POST-GAME VIDEO: No. 8 Loyola Chicago 71, No. 1 Illinois 58 - Loyola Center Cameron Krutwig & Coach Porter Moser
Loyola Chicago center Cameron Krutwig and Ramblers head coach Porter Moser spoke to media via Zoom video after 8-seed Loyola Chicago defeated top seed Illinois 71-58 in the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament.
Krutwig will graduate as one of the most accomplished players to wear a Loyola uniform. The 6-foot-9 senior center is the third Rambler in four seasons to take home the Larry Bird Trophy as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, joining his former teammates Clayton Custer (2018) and Marques Townes (2019). Krutwig is the frst center to claim MVC Player of the Year status since Paul Miller (Wichita State) in 2006.
Krutwig, who was the starting center on Loyola’s 2017-18 team that advanced to the Final Four, completely dominated the proceedings on both ends of the floor. With just a simple post entry at the elbow and a dribble handoff action to a guard, Krutwig was the axis at which Loyola’s offense rotated as he finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.
On the defensive end, Krutwig, who will graduate as one of the most accomplished players to wear a Loyola uniform, was able to disrupt the ball screen action of the Illini’s All-American duo of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.
Loyola Ramblers center Cameron Krutwig (25) hugs head coach Porter Moser after their win over the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Loyola Ramblers won 71-58.
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
In his 17th season as a head coach and tenth at Loyola, Moser is one of only three coaches in school history to win over 150 games on the Loyola bench, Moser has guided the Ramblers to three postseason berths, including the 2015 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) title in the program’s first postseason berth since 1985, and led them to 13 wins over Power 5, Big East or Mountain West conference schools. The 2017-18 season was a historic one for Loyola as Moser piloted the Ramblers to a school-record 32 wins and their first Final Four appearance since winning the NCAA championship in 1963, along with a No. 7 ranking in the final 2017-18 USA Today Coaches Poll.
Loyola is making its fourth appearance in the postseason under Moser and he has guided the Ramblers to a 11-2 record in the second season. Moser steered Loyola to the CBI title in 2015, the NCAA Final Four in 2018 and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 2019.