Without fail after victories, Loyola coach Porter Moser opens his remarks in a way that stays true to the school’s Jesuit mission.
“I first want to say all glory and thankfulness goes to God, he’s been so good to this group, me, this university,’’ Moser said Saturday after his team’s 63-62 NCAA tournament victory over third-seeded Tennessee in Dallas.
Moser sincerely means it too. He proudly wears his devotion on his sleeve. The Naperville native loves referring to himself as “the Catholic kid from Chicago’’ and likely will crack before Thursday’s Sweet 16 game that he gave up losing for Lent. Moser’s authenticity is admirable.
As Moser spoke, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt was in the hallway of the American Airlines Center accepting congratulations and graciously posing for selfies. Of all the images from the first weekend of March Madness, Sister Jean becoming America’s Nun emerged as the sweetest.
The growing national celebrity of Loyola’s 98-year-old chaplain — a petition circulated Sunday to get Sister Jean on “Ellen” — only deepened the impression that somehow the Ramblers’ prayers get answered first. Even Loyola guard Clayton Custer, Saturday’s hero who hit the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left, reinforced that notion by thanking the basketball gods for a lucky bounce.
Basketball and religion go hand in hand on the Rogers Park campus, as they always should, but lest anyone forget, the players showing faith in each other carried Loyola to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1985 more than any other factor. It’s fun to watch how a team that prays together stays together when games get tight, but be careful not to overlook Loyola evolving into more than just a divinely blessed bunch of Ramblers. It is a supremely talented basketball team, too, one that has won 12 straight games and a school-record 30 overall, built around a belief system instilled by the indefatigably optimistic Moser.
Surely, Sister Jean prayed hard for the 33 previous Loyola teams that didn’t make the Sweet 16. And you can bet more than a few Tennessee players and fans looked toward the heavens for help Saturday in the final minutes. But Loyola prevailed after a rocky start because this particular collection of skillful players showed complete trust and confidence in someone or something — which is Webster’s definition of faith. They believed, in themselves and their teammates.
A higher power always will be part of the equation for Loyola basketball. But what ultimately made this team special goes back to the hire power exercised by former Loyola athletic director Grace Calhoun on April 6, 2011, when she introduced a new coach, Moser, who dramatically changed the culture.
It takes time to change the way a program perceives itself, and Moser consistently praises the Loyola administration for its patience in recognizing something other schools feel pressure to ignore. Loyola officials bought into Moser’s infectious energy then, through the tough early years, as much as players do now, amid the success.
“It’s amazing when you have a group of people who believe,’’ Moser marveled late Saturday, repeating his mantra from day one. “They believe. We’ve come back from deficits. We’ve lost leads and found ways to win games. You know, they just kept believing.’’
That’s the essence of the Loyola offense, which dictates the course of every game. Just keep believing. The half-court sets revolve around ball movement and back cuts, depending on details like screen angles and ball fakes until somebody gets an open look. The system perfectly fits the Missouri Valley Conference, a league full of offenses reliant on execution more than isolation. The precise way Loyola operates typically works the shot clock down, condensing the game so the offense makes the defense more efficient and tenacious.
Every Loyola player commits to the idea that his teammate can do the job as well as he can, that five must work as one. After Donte Ingram hit the epic 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Miami on Thursday, he summed up Loyola’s philosophy well.
“Any one of us could have hit that shot, but I was just fortunate enough to be in position,’’ Ingram said.
He was right, as was Custer when he expressed a similar sentiment after Saturday’s heroics. Five Ramblers averaged in double figures this season.
“Anybody on our team could make a big shot down the stretch,’’ Custer said. “The ball is going to find you if you’re open, and we have so many weapons that we trust that people are going to make plays.’’
Stop Ingram or Custer and somebody else likely will step up, as Aundre Jackson did against Tennessee. Jackson epitomizes the unselfishness that makes this Loyola team so likable — and so dangerous in Atlanta.
When Moser returned Jackson to the bench after 13 starts in favor of freshman Cameron Krutwig, the senior embraced his role. When Tennessee jumped to a 15-6 lead, the 6-foot-5 forward entered the game and steadied Loyola with two straight baskets and an assist, using his uncanny ability to score inside on taller defenders. The Ramblers neutralized any athletic advantage Tennessee had by spreading the floor with five players 6-5 or under. Jackson, back near his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, led Loyola with 16 points on seven shots.
“I hugged him so hard on the floor,’’ Moser said. “I said, ‘Man, your hometown, going to the Sweet 16, family and friends here. God is good.’ ’’
So is Loyola, the biggest problem for its March opponents.
Twitter @DavidHaugh