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.