Final Four Underdog: Loyola Chicago

The 2018 NCAA tournament is coming to an end and surprising upsets may still be in store. Everyone’s favorite underdog Loyola-Chicago, is the fourth 11 seed to make it to the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Ramblers will play the 3 seed Michigan Wolverines on Saturday at 5:00. The Loyola team possesses no real superstars and up to this point have relied on playing smart, consistent basketball. Their offense looked unstoppable last Saturday against Kansas State’s highly ranked defense, when the Ramblers shot 57% FG on offense and soundly defeated the Wildcats 78-62. If Loyola is going to advance there are a couple key things their team mst do.

“Stop Wagner” Said Wolfgang Fullenkamp ‘21 “And get a couple good prayers from Sister Jean.”

The Ramblers will have to deal with the Wolverine’s offense, which is great however it doesn’t always show up.

“Michigan’s offense will show up on Saturday” Stated Jack Meis ‘21 “but obviously there is that inconsistency there. Especially in the tournament, like how in the first round they won by a lot, then in the second round they barely squeaked past.”

The Ramblers will have a tough game ahead of them even if they do everything right and defeat Michigan. If the ramblers make the finals they will have to face the Villanova Wildcats or the Kansas Jayhawks, both of which are number one seeds. But the seemingly impossible odds and David vs. Goliath feelings are some of the reasons why people love watching the tournament.

“It’s MADNESS baby!” Wolfgang Fullenkamp ‘21 exclaimed

“NCAA is my life, I love all the stats and trying to predict who will make it all the way.” Said Egan Smith ‘21

Even if Loyola doesn’t win on Saturday they will always be remembered as one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of the NCAA tournament.

Jordy Nelson Signs with Raiders

At 32 years old, Jordy Nelson, one of the most reliable targets for Aaron Rodgers has signed with the Oakland Raiders for $14.2 million. Nelson, who’s coming off a mediocre season with the Packers, will be looking to take former Raider Michael Crabtree’s place on the team as the “veteran wideout” in a young receiving core. Nelson’s 2017-18 season was subpar at best,despite playing in 15 games he only managed 53 receptions and 483 yards. Although he had Brett Hundley throwing to him his gametime performance was not great. He decided to part ways with the Packers after they

The Raiders will utilize Nelson’s precise route running abilities as a secret weapon. Oakland’s offense in the ‘17 season promised a lot and delivered nothing. For the majority of the season the receiver’ could not get open fast enough while Carr was being sacked due to the poor O-line situation. By signing Nelson, the Raiders are looking for a solution to the offensive catastrophe that was last season, and the $14 million dollar price tag says that Nelson will stay with the Raiders for a while.

Richard Sherman Goes to 49ers

Richard Sherman, the best cornerback in the league in the opinion of many NFL fans, has signed with the 49ers. Coming off a achilles surgery, Sherman has negotiated his own deal.  With $5 million guaranteed, the deal will be a gamble on Sherman’s playing ability, but could give him $39 million. Sherman will join former Iowa cornerback Greg Mabin in the defensive backfield.The pre-existing CB’s for the 49ers have all been on the team for less than 3 years. The very young and inexperienced cornerbacks will have some strong veteran leadership to learn from. On the flip side of things the Seahawks are losing a team leader and a very important member of the Legion of Boom.

“Richard Sherman was a key defensive player,” Rika Yahashiri ‘21 said “ and his departure will  have a large impact on the performance of the defense.”

The Seahawks defensive backfield will have to rely on veteran Earl Thomas to fill Sherman’s role as a defensive powerhouse and team leader. With both Sherman and Michael Bennett leaving the team Seattle’s Legion of Boom has basically broken up entirely. Russell Wilson may be able to win games, but the Seahawks will not be the same powerhouse that they were without Sherman.

Stephen Curry Injury

In his first game back after an ankle injury, Stephen Curry was injured and left the game in the late 3rd quarter of the Warriors 106-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Curry was injured when teammate JaVale Mcgee went up for a block and fell on Curry’s left leg. The two time MVP immediately began limping around the court, clearly in pain.

The All-Star has undergone an MRI which has revealed an MCL sprain in his left leg. Warriors Coach Steve Kerr has estimated that Curry will miss the first round of the playoffs. Even if this is an overestimate for return it is a good idea to keep Curry out long enough for his full recovery. Curry has a history of playoff time injuries affecting his play, as seen in the 2016 NBA finals after Curry came back from an ankle injury he sustained two weeks prior. In the finals he played completely unlike himself, and the Warriors ended up losing the finals 3-1 to the Cavaliers.

Curry’s absence should not be a huge problem for the Warriors as they have clinched their sixth straight playoff berth. The team of superstars should be able to function fine without Curry as their end of season schedule only has one or two teams that could be a challenge to defeat. However the Warriors did lose to the Utah Jazz in a 110-91 defeat. Stephen Curry’s return will be highly anticipated for the Warriors and their fanbase, but the team should be able to pass the first round of the playoffs without the two time MVP.