March 21, 2021: One and Done

So I’m explaining the greatness of March Madness to my son. The best part about this tournament of 64, or 68 if you count the play in games, is that everybody has a chance… technically, but for me, it’s the whole one and done concept. Even if you’re the best team, or one of the best teams, if you have one bad game, you’re going home. We saw this play out first hand when we watched Illinois take on Loyola on Sunday afternoon.

OK, so technically Illinois wasn’t one and done; they crushed their opponent in the 1 vs 16 matchup. They didn’t show me anything to make me second guess my choosing them to win it all in my brackets. Loyola would advance as well, in the 8 vs 9 matchup. First off, that’s a joke. The fact that the Ramblers got seeded so low is ridiculous. Secondly, to potentially setup an Illinois vs Loyola matchup in the 2nd round was total BS. Look, we don’t have that many teams in the tourney year in year out. In fact, the state of Illinois has only won 1 national championship in history; ironically enough, that was Loyola back in 1963. So the fact that the two were pitted against each other right out of the gate, in the first weekend, really sucked. Put them on the other side of the bracket, or at least wait until the Sweet Sixteen matchup to set this potential matchup. I think Illinois also got a raw deal in general in their region, which I think is the toughest out of all of them. Anyways, I felt bad for Loyola; they had a great year, they are a great team, but unfortunately, Illinois will steam roll them. I think that’s what the guys on the Illini basketball team thought too…

See, you can’t underestimate any opponent in March Madness. Now I can’t confirm that they did, but watching the game play out, it certainly didn’t feel like Illinois was at their best; maybe they did think that they were going to take the court and grab the W… without issue. Welp… Loyola outplayed them, period. They outcoached them. They outhustled them. They played better defense. They executed better on offense. What I thought was going to happen to Loyola, happened to Illinois. It was a shocker for sure.

My son, sitting there with his fresh Illini hat, was not happy. Grant it, he just started liking them a couple weeks ago, but still… haha. Of course I wanted Illinois to win, because I think they had the best chance to bring that 2nd title back to the state of Illinois. An alumni of DePaul, and die hard fan of Chicago’s professional teams, I wasn’t crushed over the result. Yes, over the years, Illinois has provided us the best opportunity, so I naturally root for them. But now that they are out, I’m going to get behind Loyola all the way. Trying to explain that one to my son wasn’t easy, but I think he gets it…

Yes, Loyola it is. They actually gave the state the most recent chance a few years back, and now, they’re back again. I think really highly of their coach; I love the way they play ball. I love to see the giants fall in the tourney, if only it could have been anybody else but Illinois. So although my bracket is in shambles (I had Texas meeting Illinois in the final), I still have a horse in the race. Loyola (Chicago) with an emphasis on “Chicago” is in the Sweet 16. Will they be able to bring it home?