Jalen Rose’s 100-year-old grandma is Michigan’s answer to Sister Jean (Video)
By Luke Norris
Sister Jean finally has a counterpart in this crazy Cinderella story: former Michigan star Jalen Rose’s 100-year-old grandma.
Loyola University Chicago is in the Final Four for the first time since 1963, which also happens to be the last time they won the national championship. Coming from the South region, the Missouri Valley Conference champs are just the fourth No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, joining LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006 and VCU in 2011.
While the players and coaching staff certainly deserve the bulk of the credit, it’s been said that divine intervention has been on their side during this improbable run in the form of Sister Jean, the Ramblers’ 98-year-old team chaplain.
During Loyola’s impressive string of victories on the way to San Antonio, Sister Jean has become an absolute star. She’s been in attendance for every game, given multiple interviews (one in which she even talks about going on a date with Charles Barkley) and has even been immortalized with her very own bobblehead. With no disrespect to Maryland-Baltimore County, who became the first-ever No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed, Sister Jean is the darling of March Madness.
If this is a true Cinderella story and Sister Jean is the lovable hero, the story needs a villain ahead of Loyola’s Final Four matchup with Michigan in the opening game on Saturday night, right? Well, enter former Wolverines standout Jalen Rose’s 100-year-old grandmother, Mary Belle Hicks. Yes, it feels strange and probably isn’t right to call this 100-year-old woman a villain but we’re building drama here, okay?
Rose, who participated in the Final Four as a freshman in 1992 and a sophomore in 1993 as part of the famed “Fab Five,” posted a video of his grandmother on Instagram and it’s absolute gold. Decked out in full Michigan gear, Hicks had a message for Sister Jean and the Ramblers.
See, that’s why it’s hard to call her a villain. She’s not saying anything mean but just supporting the team her grandson played for all those years ago. And she even threw a “100” in there after “Go Blue.” Great stuff. Michigan now has their answer to Sister Jean and we’ll see if they have the answer on how to stop Loyola from continuing this crazy run.
The game tips off at 5:09 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday night.
Next: Ranking the teams in the 2018 Final Four
Who do you have for Loyola vs. Michigan in the Final Four? Feel free to join in the conversation in the comments section below.
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