104-year-old Sister Jean had the best view of Loyola-Chicago’s upset over No. 21 Dayton

Sister Jean was on the baseline for the Ramblers’ biggest win since 2021

It’s just not March Madness without Sister Jean.

The now 104-year-old superfan and official team chaplain of the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers has become a fixture of the sport ever since LUC made a Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018.

So it was such a delight to fans everywhere to see her court-side again for the team’s first game of March at Gentile Arena. It was a particularly massive game, too, as No. 21 Dayton arrived in Chicago as a 1.5-point road favorite, only for the Ramblers to pull off the 77-72 upset.

You just can’t even begin to doubt the power of a Sister Jean pep talk in the huddle.

It’s the Ramblers’ first victory over a ranked opponent since 2021 and a perfect way to kick off the most important month in the sport. If this is the start of another miracle run for Loyola, don’t forget who was there to help kick it all off.

2024 shooting guard recruit Cole Certa commits to Notre Dame

This latest commitment is for the future, not this coming season.

Lately, the focus for Notre Dame has been on filling out the upcoming season’s roster. This week has seen just that with three players who were set to play at Penn State joining [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] instead. That doesn’t mean the Irish aren’t looking at the 2024-25 season though. They now can do that after shooting guard recruit [autotag]Cole Certa[/autotag] announced his commitment to the program:

Certa, currently at Bloomington Central Catholic in Illinois, had nearly every prominent program in his home state after him. Illinois, Northwestern, Loyola Chicago, Bradley and Illinois State all made offers. He also received offers from Butler, Nebraska, Toledo and Penn State while Shrewsberry was there. The Irish were the last program to offer him, and that came after Shrewsberry went to the Irish. As it turned out, the best had been saved for last.

247Sports had Certa as the highest-rated uncommitted 2024 recruit in Illinois. That no longer is the case as Certa has made his decision. It also will be interesting to see if during his collegiate career, there will be a prominent game against North Carolina involving him and Tar Heels commit James Brown, the highest-rated Illinois recruit in that class. It sure is fun to think about.

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Sister Jean looked so adorable flying to catch Loyola-Chicago’s opening round A10 game

Sister Jean wouldn’t miss this for the world!

It being March means that one of everyone’s favorite NCAA Tournament characters, Sister Jean, is back in the spotlight.

As the Loyola-Chicago Men got set to take on Saint Joseph’s Hawks in the opening round of the Atlantic-10 tournament, their usual special guest had to find a way to make it to the game. Even with it being a down year for the 10-21 Ramblers, there was clearly just no way Sister Jean would miss this affair.

So, before the proceedings, Sister took a comfortable private plane. Predictably, she looked so happy about the opportunity to see her school compete in March again.

Aww. We can talk about the buzzer-beaters and ridiculous finishes, but I, for one, appreciate cherished moments like this. People like Sister Jean, who enjoy college basketball, love their school, and want to do anything to support it.

Loyola-Chicago would go on to 72-67. But I don’t think the score really mattered here.

Oklahoma’s Porter Moser has no interest in Notre Dame coaching job

Scratch one name off the list.

Those of you who were getting excited about the prospect of Oklahoma coach Porter Moser taking the Notre Dame job will have to stop. Sooners beat reporter Eli Lederman of the Tulsa World has tweeted that Moser is not interested in succeeding [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] as the next Irish coach:

While this undoubtedly is disappointing to those who hoped Moser could revitalize the Irish like he revitalized Loyola-Chicago, it might be for the best. Moser took the Sooners job after securing his legacy in the Windy City’s Rogers Park neighborhood, but his success didn’t go with him, at least not yet. Less than two years into his tenure, he has a 31-29 record. Now might not be the time for him to switch jobs again.

Not to worry though. There are plenty of candidates out there. We just need to have faith that [autotag]Jack Swarbrick[/autotag] will make the right selection, difficult as that may be at times.

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Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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Porter Moser reportedly high on list to replace Brey at Notre Dame

Would you like this hire?

With a month to go in the season, the task of filling the retiring [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag]’s job as Notre Dame coach isn’t urgent yet. However, one name already appears to be emerging as a front-runner. According to the Twitter handle Coaching Changes, Oklahoma coach Porter Moser is interested in the job, and Notre Dame reportedly is interested in return:

Moser, in his second season with the Sooners, is no stranger to coaching at a Division I Catholic university. He spent 10 seasons at Loyola-Chicago, leading the program to a surprising Final Four run in 2018 and helping make Sister Jean a household name. His background alone has to have made him a candidate for at least some Irish fans. He is for us.

Before you get too excited though, Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune rightfully points out that Moser pulling up stakes would be costly for the Sooners. Still, Moser failing to replicate the success he had in Chicago thus far could give them cause to bite the bullet:

So basically, we have a long way to go before the Irish name Brey’s successor. Until then, we will continue to speculate. Don’t you just love coaching rumors a week into February?

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Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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The UberEats guy who interrupted Duquesne’s men’s hoops game might, shockingly, have been fake

A prank? For a video? Shocking!

Hey, did you catch that absolutely bizarre moment from Wednesday night’s Loyola Chicago and Duquesne men’s hoops game in which a delivery person from UberEats interrupted the action on the floor?

Yeah. Wild stuff. Who ordered food to be delivered in the middle of a game? Was it a referee who needed a McDonald’s fix during the contest?

Well, in shocking news to absolutely NO ONE, it turns out the whole thing might have been fake.

Austin Hansen, Loyola’s assistant athletics director, tweeted a video of his view of the action and had a few observations: That it was DoorDash, not UberEats; that he didn’t order it; and that it was probably a prank:

Yep.

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Tennessee Classic: Lady Vols defeat Loyola Chicago in season opener

Tennessee Classic: Lady Vols defeat Loyola Chicago in season opener

The Lady Vols (1-0) rallied to capture a five-set victory against Loyola Chicago Friday at Thompson-Boling Arena in the Tennessee Classic.

Tennessee prevailed in the match, outlasting the Ramblers, 22-25, 25-23, 28-26, 25-16, 15-7.

Morgahn Fingall recorded 24 kills to lead the Lady Vols. She also totaled six blocks and 11 digs in the contest.

Emily Merrick recorded 13 kills, while Erykah Lovett finished with 10 kills and three assists for Tennessee.

Natalie Hayward led Tennessee with 50 assists. She also recorded 12 digs.

Poala Laborda finished the contest with 16 digs for the Lady Vols.

The Tennessee Classic will continue Saturday. Tennessee is set to host Bowling Green (11 a.m. EDT) and Purdue (6 p.m. EDT).

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Watch: Notre Dame has final Mass before NCAA Tournament

The Irish gathered before beginning their March Madness run.

Loyola-Chicago is back in the NCAA Tournament, which means more attention will be showered on the beloved Sister Jean. However, Notre Dame has its own spiritual leader accompanying it on its own tournament journey. The Rev. Peter McCormick, the Irish’s team chaplain, has long been associated with the program. With the program’s first March Madness in five years upon it, it only made sense for the Irish to celebrate one final Mass before taking the court in the single-elimination tournament:

Catholics who attend Mass regularly will notice that this one is taking place in a simple setting with chairs and a little table. Despite this, none of it matters as long as the message gets across. Plus, the Irish are lucky to have this opportunity to worship at a time when there is a great humanitarian crisis happening overseas. There are people out there who have nowhere to go and gladly would take this setting.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago Prediction, Game Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round

Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago prediction, NCAA Tournament First Round game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Friday.

Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago: NCAA Tournament First Round prediction and college basketball game preview.


Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago Game Preview, NCAA Tournament First Round How To Watch

Date: Friday, March 18
Game Time: 12:15 pm
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
How To Watch: CBS
Records: Ohio State (7 seed, 19-11)
Loyola Chicago (10 seed, 25-7)
Region: South

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NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

Loyola Chicago Ramblers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes: March Madness First Round live stream, start time, odds

An opening-round NCAA Tournament matchup will see the 10-seed Loyola Chicago Ramblers (25-7) play against the No. 7 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (19-11) on Friday at PPG Paints Arena. The contest begins at 12:15 PM. Loyola Chicago won on the road over …

An opening-round NCAA Tournament matchup will see the 10-seed Loyola Chicago Ramblers (25-7) play against the No. 7 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (19-11) on Friday at PPG Paints Arena. The contest begins at 12:15 PM.

Loyola Chicago won on the road over Drake 64-58 last time out, and was led by Lucas Williamson (18 PTS, 10 REB, 50.0 FG%) and Aher Uguak (16 PTS, 10 REB, 45.5 FG%).

In its previous game, Ohio State fell to Penn State 71-68 at home, with E.J. Liddell (25 PTS, 8 REB, 2 BLK, 42.9 FG%, 2-5 from 3PT) and Malaki Branham (16 PTS, 50.0 FG%) leading the way.

Get ready for this matchup with everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s college hoops action.

Loyola Chicago Ramblers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

  • Game Day: Friday, March 18, 2022
  • Game Time: 12:15 PM ET
  • Live Stream: Hulu (Watch March Madness on Hulu!)

NCAA Basketball Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 3:04 PM ET.

  • Spread: Loyola Chicago -1.5
  • Total: 132.5

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