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No. 11 Loyola-Chicago is continuing its improbable March run, hitting another buzzer beater to take down No. 3 Tennessee. The scourge of the Missouri Valley has taken down both Miami and Tennessee on last second shots, and it's the last team anyone wants to face. The Ramblers are obviously fun because they're an underdog. But the other thing is that people really love schools that just look off advancing. And man, do these fans ever look off.
Here's the Loyola-Chicago cheering section.
There's a pretty clear comparison to be made here, and it's a joke that I thought I was the first to make. Had I done a cursory Twitter search, I'd have seen I was extremely wrong. Loyola-Chicago's crowd is basically Gryffindor in Quidditch. Never underestimate Twitter's ability to connect dots related to Harry Potter.
This legitimately goes on forever.
If you're wondering why the scarves, well, it's just something they do. After all, Chicago gets cold as hell. But also, it just looks great. Compare that to your average fan base. I'll take scarves over t-shirts any day. You can get them from the school store, but I'd hurry. Internet sensations don't last long, and that poor website's bandwidth will get stretched thin if Loyola-Chicago advances further.
However, Loyola-Chicago is so much more than a bid for your nostalgia. It also has perhaps the most endearing fan in the universe: Sister Jean.
So, for all of you non-tournament watchers that stumbled here when you were googling why in the world there's a Quidditch student section, here's a primer for your new favorite team.
Loyola-Chicago joined the Missouri Valley conference in 2013 from the Horizon League. It is coached by Porter Moser, who is in his seventh year. Its colors are maroon and gold, hence the scarves, and it plays in Joseph J. Gentile Arena, which has a capacity of just shy of 4,500.
Loyola-Chicago is making its sixth tournament appearance, and its second since the March Madness format was adopted. The last time it made the tournament was in 1985, when it made it to the Sweet 16 and lost to Georgetown, 65-53.
It entered the Missouri Valley Tournament as a No. 1 seed this year, eventually defeating Illinois State 65-49 to be undisputed champions. It went 29-5 overall and 15-3 in the conference. No. 13 Clayton Custer led the team in scoring this year, putting up 13.4 points per game. No. 0 Donte Ingram is the maniac that hit that buzzer beater against Miami to give the Ramblers the lead and the win, and he was second in scoring at 11.6 points per game.
Loyola-Chicago is a solid team looking to continue its already surprising run. It will play No. 3 Tennessee in the second round, who dominated No. 14 Wright State in Round 1 73-47 after coming in second in the SEC tournament, losing to Kentucky in the finals. Sister Jean will be in attendance. She's the team's 98-year-old chaplain, and probably the biggest fan any team in this tournament has. She leads the team in prayer before games, scouts out opponents and she is absolutely beloved.
So go ahead and ramble on all of you Harry Potter fans. Trust me, you aren't alone in hitching your wagon to this team.