LOS ANGELES – Michigan is headed to its first Final Four in five years with another upset-minded opponent waiting.
The Wolverines (32-7) have tamped down three consecutive teams with designs on pulling surprises – No. 6 seed Houston, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 9 Florida State.
Now they’ll face the most improbable opponent of all – 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago in San Antonio.
‘’I don’t think any of us cares about rankings, seedings or none of that,’’ forward Moe Wagner said. ‘’It’s about who is going to play better. They must be a really good team, that’s why they’re in the Final Four, and that’s all that matters.’’
The third-seeded Wolverines withstood their own poor shooting to beat Florida State, 58-54, and win the West Region title on Saturday night for their 13th straight victory. They haven’t lost since Feb. 6 against Northwestern.
Loyola (32-5) made a stunning run through the South, beating Kansas State, 78-62, in the regional final to equal the lowest-seeded team ever to reach the Final Four.
The Ramblers have Sister Jean, too. Their 98-year-old team chaplain, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, has been a social media and TV sensation during the tournament.