Loyola-Chicago defies its low seed to make basketball's Final Four By USA Today, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.28.18 Word Count 859 Level 1050L

Kansas State basketball players (right) leave the court as Loyola-Chicago players celebrate winning 78-62 in their regional final NCAA college basketball tournament game March 24, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by: AP Photo/John Amis

In 1963, the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers were champions of men's college basketball. Since then, they haven't gotten close to those heights -- until now.

For weeks now, the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers men's basketball team has been taking down teams that were ranked higher.

On March 24, the Ramblers beat Kansas State 78-62 in Atlanta, Georgia, to become one of the Final Four teams of the March Madness tournament. In the event, 64 teams compete to be the best in the country.

Before it starts, each team is ranked 1 to 16 based on its skills. Loyola was ranked fairly low, as an "11" seed, making its winning ways surprising.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1 In 1963, the Ramblers team was the first to field a starting five that had mostly African-American players, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. At the time, there was an unwritten agreement between coaches that only two African-American players were supposed to be on the court at one time.

1963 Team Drew Attention

In October, after a practice, some members of the 1963 team sat down to eat and watch film of the 1963 championship game. They talked about the statement they made by starting four black players against an all-white Mississippi State team.

Jerry Harkness was an All-American star of the 1963 team. Today's Ramblers team, he said, was motivated by watching film of the champions.

Much has changed in college basketball since the 1963 team took home a trophy. These days, "major" college teams make lots of money, which they earn from cutting deals with TV stations to show their games. They can spend millions of dollars on the top coaches, who can pull in the best talent in the country to play on their team.

Loyola is known as a "mid-major" school, meaning it can't typically attract the best players.

Realistically, a team like Loyola is not supposed to win the tournament.

But as the Ramblers celebrated victory March 24, it was easy to be a believer.

Her Prayers Answered

The team's unofficial mascot is Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, now famous countrywide at age 98, who has vivid memories of the 1963 title. She has been the team’s chaplain since 1994.

It's also easy to believe in this team's intelligent defense and unselfish style of basketball, where everyone gets a chance to shoot.

And it's easy to believe now that a group of kids who weren't top recruits were good enough to defeat some of the major teams and prove they belonged.

"We Can Play With The Best"

“We’re winners,” said guard Ben Richardson, who played the hero with 23 points against Kansas State. “We know we can play with the best teams."

In this particular year, as more people question the culture of college basketball, Loyola delivered exactly what the country needed.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2 It was timely, beating Miami on a last-second 3-point shot from Donte Ingram. It was tough, taking down a strong and tall Tennessee team. It was precise, going 11 minutes against Nevada without missing a shot. And it was ruthless, simply brutalizing Kansas State on both ends of the floor, at one point leading by 23 points during the game's second half.

No. 11 Seed Is Rarity In Final Four

Now, Loyola is one of the Final Four teams -- one of only four number-11 seeds to do so.

This isn’t a red-hot-shooting underdog, relying on luck to win.

This team consistently plays excellent basketball. It made its ranking look silly as it made 57 percent of its shots against Kansas State’s top-20 defense.

“Their toughness and their discipline is special,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. "You know, you get guys that will work at it and fight their butts off for you, a lot of things can happen.”

Loyola coach Porter Moser didn’t make the NCAA tournament his first six years there but suddenly has become a star. Clayton Custer, the Ramblers’ leading scorer, looked so unimposing that a guest at the team hotel last weekend did not know he was a basketball player.

Marques Townes hit a last-second 3-point shot to seal the victory against Nevada on March 22. When his team took home a trophy for getting to the Final Four, he locked his arms around it and wouldn’t let go until he made sure it was real.

“When I first came, I didn’t know what Loyola was,” he said. “But when I first came here they showed me so much love from the beginning. And it just means so much to the Loyola community and Chicago as a whole, and the world knows Loyola is no fluke and we belong here. I still can't believe it."

Can They Do It Again?

This Saturday, the Ramblers will be in San Antonio, Texas, trying to make magic happen one more time against Michigan, a major basketball school. At this point, who’s to say Loyola can’t win?

Certainly not those who were part of the magic 55 years ago and are seeing something similar unfold.

“It’s beautiful that they went (to a Final Four) before I went in the hole in the ground,” Harkness said. “Fifty-five years. I really didn’t think (it would happen again)."

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3 Quiz

1 Which section suggests that making this year's Final Four tournament isn't the first time the Loyola- Chicago Ramblers have gained national attention?

(A) Introduction [paragraphs 1-5]

(B) "Her Prayers Answered"

(C) "We Can Play With The Best"

(D) "No. 11 Seed Is Rarity In Final Four"

2 Read the selections from the section "1963 Team Drew Attention."

Much has changed in college basketball since the 1963 team took home a trophy. These days, "major" college teams make lots of money, which they earn from cutting deals with TV stations to show their games. They can spend millions of dollars on the top coaches, who can pull in the best talent in the country to play on their team. Loyola is known as a "mid-major" school, meaning it can't typically attract the best players. Realistically, a team like Loyola is not supposed to win the tournament.

Which inference is supported by the selections?

(A) Loyola-Chicago is unable to keep a good coach because it can't pay them enough.

(B) The majority of Final Four tournaments are won by teams who spend more money than the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers.

(C) In 1963, the tournament games were not broadcast on TV stations.

(D) The best players in the country will most likely want to play at Loyola-Chicago after this year's tournament.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4 3 Which statement would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) The Loyola-Chicago Ramblers were ranked as an 11 seed coming into the tournament.

(B) Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt has been the team's chaplain since 1994.

(C) Jerry Harkness didn't expect another Ramblers team to make the Final Four tournament.

(D) TV stations make deals with major college teams so that they can show their games.

4 Which of the following sentences from the article include MAIN ideas of the article?

1. For weeks now, the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers men's basketball team has been taking down teams that were ranked higher. 2. In 1963, the Ramblers team was the first to field a starting five that had mostly African-American players, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. 3. “Their toughness and their discipline is special,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. 4. Marques Townes hit a last-second 3-point shot to seal the victory against Nevada on March 22.

(A) 1 and 2

(B) 3 and 4

(C) 1 and 3

(D) 2 and 4

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5