Sister Jean thrilled to see Loyola again
Loyola Chicago is back in the NCAA Tournament. And Sister Jean will be there, too.
The 101yearold team chaplain’s lobbying paid off Tuesday when the school reversed course and announced she will go. That means she gets to watch her Ramblers in person for the first time this season when Loyola meets Georgia Tech in Indianapolis on Friday.
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt couldn’t be happier.
“I kept saying to people I want to go not because of myself,” she said Tuesday. “I want to go because of the team. I want to be present for them. I want to be present for (head coach Porter Moser) and I want to be present for Loyola.”
In 2018, Loyola made a surprise run to the Final Four, charming the nation with one lastsecond win after another.
Above all else, at age 98, Sister Jean became a celebrity.
It was quite a ride. But it was not clear if she would be along in person this time.
Loyola (244) leaped into the AP Top 25 for the first time since March 1985 and hit the 20win mark for the fourth year in a row.
“This is what we’ve wanted,” Moser said. “We’ve wanted to sustain success. We wanted to get it back here. That’s what drives us.”
Sister Jean did not travel to St. Louis for the Missouri Valley tournament, which Loyola won for the second time in four years. Though she is fully vaccinated, there were safety and logistical issues.
“It was a little struggle going along the journeyed path,” she said, “but I finally said to one of our executives, ‘You know, I’m just going to sound like the old woman in the Gospel who kept after the judge and after the judge for what she wanted. And finally the judge said, “Let her do what she wants.” ’ ”
Referee shakeup: One referee tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing him and five others
who went to dinner with him out of the NCAA Tournament.
Their excursion ran counter to a protocol that called on all players and staff to eat at their NCAA hotels, but because the refs’ rooms weren’t ready and
there was no food available, they were given a pass.
NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt said, “It’s an unfortunate and disappointing circumstance for all involved. But I don’t think there’s something that can be pinpointed as a kind of failure here. Just an unfortunate set of circumstances.”
AllAmerica:
Unanimous pick Luka Garza of Iowa, a twotime selection, was joined by Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, Baylor’s Jared Butler, Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu and Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham on the Associated Press firstteam All
America squad. The 63 media members who vote each week in the AP Top 25 poll chose the AllAmerica teams.
Three players from West Coast schools made the second team: USC’s Evan Mobley and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs.
Utah fires Krystkowiak:
Utah let go of head coach Larry Krystkowiak after 10 seasons and a 183139 record.
Krystkowiak left Montana to take over the program in 2011 and led Utah to two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Utes (1213) won 27 games in 201516.
More coaching moves: Hours after Minnesota finalized his firing following eight seasons on the job, Richard Pitino, 38, was hired as New Mexico’s head coach to succeed Paul Weir, who went 5863 in four seasons. ... Earl Grant hopes to return Boston College to glory by bringing back a style reminiscent of its Big East days. “I think we’ve got to be gritty and not pretty,” the former College of Charleston head coach said . ... DePaul fired Dave Leitao, who was in his second stint with the Blue Demons and was 127146 over nine years . ... George Mason fired Dave Paulsen, ending his tenure after six seasons that did not include an NCAA Tournament or NIT appearance.