Loyola Chicago's Sister Jean is back as Ramblers prepare for NCAA tournament

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Loyola Chicago is back in the NCAA tournament, and so is Sister Jean.

Loyola is set to face off against the Ohio State men's basketball team in the first round.

There was plenty of excitement Sunday night as Loyola hosted a watch party to find out their first opponent.

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The team's biggest fan, Sister Jean, was on hand to witness all the action.

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the lovable team chaplain and superfan, was introduced to America during the Ramblers' improbable run to the 2018 Final Four. She was perhaps the most recognizable face of that year's tournament.

Last year, she was with the Ramblers in the Indianapolis bubble and correctly predicted their upset of Illinois to go to the Sweet 16.

RELATED: Sister Jean, 101, cheers on her beloved Loyola Ramblers at 'The Big Dance' in Indianapolis

Sister Jean is a huge basketball fan who became a global sensation after holding prayer before Loyola games and then rooting from the stands.

Now 102, Sister Jean attended Loyola's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament opener in St. Louis and got a shout-out from first-year coach Drew Valentine as the Ramblers cut down the nets after winning the championship March 6. Loyola is making back-to-back tournament appearances for the first time since 1963-64.

"Hey, for Sister Jean!" Valentine declared as he stood on the ladder holding up a strand of the net.

Valentine was an assistant to former coach Porter Moser in 2018 and has embraced the spirit she brings to the team.

"She's such a positive role model for the community," Valentine said. "Honestly, an icon. We love Sister. She's a great supporter a great friend of the program, and it's been awesome to watch her blossom into the international superstar that she is."

The Associated Press contributed to this post.