Loyola's Sister Jean reveals NCAA men's basketball bracket picks
At 104 years old, there aren't many firsts in Sister Jean's life. But there is this: She allowed CBS 2 to get a look at how she makes her NCAA men's basketball picks.
Sister Jean, the longtime chaplain for the Loyola Ramblers men's team, likes the Big Ten to go deep into the tournament. She also picks a few Saints to pull off upsets in the first round.
And, of course, that Catholic school up in Milwaukee will march into the Elite Eight.
"Marquette, that's an easy one," she said.
Sister Jean likes Wisconsin to go to the Finals, but she warns they must be careful against James Madison in the opener.
She says she doesn't root against anybody — not even the Lutherans.
"They can win, too," she said.
Sister Jean was born in 1919 and played high school basketball. She then gave her life to the Lord and became the Loyola Ramblers team chaplain in 1994. She became a beloved, world-record-breaking bobblehead, a media darling.
She throws out the first pitches for the MLB teams on the North and South Sides. Most importantly, she's inspired her young athletes for three decades. Even in times of defeat, like this year.
Her beloved Ramblers, the Atlantic Ten newbies, won the regular season but lost by one in double overtime in the conference tournament.
There would be no Cinderella story, unlike in 2018 when the slipper fit like destiny to the Final Four.
Beyond basketball, the world seems to be at a heck of a place right now: Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, and a Presidential election that threatens to tear the country apart.
"We're so divided," she said. "I say a prayer with the fans. I include in our prayer to remember the countries in conflict. The states in division that they come to an agreement to a peace we all want."
God bless you, Sister Jean. It's a long shot, but fans will pray for a perfect bracket.
