Loyola is no stranger to the breathtaking anarchy of March Madness. The Ramblers made the Final Four as an 11-seed in 2018, a Cinderella run that introduced the world to Sister Jean, in all her 98-year-old glory. Three years later, Sister Jean is still doing her thing and so are the Ramblers, who are headed back to the Sweet 16 following Sunday’s 71-58 upset of top-seeded Illinois. Sister Jean remains a national treasure but with all due respect to the most beloved team chaplain in America, Sunday belonged to Cameron Krutwig.
The 6’9” center put on a clinic against the Big 10 champs, pacing the Ramblers with 19 points, 12 boards and four steals, none bigger than his theft of consensus All-American Ayo Dosunmu with a minute and change remaining in the second half. Krutwig, who started as a freshman on Loyola’s Final Four squad three years ago, led the Ramblers in virtually every metric during the regular season, contributions that earned him well-deserved recognition as the Missouri Valley Conference’s Player of the Year.
Aesthetically, Krutwig couldn’t look more Midwestern if he tried. If SNL ever decides to bring back Bill Swerski's Superfans (“That makes a baker’s dozen for me!”), Krutwig will be the first person Lorne Michaels calls. Krutwig’s blue-collar appearance wasn’t lost on the social media masses with Twitter users quickly elevating the mustachioed big man to cult status.
Whether you think his doppelganger should be Barstool podcaster Dan “Big Cat” Katz or Ron Farva of Super Troopers fame (he also bears a striking resemblance to dock worker Frank Sobotka from Season 2 of The Wire), I think we can all agree Krutwig is the hero we need right now. Krutwig and the Ramblers await the winner of Oregon State/Oklahoma State in next Saturday's Midwest semifinals in Indianapolis.
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