Hot meets hot As Beavers, Ramblers collide in Sweet Sixteen
(Courtesy of Oregon State sports communications)
Oregon State has reached the NCAA Tournament’s “Sweet Sixteen” for the first time since 1982, when Lester Conner led a young crew of post-“Orange Express” Beavers to an “Elite Eight” appearance.
That team featured Conner, juniors William Brew and Danny Evans, sophomore Charlie Sitton and a freshman named A.C. Green. The Elite Eight matchup with Georgetown ended badly, with the Hoyas, led by center Patrick Ewing, administering a 69-45 whipping. Georgetown would go on to lose to North Carolina 63-62 in the NCAA finals.
The Beavers have Loyola of Chicago (26-4) in their path to this year’s Elite Eight. The Ramblers are the second-hottest team in the tournament, having won eight in a row and 19 of their last 20 games — the only loss 51-50 in overtime to Drake. Loyola knocked out No. 1 seed Illinois 71-58 in the second round.
Loyola’s star is Cameron Krutwig, a 6-9, 255-pound senior who was runner-up for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. Krutwig had 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals against the Illini. He is the only Rambler averaging as many as nine points a game.
The Ramblers’ veteran starting five is comprised of three seniors and two sophomores. They shoot .504 from the field and .370 from 3-point range and are an excellent defensive team, holding opponents to .413 field-goal percentage and 55.8 points per game. They get about seven steals and force 14 turnovers per game.
Oregon State (19-12) has won five in a row and eight of nine, claiming the Pac-12 Tournament championship and double-digit NCAA tourney wins over Tennessee and Oklahoma State along the way.
The Beavers and Ramblers have met only once in history — on New Year’s Eve in 1927, when Loyola pulled out a 29-19 victory in Chicago. The schools did cross paths one other time — at the 1963 Final Four in Louisville. Oregon State lost to Cincinnati and Loyola beat Duke in the semifinals. The Ramblers then upset the Bearcats in overtime 60-58 in the championship game.
Loyola reached the Final Four again in 2018, falling to Michigan 69-57 in the semifinals.
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