What's Up In The Missouri Valley: What's Up In The Missouri Valley 3/24/2021

2021 NCAA Tournament: Honoring the standout players from the first two rounds of a wild March Madness--CBS Sports

Second team

Cameron Krutwig, Loyola Chicago: The Ramblers' mustached center faced the challenge of a lifetime against No. 1 seed Illinois and mammoth center Kofi Cockburn. He handled it like a star by leading Loyola Chicago to a victory with 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Honorable mentions
Joseph Yesufu, Drake: With star forward ShanQuan Hemphill limited due to injury and starting point guard Roman Penn out with a broken foot, Yesufu carried Drake late this season. He averaged 23.5 points in two NCAA Tournament games and turned in one of the best dunks of the year in a First Four victory.

TODD AARON GOLDEN: ISU’s future is on the court in Evansville … and it’s going to be fast--Terre Haute Tribune Star

Loyola Chicago vs. Oregon State odds, picks, predictions for March Madness Sweet 16 game--Sporting News
NCAA Tournament upsets in store? Here are five bold predictions for Sweet 16 of March Madness--USA Today

5. Loyola Chicago cuts down the nets. The Ramblers (26-4) are no longer a Cinderella. This is a national title contending team with the nation's best defense – limiting opponents to 55.8 points a game and leading KenPom's efficiency ratings (86.1). The last team to hold those stats during an NCAA Tournament – Virginia – won the national title in 2019. But coach Porter Moser's offense is no slouch, either. It's predicated on spacing and patience from the playbook of the late coach Rick Majerus.
That slows the pace down and allows a well-disciplined half-court offense to take an up-tempo team completely out of rhythm. Cameron Krutwig (15.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.0 apg) is the key for Loyola Chicago to come out swinging like it did in an enormous upset of No. 1 Illinois. With a slowed pace, Loyola can beat anyone in the Midwest Region – or any remaining team Region for that matter.

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 schedule: How to watch and betting lines--Fansided

March Madness: Sweet 16 matchups on Saturday, March 27
Midwest Region – No. 12 Oregon State vs. No. 8 Loyola-Chicago
Time: 2:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
TV: CBS
Line: Loyola-Chicago -6.5
Oregon State used its offensive firepower to blow past Tennessee and Oklahoma State but their run comes to an end here. Porter Moser’s team is a legitimate Final Four threat and won’t be intimidated by the Beavers.
Prediction: Loyola Chicago 66, Oregon State 60

March Madness 2021: Reranking the Sweet 16 – Who’s winning the NCAA Tournament?--Fansided

Reranking the Sweet 16 teams in March Madness
4. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (No. 8 seed)
Thoughts of Porter Moser getting the Ramblers to the Final Four being a fluke are no more. Loyola-Chicago knocked off No. 1 seed Illinois and boasts the most efficient defense in college basketball. With Cameron Krutwig flexing his experience and playmaking chops in every facet, it’s clear that the Ramblers were under-seeded and are capable of winning any game.

Ramblers 2.0: How Porter Moser assembled yet another March force--Mid-Major Madness
Get to know the Ramblers: Who are the key players for No. 8 seed Loyola in the NCAA Tournament?--Chicago Tribune
March Madness 2021: Re-seeding the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 teams from Gonzaga to Oral Roberts--CBS Sports

Re-seeding the Sweet 16
8

Loyola Chi.
Count me among the masses that believes Loyola's gross under-seeding was a disservice to the Midwest Region, but instead of piling on the selection committee I get a chance to stake my claim here with a position just above the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds remaining in the tournament. While the elite defensive efficiency and 26-4 record anchors an argument for Loyola as one of the top teams in the country, the win against Illinois included ruthless precision on the offensive end and a stellar performance from Cameron Krutwig. Official NCAA Tournament seed: No. 30