Thirty-three long years. At last, after all those seasons of mediocrity and heartbreaking losses and everything in between, we are finally returning to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament! It still has not sunk in! Granted, I did not see the game live because I was at work. However, I surely kept by iPhone busy tracking the game. When the push notification came across that we won, it didn't seem real. Sure, we knew that the Ramblers were an improving team on the right track. But I'm sure few of us fathomed 28-5, an upset win over the then-No. 5 Florida Gators, a regular season Missouri Valley Conference title, a MVC Tournament title, and now our first NCAA berth after those thirty-three long years.

No, this is not what October 26, 2005, was for me. But it is pretty darn close. While this NCAA tournament berth is certainly not a championship (other than the MVC one), the fact that we GOT THERE feels championship enough. Now, of course, we will want our Ramblers to excel in the tournament. We don't want to just be there and subsequently get blown out by our first NCAA tournament opponent. The college basketball punditry is talking about our being "a dangerous 12-seed" whom no major program would want to play (just ask the Gators). Winning our first round game is certainly something we should not put past this team. One week from now, we'll find out who that opponent is. And when that opponent's coaching staff sees LOYOLA (CHI) on the other side of their opening bracket, they'll know they have work to do.

Go Ramblers! #OnwardLU