Loyola returns home, hoping to keep on living the dream
Donte Ingram, the first of four different Loyola tournament heroes, stood against the wall in a crowded hallway at the Gentile Center. The net from Philips Arena in Atlanta was still draped around his neck.
While Ingram spoke to reporters, several fans leaned into the scrum, facing backward, trying to get a selfie with Ingram, the net and whoever else was in the shot.
Things were definitely a little crazy Sunday afternoon when the Final Four-bound Loyola Ramblers returned home to a loud throng of supporters.
Ingram said he slept with the net around his neck, after he and his teammates had a little night on the town in Atlanta.
"Along with the trophy," Ingram said.
Coach Porter Moser was enjoying the atmosphere so much, he wasn't even in a hurry to begin scouting Michigan, Saturday's opponent in the national semifinals.
"I've had alumni come up in tears and bear-hug me," Moser said Sunday. "That means so much to me. I've had students just jumping around excited.
"Last night, it was about an hour-and-a-half after the game, everybody was leaving. I walked back on the floor, they were mopping up the confetti and I just sat there. I didn't want to go. It's like right now. I don't want to go, I want to hang out with the students. This is fun."
The welcome-home ceremony was brief. The Ramblers walked into the Gentile Center, led by Sister Jean, and several players spoke to the cheering fans.
Everyone probably needs a little time to process what just happened. Loyola, barely a blip on the college basketball radar a few months ago, is going to the Final Four in San Antonio.
"It's really just a dream come true," freshman Lucas Williamson said. "Growing up, when you're a kid, watching the tournament, filling out brackets, cheering on the teams you picked to win.
"Now that you're a part of it, for this all to happen quickly, it's really special. It's just really special with the group of guys we're doing it with."
Williamson committed to Loyola about a year ago after leading Whitney Young to a state title. It's tough to imagine him telling friends, "Yeah, I'm going to Loyola. Come and watch me play in the Final Four next year."
"I felt like Loyola was on the verge of doing something big, and I felt like I could be a part of that," he said. "Ultimately, that's what happened. Coach's energy is just so infectious and the way coach pitched his program to me, it just felt like Loyola was on the verge of doing something big."
Ingram, a senior from Simeon, said he's hoping this success will help steer more local players to the Rogers Park campus.
"In the summer, I knew we were a special group," Ingram said. "We knew we could play with anybody with our brand of basketball. When you have that camaraderie and that chemistry, it goes a long way."
The Ramblers will quickly settle into the task ahead. On paper, Michigan appears to be Loyola's toughest challenge to date. The Big Ten tournament champs' most recent loss actually was against Northwestern on Feb. 6.
"I caught a little bit of the end (of Michigan's win over Florida State)," Moser said. "It was such mayhem with the media, the celebration. Obviously, we have the tape, so we'll start breaking that down right away.
"I've seen them throughout the year and I know how good they are. They're really good, but so are we. And we'll get ready to play them. I've got a ton of respect for Coach (John) Belein. He's one of the best in our profession. They're hot, too."