College basketball folk hero Sister Jean is heading back to the NCAA Tournament, and Twitter could not be more excited.
The Loyola Ramblers on Sunday clinched an automatic bid to the tournament with a 64-58 win over Drake in the Missouri Valley final. That means Sister Jean, the team’s 102-year-old chaplain, will once again be making a March Madness appearance. She first went viral during Loyola’s Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018, and returned in 2020 after a one-year absence.
Based on social media, news of Sister Jean’s impending return to the Big Dance has been very warmly received.
Sister Jean heading to the tournament pic.twitter.com/C6bEJ5Aq41
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) March 6, 2022
The last time Loyola-Chicago made back-to-back NCAA tournaments, Sister Jean was 43 years old. pic.twitter.com/9vZjQKaji6
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) March 6, 2022
Sister Jean showing up to Loyola’s first March Madness game
pic.twitter.com/xrQWF4YmZ5— OddsShopper (@OddsShopper) March 6, 2022
Y’all can’t get rid of Sister Jean so quickly. pic.twitter.com/vHJqnU1AJH
— Bryan Stover (@bryanstovah) March 6, 2022
Yes, Sister Jean is just as much a part of the team as she has been in years past. Loyola coach Drew Valentine even made sure to get her part of the net after Sunday’s triumph.
Drew Valentine at the net:
“FOR SISTER JEAN!” pic.twitter.com/ddyaGX2BL9— Fernando Molina Bier (@fer8molina) March 6, 2022
While it obviously remains to be seen who Loyola will draw in the field, they certainly look like a threat to win a game or two. Perhaps that will give Sister Jean the chance to make Charles Barkley look bad again.
