It is time to jump on the Loyola Chicago Ramblers basketball bandwagon. The Loyola University Ramblers men's basketball team is winning the hearts of Chicago with their two dramatic wins in the NCAA tournament. With the Chicago Bulls playing for a lottery pick, Chicago basketball fans have been searching for a team to root for all year. They have found their team in Sister Jean and Loyola Rambler's basketball. Bandwagon Champs outlines the top 5 reasons Loyola basketball is Sweet 16 bound.

﻿1. Sister Jean - the Loyola University Ramblers basketball fanatic

﻿Loyola Chicago's 98 year old team chaplain joined Loyola in 1991 and became super fan #1. Sister Jean not only prays for the player's and their health but also prays for the refs to call a good game. After Loyola basketball games, she emails coach Porter Moser congratulating them on their win or offering words of support if they lose. It may not be ironic that the Loyola Ramblers have one of the longest winning streaks in NCAA basketball.

(photo Chicago Tribune)

﻿2. Loyola Ramblers rise to the occasion and play well under pressure.

﻿Loyola Chicago basketball has played two games in the 2018 NCAA tournament and won both of them in dramatic fashion against teams from powerhouse conferences. With time expiring against Miami, Donte Ingram shot an incredible 3-pointer from behind the arc to notch the victory, 64-62. The Ramblers have gained the confidence that they can't lose and are in every game. They carried this momentum in to the round of 32 against the Tennessee Volunteers. Clayton Custer's jump shot in the closing seconds secured the win 63-62.

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3. Loyola Ramblers play old school basketball. It's boring and yet incredible.

﻿These numbers are astounding. Loyola Chicago basketball ranks 222nd in the nation averaging 72.2 points per game and 256th in total 3-point attempts. With having the 37th slowest tempo in the country, Loyola-Chicago would want it no other way. They simply wear down their opponents.with fundamentally sound play and a stingy defense. The old adage that defense wins runs true with the team from Chicago's north side. Because Loyola basketball controls the ball so well, they never have a big lead and they are never down by that much.

﻿4. Loyola-Chicago has 5 players that average over 10 points per game

﻿Clayton Custer, Donte Ingram, Aundre Jackson, Marques Townes, and Cameron Krutwig all average over 10 points per game for the 2017-2018 Loyola Chicago Ramblers basketball team. The strength of the Sister Jean led team is their balanced scoring attack and patience with the basketball on offense. Porter Moser, the Loyola coach, has his team believing in each other. The Rambler offense demonstrates poise and patience on every possession. Each player knows where the other will be at all times. The result is offensive efficiency with little wasted movement.

5. The Loyola Ramblers basketball team won the MVC and conference tournament.

The teams that play well in the March Madness NCAA tournament usually finish the season on a strong winning streak and win their conference tournament. In Loyola Chicago Ramblers' case, they also won their conference regular season in convincing fashion. The Rambler's impressive season helped them earn a #11 seed in the 2018 NCAA tourney. An #11 seed certainly isn't impressive by any means. But, that seed did something special for the Loyola Ramblers. It put them in a position where they had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. The #11 seeded Loyola Ramblers were pinned up against powerhouse conference teams in their first two games. It gave them an opportunity to shock the world and that's exactly what they did.

Are you on the Loyola University Rambler's bandwagon yet? We are.