Loyola Ramblers men's basketball
The Loyola University Chicago teams of the early 1960s, coached by George Ireland, are thought to be responsible for ushering in a new era of racial equality in the sport by shattering all remaining color barriers in NCAA men's basketball. Beginning in 1961, Loyola broke the longstanding gentlemen's agreement (not to play more than three black players at any given time), putting as many as four black players on the court at every game. For the 1962–63 season, Ireland played four black Loyola starters in every game. That season, Loyola also became the first team in NCAA Division I history to play an all-black lineup, doing so in a game against Wyoming on December 29, 1962. In that season's NCAA tournament, Loyola defeated the all-white team of then-segregated Mississippi State by a score of 61–51, a game especially notable because the Bulldogs defied a state court order prohibiting them from playing against a school with black players. The game has since been dubbed the "Game of Change" in popular culture. In 1963, Loyola shocked the nation and changed college basketball forever by starting four black players in the NCAA Championship game. Loyola's stunning upset of two-time defending NCAA champion Cincinnati, in overtime by a score of 60–58, was the crowning achievement in the school's nearly decade long struggle with racial inequality in men's college basketball, highlighted by the tumultuous events of that year's NCAA Tournament. Loyola's 1963 NCAA title was historic not only for the racial makeup of Loyola's team, but also due to the fact that Cincinnati had started three black players, making seven of the 10 starters in the 1963 NCAA Championship game black. The Ramblers have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 15-7. They were National Champions in 1963. On March 24, 2018, the Ramblers defeated Kansas State 78–62 to advance to play in their second Final Four in school history. The Ramblers have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments. They reached the championship game twice, and won the third place consolation game once. Their combined record is 6–5. The Ramblers have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) once, winning it in 2015. Their record is 5–0. Seven players have had their jerseys retired by the school. All-Americans







Academic All-Americans

MCC/Missouri Valley Coach of the Year

MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley Player of the Year



MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley First Team









MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley Second Team






Missouri Valley Conference Third Team


MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley All-Defensive Team



MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley Newcomer of the Year



MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley All-Newcomer Team






Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year

Missouri Valley All-Freshman Team


Missouri Valley Sixth Man of the Year
Missouri Valley Defensive MVP

MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley Tournament MVP

MCC/Horizon League/Missouri Valley All-Tournament Team
History
The Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team represents Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. In 1963, Loyola won the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (then the "NCAA University Division") men's basketball national championship under the leadership of All-American Jerry Harkness, defeating two-time defending champion Cincinnati 60–58 in overtime in the title game. All five starters for the Ramblers played the entire championship game without substitution. As of 2021, Loyola remains the only school from the state of Illinois to win a men's Division I basketball NCAA tournament.