Upset Explained Here!

Yesterday was throwback day as number-eight seed Loyola of Chicago upset top-seed Illinois, 71-58 in the second round of the NCAA Midwest regional. Somewhere, Bobby Knight is smiling, assuming he can pull off that most basic of human actions. Loyola head coach Porter Moser the second coming of Bobby Knight? Yes, now hear me out. Knight thrived at a time when the coach was God and his players listened absolutely lest they be smote, both in the figurative and literal sense of the word. Knight just so happened to know what he was doing, at least from the bench. Moser does, too, plus he appears to be in possession of a heart and soul, both of which Knight was sadly lacking. That kind of college game is mostly gone now, replaced by what I’d call the pro/college game, where teams load up on NBA-bound talent and try to hash out a strategy that maximizes said talent. Illinois would be a good example, with guard Ayo Dosunmu and probably center Kofi Cockburn expected to declare for the upcoming NBA draft. It’s doubtful anyone on Loyola, not even super-hustling senior center Cameron Krutwig, will be drafted. A walk-on invitation, maybe, but that’s it. And that’s how it used to be with the Knight teams. Name me anyone outside of Isiah Thomas who came out of Indiana to have a big career in the NBA, and even Thomas only lasted two years with Knight before going pro. But could those mostly nameless Hoosiers play defense. That’s what the Ramblers did yesterday to the Illini, forcing seventeen turnovers. Moser preaches defense, finds players who buy into the concept and then does what he does. Which, in this case, is to take Loyola to the NCAA tournament twice in the past four years, and advance. And, while Moser may detest the media every bit as much as Knight did, outwardly he treats them with respect, all the while displaying an infectious enthusiasm that the cameras love. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski used to coach the same way, if with fewer smiles, but then he went over to the one-and-done philosophy. Truth be told, pro/college approach should top most old-time, coach-first programs. Only someone forgot to tell Loyola.