March Madness, heavy on the madness. The 2021 NCAA tournament has reached the round of 32.
Sunday saw the end of No. 1 seed Illinois, which lost 71-58 to Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers' 101-year-old chaplain, Sister Jean, offered up this analytics-heavy prayer before the game:
Sister Jean with the analytics in her pregame prayer 🙏🏽🤣 #Loyola pic.twitter.com/PcQ9X9DpXB
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) March 21, 2021
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Loyola Chicago has not beaten a top-two seed in the tournament since seeding began in 1979. It knocked off just one top-three seed on its Final Four run in 2018 (third-seeded Tennessee).
Later in the day, Oral Roberts upset Florida, Syracuse upset West Virginia and Oregon State upset Oklahoma State.
There will be at least four double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16 for the third time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. (15) Oral Roberts, (12) Oregon State and (11) Syracuse are already in and (11) UCLA plays against (14) Abilene Christian tomorrow. There were five double-digit seeds in the 1999 Sweet 16 and four in the 2011 Sweet 16.
Read more: What happened to Illinois
The Ramblers take down No. 1
Loyola Chicago's win came with a heavy dose of Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson.
Krutwig is a magician 🤯@RamblersMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Q2U5xJ8BfR
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 21, 2021
CAMERON KRUTWIG KNOWS THIS IS MARCH 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tF8yFN9vcZ
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 21, 2021
We ain't goin! @lucasw2424 https://t.co/wRizQD2DvQ
— Loyola Men's Basketball (@RamblersMBB) March 21, 2021
We don't call him #KingKrut for nothing 👑#OnwardLU x #StillChasing pic.twitter.com/z2WgUnwLX4
— Loyola Men's Basketball (@RamblersMBB) March 21, 2021See Also2023 NCAA Tournament: March Madness News, Schedule, ScoresMarch Madness 2021 live: Oral Roberts does it againNCAA Bracket Scoring Systems - March Madness Point Values2023 NCAA Tournament: March Madness News, Schedule, Scores
Krutwig, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, is the third Missouri Valley player with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in an NCAA tournament game since assists became official in 1984. The others: Bradley's Hersey Hawkins in 1988 and Tulsa's Shea Seals in 1994.
Williamson added 14 points.
Loyola Chicago is the sixth team to reach the Sweet 16 in consecutive NCAA tournament appearances as an 8 or lower seed since seeding began in 1979. Gonzaga is the only other non-major conference team to do this, doing so in three straight years from 1999 to 2001, all as a double-digit seed. But, when Loyola gets in, it wins. The program is 15-5 all time in the NCAA tournament, tying Duke for the best tournament winning percentage (.750).
Social media erupted after the upset.
🚨 THE FIRST 1-SEED HAS FALLEN 🚨@RamblersMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/uKVVEXpUlk
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 21, 2021
These games are crazyyy!!!
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 21, 2021
Talk about a golden moment for the @RamblersMBB that looks as though it will happen - yes a W over super Illinois looks REAL. Wow the magic of MARCH MADNESS!
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 21, 2021
What a PROUD moment for the guys of @RamblersMBB They just won one of the greatest games in the history of the school.Yes the National Championship in1963 is # 1 led by Jerry Harkness but this is a special magical moment .Yes @PorterMoser is the TOAST OF THE WINDY CITY !
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 21, 2021
I have a bracket with Loyola winning it because I thought it would be funny, it is now also in the top .5% of brackets so far, but I picked Ohio State to make the Final Four in it pic.twitter.com/jRVBxpoG8R
— B1G CHA〽️PS (@UMvsEveryone) March 21, 2021
Just when you thought your bracket couldn't get much worse, Loyola Chicago upsets Illinois 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ipwIYfPS9A
— ESPN (@espn) March 21, 2021
That's what Illinois gets for not saying "Car Ramrod" pic.twitter.com/o3iIysquMg
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) March 21, 2021
RGIII and J.J. Watt 'face off'
On Friday, Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt (a Wisconsin alum) steadily trolled his wife (a North Carolina grad) during the Badgers' first-round win over the Tar Heels.
Watt was ready to go again Sunday with Wisconsin facing No. 1 seed Baylor in the Round of 32, tweeting at former NFL QB Robert Griffin III and reality TV star Chip Gaines, both Baylor graduates. Sunday's fun did not go as well for Watt.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 21, 2021
Baylor punched a ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 76-63 win over Wisconsin.
The Hogs hold on
The 3-seed Arkansas Razorbacks haven't made a Sweet 16 since 1996 -- the Nolan Richardson era! -- but that all changed on Sunday with a thrilling 68-66 win over the 6-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech had an opportunity to tie it in the final seconds, but a good-look layup failed to fall.
FIRST SWEET 16 APPEARANCE SINCE 1996 👏@RazorbackMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/B33FnyLF4W
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 22, 2021
HOP ON THE MUSS BUS 🚌@RazorbackMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/zIZ70u4IjG
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 22, 2021
Weirdly, the last points of the game came with 2:51 left, and the Red Raiders failed to score entirely in the final three minutes.
Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes was, understandably, less than thrilled about the outcome.
😢
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) March 22, 2021
Houston survives, Rutgers collapses
Second-seeded Houston ended the game on a 14-2 run over the final 4:33 to beat Rutgers 63-60 and advance to the Sweet 16.
The Cougars trailed 58-49 before holding Rutgers to 1-of-7 shooting from the floor for the rest of the game. Down 60-58, Marcus Sasser stole the ball and drove down the floor. DeJon Jarreau missed a jumper, but Tramon Mark was fouled after making a putback layup. He made the ensuing free throw to give Houston a lead it would not relinquish.
HOUSTON AND-1 TO TAKE THE LEAD! @UHCougarMBK | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/J0hwvwYZi7
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 22, 2021
Oral Roberts does it again
What a tournament so far for the 15-seed Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. After knocking off 2-seed Ohio State in a stunning win, they survived a late-game challenge from the 7-seed Florida Gators to make it to the Sweet 16 -- the first time the program has made it since 1974 and only the second time in history. They're doing it on the strength of Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas -- the only players on a 15- or 16-seeded team in tournament history to score at least 50 points in their team's first two games.
ORAL ROBERTS IS HEADED TO THE #Sweet16 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1974 ‼️⁰⁰@ORUMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/FRHoRROJv2
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 22, 2021
IT'S PARTY TIME IN TULSA 🔥⁰⁰@ORUMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/dYb6iP82Q9
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 22, 2021
Open your history books to "ORU Basketball"!!!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/EfoVl0FdlK
— OralRobertsU (@OralRobertsU) March 22, 2021
ORU right now! pic.twitter.com/zVeLwfEBmj
— Isaiah Thomas (@Isaiah_t55) March 22, 2021
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 22, 2021March Madness. 🐊
15 seed Oral Roberts sends the Florida Gators home. pic.twitter.com/vReWPeeHJ6
ORU keep balling ✊🏾 T Town Up
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) March 22, 2021
It's a problem we need fixed! @Twitter https://t.co/9raBmHV9eB
— ORU Basketball (@ORUMBB) March 22, 2021
Oregon State shuts down Oklahoma State and Cade Cunningham
The Beavers, who were picked to finish last in the Pac-12 preseason and are in the tourney thanks to a Pac-12 tournament title run, stunned the fourth-seeded Cowboys 80-70. Oregon State advances to its first Sweet 16 since 1982.
