Rozner: Like it or not, Loyola's run to Final Four is a heck of a story

You do not have to care.

Seriously, you don't have to care about the Loyola Ramblers.

You don't have to watch them. You don't have to cheer for them. And you certainly don't have to apologize for it.

All politics are local and all college rooting interests are provincial at best and invisible at worst.

That's where Loyola's been for 30 years. Invisible.

And that's what makes it such a great story. Cinderella made it to the ball with time to spare.

Hey, it's not for everyone. Fine. But it's cute, and most people can't get enough of cute.

How many puppy videos did you watch on Facebook today? See, that's my point. Loyola is a puppy video, probably the one where they snuggle with babies, or make friends with a cat.

Nothing bad about that. Nothing bad about this story.

It's a group of college kids who seem to really like playing together for a coach who has done a spectacular job of getting them to play as a team.

That's why they win. They play great help defense, move the ball unselfishly and have a couple of great shooters who can take you off the dribble.

Even a great defense is susceptible to that if they're not sure whether you're going to the bucket or stepping back for a bomb.

It's legit. Cute or not, Loyola is legit.

It's a good basketball team, the best team surviving a bad region of a mediocre tournament. But that's college basketball today. Lots of parity. Lots of mediocrity.

And if ever there were a year in which a group that plays team basketball could go a long way, this is certainly it.

It gets tougher now, with some pretty good teams remaining. Thing is, Loyola can score the basketball against teams that play great defense, and in a one-and-done setting that can take you far.

Witness the 4 victories.

It's been a great run to the Final Four, and if they don't win another game, the Ramblers have captured the imagination of many around these parts and around the country, a reminder that kids can play college basketball anywhere these days and have success.

They don't have to go to Duke or Kansas or North Carolina to be recognized.

They don't even have to go to Illinois, which has been to two Final Fours in the last 55 years, the same exact number as Loyola.

You can go to Loyola from Overland Park, Kansas, like childhood teammates Clayton Custer and Ben Richardson, who play with the same joy today as they probably did then.

It's actually quite enjoyable to watch if you like team sports and you like a team game.

When you see five players in the paint looking for a defensive rebound you smile, because lack of effort and selfish play is accepted as normal these days, and when you see a group care for each other on the court, and hugging off the court after a big victory, it makes it worth the time spent watching them succeed.

Maybe it's not for you. Maybe you're not willing to be a Loyola fan for a few weeks. Maybe you don't care at all. That's fine. Don't apologize.

All college sports, just like politics, are local.

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's “Hit and Run” show at WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.