ATLANTA — Five things to know about No. 11 seed Loyola’s national-semifinal matchup against No. 3 seed Michigan on Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio:
1. A Final Fourth: Loyola is the fourth No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four since the NCAA Tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. What became of the previous three?
Perhaps not the greatest omen, but none reached the title game. In 1986, LSU blew an eight-point halftime lead and lost to eventual champ Louisville. In 2006, George Mason lost by 15 to eventual champ Florida. And in 2011, VCU fell by eight to eventual runner-up Butler.
2. We’re No. 2! Loyola-Michigan will be the second No. 11-vs.-No. 3 Final Four matchup to date. George Mason-Florida was the first.
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3. We’re No. 18? Seventeen times, a No. 11 seed has upset a No. 3 seed — all of them taking place in the round of 32. Most recently: Loyola over Tennessee and Syracuse over Michigan State this year. George Mason, which knocked off North Carolina in 2006, is the only team to do it twice in the same tournament.
4. Streaking: Loyola has won 14 consecutive games and Michigan 13. Those are the longest active winning streaks in the country.
5. Sister Jean report: Asked after Michigan’s victory Saturday against Florida State if he knew anything about Loyola’s world-famous 98-year-old team chaplain, the Wolverines’ Charles Matthews was flummoxed.
‘‘I don’t really know who she is,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t know who Sister Jean is. No disrespect.’’
But Wolverines star Mo Wagner was up to speed.
‘‘I know that she didn’t have Loyola-Chicago in the Elite Eight — I know that,’’ he said. ‘‘She was on my Instagram a lot in the last days.’’
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Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com
