Opinion: Loyola-Chicago can complain about its seeding or prove the experts wrong

INDIANAPOLIS — OK, Loyola-Chicago. Time to put your money where the muttering has been.

The Ramblers will get the chance to prove they were under-seeded, and maybe a bit disrespected, with a second-round matchup Sunday against in-state neighbor and No. 1 seed Illinois. Loyola held off a surprisingly resilient Georgia Tech, which was playing without ACC player of the year Moses Wright, 71-60 in the first round.

Loyola has won seven in a row, and 18 of its last 19, and was puzzled when it found itself as an eighth seed, pitted against arguably the hottest team coming into the tournament in the second round. A state rival, at that – if you can call a small, Catholic, mid-major and a Power-5 flagship state university rivals, that is.

Even Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, Loyola’s 101-year-old team chaplain and America’s favorite nun, threw shade at the Selection Committee earlier this week, saying “nobody thinks it’s a fair bracket.”

But that’s life as a mid-major. You’ll get no favors in the NCAA men’s tournament, and your only choices are to sulk or show up the supposed experts.

Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser asked if he’ll use the idea that the Ramblers were under-seeded as motivation with his team. “I have 48 hours to fan that flame,” Moser said. “And I’m gonna. That flame will be fanned.”

Loyola would prefer the show up option – even if coach Porter Moser did acknowledge Wednesday that he wasn’t above using Loyola’s seeding as bulletin board material, at least ahead of the first-round game with Georgia Tech.

“I have 48 hours to fan that flame," Moser said then. "And I'm gonna. That flame will be fanned."

The Ramblers will need far more than motivational tactics against Illinois, which, if it has a weakness right now, it’s nearly impossible to see. The Illini breezed past 16th-seeded Drexel earlier Friday, with four players in double figures, including Ayo Dosunmu with a double-double.

“I have an amazing amount of respect for how good they are. They’re terrific,” Moser said. “They play hard, they play both ends, they’re extremely well-coached. We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

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