any of Loyola Chicago’s senior core — Cameron Krutwig, Lucas Williamson, Keith Clemons, Aher Uguak or Tate Hall — will come back for another year.
“I don’t know what the future holds with them,” Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser said. “Like I’ve said many times, everyone asks me about the extra year. I haven’t spoken with them. There was an urgency about this year.”
What we do know is Moser has some talented freshmen coming in next year in Chicagoland products Ben Schwieger and TY Johnson. Add in graduate transfers Ryan Schwieger and Chris Knight, and the holes appear to be filled on paper.
Redshirt sophomore guard Braden Norris came into his own this year as Moser’s most durable player. He averages the most minutes per game on the roster, and his 41.1% three-point percentage ranked second on the team — not to mention some of the big shots he hit at Arch Madness and March Madness.
Sophomore guard Marquise Kennedy could also step into a leadership role in 2021-22 after coming off the bench the last two seasons. His energy and playmaking abilities will be valuable the rest of his college career, and he could turn into one of the better players in the Missouri Valley Conference by the time he graduates.
Let’s not forget redshirt sophomore guard Cooper Kaifes, sophomore forward Tom Welch, freshman center Jacob Hutson and freshman guard Baylor Hebb. The pieces are there for Moser to put together another stretch of dominance, even if the seniors decide not to return.
The key is getting Moser to return.
We’ve all heard the rumors. DePaul. Marquette. Indiana. Minnesota. You name the opening, Moser’s name has been attached to it.
Will he stay? We’ll see. I’ll have more to say on that later. If he does, every player I’ve listed — and more — would be key building blocks in the years to come.
“We have some really great young players here, some who have so much value but you couldn’t see it in the minutes played because we were a deep, older team,” Moser said. “We’ve got really good recruits coming in. Sustaining it. That’s been a big thing. … The future is bright.”