It's a Good Time to be a Rambler

     Going to the Final Four has some prestige to it. Going to the Final Four as an 11 seed has a LOT of prestige to it. Like if Elvis walked in levels of prestige. And Loyola University has been reaping those benefits. Let's start with the obvious: memorabilia sales. The campus gift store has been bursting at the seams with Rambler fans wanting to get their hands on all the hottest Final Four apparel. So much so that the company running the store has had to call in reinforcements from other locations to handle the crowds. And even beyond that, there have been numerous satellite locations popping up around the city where fans can get their hands on Loyola gear. Beyond that, Las Vegas is the latest town to fall in love with the Ramblers. Loyola is by far the hottest team on the gambling books, attracting far more tickets than Michigan, Villanova, or Kansas. And they're loving Loyola on the internet too. Visits to the school's website have increased by 400% over last year. That bump in visibility is also leading to a bump in applications, which is a similar experience to what other 11-seeds have experienced after making it this far. It doesn't hurt that they have Sister Jean too.

Sir Charles and Sister Jean

     One of the other big names in this year's NCAA Tournament is Charles Barkley. He's doing analysis, he's doing commercials, he's pretty much everywhere. And that may include hanging out with Sister Jean. Last weekend, the Round Mound of Rebound expressed his desire to hang out with the 98 year-old nun if Loyola made it to the Final Four. Well, lo and behold they did. And not just that, but Sister Jean heard about Chuck's invitation. She actually agrees, but she has a limitation: "I like him when he talks as a sports announcer very much, but I don't want to see him play on the basketball court." As long as this doesn't end with Sister Jean getting left in front of a craps table in San Antonio, I think we'll all be okay.

Miracle In the Net

     Not to be outdone by a college team, the Blackhawks have somehow managed to make a dent in the news cycle while playing out the string on a shockingly moribund season. And all they had to do was put an accountant in goal. Let me back up for a moment: the '17-'18 Blackhawks are one of the biggest conflagrations in Chicago history not triggered by Mrs. O'Leary. One big reason for this is a spate of injuries that have hit the team early and often. On this particular occasion, one of their goalies went down. They called a guy up from Rockford, but it turns out this wasn't enough, as this guy started not feeling well later on in the game. Luckily, the Hawks have a team of skilled amateur players who are at the United Center for each game who can act as emergency fill-ins for either team. The back-up goalie went down, the Hawks turned to their bullpen, and fortunately, someone answered. That someone was 36 year-old accountant Scott Foster, he was called out onto the ice, warmed up, and proceeded to stop all 7 of the shots he faced to close out the game. The game ends, Hawks win, Foster is mobbed by his new teammates, and he went back to work as an accountant today. Just a day in the life of a backup backup goalie.

Chicago's Newest Celebrity

     The Ramblers of Loyola have made a splash in the NCAA Tournament in the past month, and the fame has gone everywhere. But without a doubt, the most talked-about person in this tournament has to be Sister Jean. Jean Dolores-Schmidt started out as a Sister of charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1937. By 1961, she had moved to Chicago to join the staff of Mundelein College. Over the next 30 years, she plied her craft on the North Side. In 1991, Mundelein College was absorbed by Loyola University, and she was kept on at the institution. 1994 saw her become chaplain to the men's basketball team, and ever since then her fame has grown. In 2011 she was honored with her own bobblehead. 5 years after that, she was granted an honorary doctorate from the school.

     But all of that was just a warm-up for the past 3 weeks. Loyola entered the tournament as an 11-seed. But then they started winning. And they haven't stopped winning. Buzzer-beaters, blowouts, Sister Jean has been there for all of them. And that's not even counting the media coverage. The assistant Athletic Director has been deputized as Sister Jean's rep so as to sort through the mountain of requests for her time. On one day, her appearances were as varied as Good Morning America, WGN News, and ESPN. Add on the inevitable social media response, and Sister Jean is the newest celebrity of 2018. Who would've thought it would happen to a 98 year-old nun? I suppose the Lord DOES work in mysterious ways.

Loyola Wins Again!

     After taking their first 3 tournament games by a combined total of 4 points, Loyola needed no such heroics in the Elite Eight against Kansas State. Ben Richardson led the way for the Ramblers with 6 three pointers and 23 points overall. Marques Townes and Donte Ingram were helpful again, contributing 13 and 12 points respectively. Additionally, all of Loyola's starters were perfect from the free-throw line. Kansas State didn't do quite as well, with Xavier Sneed leading the team with just 16 points. Two other players scored in the double digits as well. This victory sets up a date in the Final Four for Loyola, which is their first trip this far since their championship season of 1963.

4 Points in 3 Games

     Ladies and Gentlemen, we've got a bona fide Cinderella in town, and its name is the Loyola Ramblers. After ANOTHER thrilling victory in the Sweet 16, Loyola has now pushed itself into the Elite 8, thanks to scrappy play and support from Sister Jean. The game was yet another close one, as Marques Townes delivered with 18 points. Nevada had a gunslinger of its own with Caleb Martin, who delivered 21 points, with his brother Cody scoring 16 more. Not to be outdone, Jordan Caroline scored 19 points of his own. Thankfully, Loyola prevailed in the end. Loyola certainly has a habit of keeping their fans on the edge of their seats. They've now won their 3 tournament games by a combined total of 4 points. The drama figures to continue tonight, as they are up to face Florida State in the Elite 8 with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Make sure to watch.

Big Brother Could be Watching YOU

     If sitting around tonight watching the Ramblers isn't your jam(or you just feel like doing so in public), and you've always wanted to be on TV, today is your chance! Big Brother is hosting a casting call at Bar Louie at 47 W. Polk St. tonight from 6-9. Make sure to check out the website for all the details, and best of luck!

Rambling On

     When the names were drawn on Selection Sunday, folks up in Rogers Park knew what was coming but were still surprised. Loyola University had made it into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985. Their status as an 11-seed meant that they weren't going to have it easy, but things wouldn't be impossible. They proved that right away with an opening round victory over Miami, coming thanks to a last minute 3-pointer. Then on St. Patrick's Day, the Ramblers came up with another dramatic victory over Tennessee, sinking a shot with 3 seconds left to hold onto the win. Since then, Loyola has become the newest Cinderella darling. Visits to the school website have shot up 300%. Sister Jean Schmidt has become the country's newest celebrity(even in these times, a 98-year old nun can apparently still grab headlines). The program is being held up as an example of how to build a mid-major team that can actually win. Now though, the time for talk is coming to an end. The Sweet 16 starts off tonight, with a game in Atlanta against Nevada on the books. And even though the team might have had a bit of an interesting time making it to the arena yesterday, they're there now and ready to play.

Rise of the Machine

The Illinos Primary election is today, and returns are coming in shortly. Already making headlines are some rough and tumble campaign tactics being employed on the city's southwest side. According to Cook County Clerk David Orr, it's almost like the machine politics of old. Stay tuned for more updates.

Out of The Loop

     Today is a momentous day in the annals of Chicago radio. WLUP came on the air in its current form on March 14, 1977. Originally the station was a female friendly album-oriented rock station, but that changed in 1979 when new ownership changed to a harder-edged rock format. In March of that year, the station hired Steve Dahl as their morning man. Dahl would of course go on mere months later to become the only man to ever incite a riot at a baseball game. In 1981, Dahl was fired from his morning gig for 'assaulting community standards'(which is no big shock really, Steve Dahl probably didn't consider his day to be successful if he hadn't offended half the Chicago market by breakfast). In the 80s, the ownership purchased an AM station, which spent the next several years either simulcasting The Loop(as the station grew to be known as) or being simulcast by it.

     In the 90s, the station very briefly became Adult Contemporary, before switching back to rock the next year on the back of an all-Who playlist. After several more years of changing personalities and owners, The Loop became exclusively classic rock in 2011. The station was sold that year, but retained much of the same music. There were also several HD substations added that played various subgenres. On March 5, 2018 the station was sold and it was announced that a format change will be taking place. As of tomorrow, The Loop will become(wait for it) a Christian radio station as part of the K-Love network. The on-air staff was fired the day after the announcement took place, and in the irony of ironies, Steve Dahl will be the final voice heard on The Loop, via a simulcast of his AM talk show, commencing today from 2-6 PM.

DePaul Wins Again! AND Championship Preview

     Last night, the DePaul Blue Demons prevailed over the Georgetown Hoyas in the 2nd Semifinal of the Big East Tournament. Kelly Campbell was a force for the Blue Demons, turning in a double double en route to a 13 point game. Ashton Millender gave the home side 15 more points, and Mart'e gave 8 points. As for the Hoyas, Dionna White and Cynthia Petke both did well, leading the team in scoring. Mikayla Venson, DiDi Burton, and Marvel Osagie-Erese all helped by being perfect from the free-throw line. DePaul advances to the Final round of play.

     Waiting for DePaul in the Final are the Marquette Golden Eagles, back in the final after winning it all last year. Allazia Blockton looks to follow up her historic 32 point night last night. Amani Wilborn and Danielle King also played roles for the Golden Eagles. Marquette is looking to win its second straight Big East Tournament title.

To the Finals We Go! AND Game 8 Preview

     Coming hot off the presses, the Marquette Golden Eagles have punched their return ticket to the Final round of the Big East Women's Tournament. Audrey Faber was a key figure for the Creighton Bluejays in their losing effort, giving the team 20 points. In the second half, Marquette had a 12 point lead on the Bluejays, but the team stormed back, leading by a score of 68-66 when Sydney Lamberty landed a basket with 4:04 left. Then Marquette took over, going on an 8-0 run that was keyed by Allazia Blockton hitting a crucial shot with 1:38 to go. Jaylyn Agnew scored one last basket for Creighton, but the Golden Eagles held on to take the 76-70 victory. Marquette advances to the Tournament Final tomorrow night.

     Next up is DePaul and Georgetown. Georgetown is coming off of what I believe to be the best game of the tournament so far, a gutsy comeback victory over Villanova. Cynthia Petke looks to repeat her stunning performance from last night for, and Dionna White figures to be right there with her too. Emotions may be high for the Hoyas, playing in their first semifinal since 1999. DePaul is coming off of a commanding win over Seton Hall that saw Mart'e Grays get 21 points, and Ashton Millender throwing buckets from way out in 3-point territory. The winner of this tilt goes on to face Marquette in tomorrow's final.

Creighton vs. Marquette Preview

     Opening up today's semifinal action, the Creighton Bluejays (and their spirit squad) are taking on the Marquette Golden Eagles. The Bluejays are coming in now 12-7 in Big East play after yesterday's win over St. John's. Look for the duo to Jaylyn Agnew and Sydney Lamberty to play a key role once again in their battle with top-seeded Marquette. As for the Golden Eagles, Amani Wilborn is looking to follow up yesterday's 26 point effort with another strong showing. Stay tuned to Chicago 365 for all your Big East Women's Tournament updates.

Throw Out the Chalk!

     If there's one thing this Big East Women's Basketball Tournament has been lacking, it's upsets. Fear no longer, because the Georgetown Hoyas are tearing up brackets in Chicago! Coming into the contest with Villanova, the Hoyas were the 6 seed playing against a 3 seed. For much of the game, the Wildcats were ahead, entering halftime 7 points up on Georgetown. Alex Louin was indeed a key contributor, scoring 13 points. Kelly Jekot scored 8 points, and Mary Gedaka and Adrianna Hahn scored 12 points each. Even though Villanova led for the great majority of the game, the Hoyas refused to give up, hanging on to finally overtake Villanova in the 4th quarter. Dionna White was indeed a factor, scoring 20 points. Mikayla Venson added 9 more points. But boy oh boy, Cynthia Petke! She made us all look bad. Villanova for torching them for 24 points, and me for not including her in my pregame analysis. I don't think she'll be overlooked again. The Hoyas advance to face DePaul tomorrow in the semifinals, Georgetown's first time making it this far since 1999. In my book, this was the most engaging game of the Tournament so far, which bodes well for future action.

A Win for the Home Team AND Game 6 Preview

     DePaul prevailed in another easy win tonight over Seton Hall. The Pirates had some good moments, many of them coming courtesy of Selena Philoxy, who led with 14 points. She also had a moment where she sort of dunked the ball. Really cool! But the main story here is DePaul. I labeled Mart'e Grays as a player to watch, and boy was I right. She scored 21 points and was perfect on free throws. Ashton Millender was a force at the 3-point line, sinking 5. Beyond that, Chante Stonewall lent 11 points to the winning effort. DePaul advances to face the winner of Georgetown-Villanova tomorrow.

     Speaking of that game, its next! The Hoyas enter this game at 9-9 in the Big East. Overall, they are 14-31 in Big East Tourney play. Look for Dionna White and Mikayla Venson to make an impact in today's game. Villanova enters tonight's action at 12-6 in the Big East, and a 32-31 all-time record in Big East Tourney play. Alex Louin and Kelly Jekot are players to watch coming into today's action.

Yay Bluejays! AND Game 5 Preview

     Creighton came away with a win this afternoon in Big East Tourney action. They were facing off against the St. John's Red Storm. One big contributor for the Red Storm was Maya Singleton. She came away with 9 lay-ins, scoring a total of 18 points. Creighton was very effective defending against the 3-pointer, only allowing 6 attempts for the whole game. Even with that, the game was still competitive, with the Bluejays only winning by 8 points. Creighton's winning effort was largely helped by Jaylyn Agnew, Sydney Lamberty, and Temi Carda, all of whom were perfect from the free-throw line, and who combined to score 47 points. The Bluejays now advance to play Marquette in tomorrow's semifinal.

     Up next, the home team is playing! DePaul and Seton Hall are squaring off in the day's third game. Seton Hall enters today with a 7-11 conference record. Last night saw Seton Hall turn in their best defensive performance of the season, only allowing 42 points. Look for Nicole Jimenez to lead the way after leading the Pirates in scoring last night. DePaul enters with a 15-3 conference mark. Overall, the Blue Demons are 17-10 in Big East Tourney play. Look for Mart'e Grays, Ashton Millender, and Amarah Coleman to lead the way for DePaul, having 431, 404, and 362 points on the season respectively, as well as ranking in the top 10 in most DePaul offensive categories.

The Bluejay Backers

     The schools here at the tournament have various spirit groups with them. Cheerleaders, pep bands, the like. Creighton has all that, but also their spirit squad, the Creighton Blue Crew. These folks stand on the sidelines, wear baggy pants with big blue pinstripes, and have fun. I spoke with a few of them and they were excited about the game that had just ended. They're excited to support the team, they like that they have a lot of freedom to enhance spirit, and they say that they're great at throwing t-shirts. Make sure to keep an eye out for them at Wintrust Arena this weekend!

Fly Eagles Fly! AND Game 4 Preview

     Today's tournament action kicked off with Butler and Marquette. Butler followed up its performance yesterday with another strong showing. Tori Schickel came through again, delivering 5 lay-ins for the Bulldogs. Michelle Weaver lent 17 points to the effort. As for the Golden Eagles, Amani Wilborn was indeed the key, scoring 26 points. Allazia Blockton helped as well, scoring 12 points and adding 4 rebounds. It was largely a back and forth contest for much of it, with each team having the head for just about the same time. At the end, Marquette pulled away, leading to a 73-61 Golden Eagle victory.

     Next up, Creighton is taking on St. John's. The Blue Jays come into the contest with an 11-7 conference record. Jaylyn Agnew and Audrey Faber figure to be contributors, coming into today's action with 233 and 230 points on the season respectively. Overall they have a 5-4 all-time record in Big East Tourney play. St. John's comes to Chicago with a 9-9 conference record. Qadashah Hoppie is the top scoring Freshman in the Big East, and Maya Singleton is the top rebounder in the conference. They are 27-29 all time in Big East Tourney play.

Marquette vs. Butler preview

     After a thrilling effort last night holding off Providence, Butler is back on the court facing off with top-seeded Marquette in Big East Tourney play. Look for Kristen Spolyar to follow up her 21 point performance for the Bulldogs with more shots today. Whitney Jennings looks to be a key performer once again, and if the Bulldogs need to sink free throws, look no further than Tori Schickel, who made 13 of them yesterday against the Friars. Marquette comes into today's action looking to defend the title they won last year in Milwaukee. Their star player Allazia Blockton looks to play a part in that title defense. The reigning Big East player of the year comes in with a whopping 19.2 points per game scored in league action. She also was named Big East Women's Scholar Athlete, becoming just the 7th person to win both accolades. Other Golden Eagles to watch are Erika Davenport and Amani Wilborn.

Pirating a Victory

     Game 2 of the Big East Women's Tournament featured Xavier going up against Seton Hall. While Providence/Butler was an instant classic, this tilt represented a steady, inexorable march to the finish. Not to say that there still weren't compelling performances though. Through 3 quarters, Xavier's Imani Partlow had 9 points, 5 of them via free throws, taking up Tori Schickel's mantle of free throw leader. Nicole Jimenez led the way for Seton Hall, ringing up 12 points through 3 quarters. At the end of the game, Seton Hall pulled away with a convincing 66-42 victory. Now the real work begins for Seton Hall, who advance to face 2nd seeded DePaul in Sunday's action.

Who Let The Dogs Out? AND Game 2 Preview

     The first game of today's action certainly delivered, with Butler prevailing 73-67 in a game that went to an overtime period. Providence came out of the gate strong, and it looked like they were firmly in the driver's seat to start. Then Butler showed up and made things interesting. The game was largely back and forth for much of it, even going to overtime. Ultimately, the Bulldogs pulled through and advance to play the #1 seed tomorrow. As far as individual performances go, Jovana Nogic was indeed the key player for the Friars, scoring 18 points. For the victorious Bulldogs, Whitney Jennings was indeed a key contributor, scoring 20 points. Another key player was Kristen Spolyar, who led much of Butler's offense in the early going. As my earlier post mentioned, Tori Schickel did indeed cross the 500 point threshold, contributing a total of 17 points. Her true prowess was in scoring free throws, of which she sunk in 13 of them. Overall, the game was very competitive, and a great one to start things off with.

     Commencing right now is Game 2. 10th ranked Xavier is taking on 7th ranked Seton Hall. Seton Hall comes to Chicago with a 7-11 record in Big East conference play, while Xavier enters 3-15 in the Big East. This promises to be another good game. Stay tuned.

Ms. 500

     Big news from the Big East Women's Basketball Tournament, Tori Schickel has just scored her 9th point of the game and joins Whitney Jennings in the 500 club on the Butler Women's Basketball team. Congratulations!

Tourney Preview: Providence vs. Butler

     The first game of the Big East Women's Basketball Tournament tips off in 30 minutes. It features 9th ranked Providence against 8th ranked Butler. Providence enters tournament play with a 3-15 conference record, and a 19-29 all-time record in Big East Tourney play. Although they own a record of only 1-4 all-time as a 9 seed, this season they are 3-0 when playing at a neutral site. Look for Jovana Nogic to make an impact in today's game. More good news for the Friars: they lead Butler 8-2 all-time. The Butler Bulldogs come to Chicago with a 6-12 conference record, and ready for their first ever Big East Tournament meeting with Providence. In their Tourney history, the Bulldogs have never lost in the first round. Whitney Jennings looks to be the impact player for the Bulldogs today, leading the team in points both per game and overall. Another player to watch is Tori Schickel, who only needs to score 9 points in order to join Jennings with 500 points on the season, an admirable feat indeed.

Tournament Time!

     Since opening this past fall, Wintrust Arena has already attracted its fair share of events, ranging from concerts to college basketball to even professional basketball thanks to the Chicago Sky of the WNBA. Starting today, the arena gains another use when the Big East Conference comes to town for their women's basketball tournament. The tournament has been held annually since 1983, but exclusively located on the east coast till 2014, when it moved to Chicago. After one year in Milwaukee, its back in town with a new venue. DePaul and Marquette are the two teams to watch coming into the tournament, as they shared the regular season conference title, but this is anyone's tournament. The excitement promises to be there when the first game tips off today at 4:00