Michigan and Villanova are the two remaining teams in the 2018 NCAA Tournament after they both won their Final Four game on the previous Saturday. The teams that made it into the Final Four were a shock to most considering Loyola Chicago hasn’t seen a Final Four since 1963. This turned many heads and gained many supporters. In the Rambler’s first appearance to the Final Four, it was a big deal for a different reason. There used to be an unwritten rule in college basketball. Coaches would not play more than one or two black players at a time. But Loyola coach George Ireland decided not to follow that. For the tournament in 1963, he had four black starters. This was a problem for one of Loyola’s opponents. Mississippi State was an all-white team and wasn’t allowed to play integrated schools. Loyola won 61 to 51 in what became known as the Game of Change, opening the path for more integrated teams. At the end of the night, even though Loyola lost their spot in the championship to Michigan, it was an unforgettable night for the Rambler’s. This appearance will go down in history and hopefully we will get to see them soon, or other teams like it.
Villanova is favored to win this game and hopefully will. Both the Wolverines and Wildcats have been amongst the most profitable teams to bet on during the 2017-18 season. Despite seeing regularly inflated lines, ‘Nova has gone 27-12 against the spread. The program has been favored in all 39 of its matchups so far and has lived up to expectations as the odds-on favorite (5-1 at the start of March Madness) to cut down the nets in San Antonio. Many experts are favoring Villanova to win this match and a Vegas pro was even brought in to predict the winner and he’s taking Villanova all the way to the end. If Villanova pulls out this win, this will be their second NCAA Championship victory ever.
