Horizon League Links

Butler
Detroit
Cleveland State
Illinois-Chicago
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Wisconsin-Green Bay
Wright State
Youngstown State
Horizon Connection

Loyola Ramblers

11/06/06
by Joe Dlugosz

It’s been 21 years since the Loyola Ramblers last made an NCAA tournament and 25 years since they were picked to win the conference title.  With the latter option accomplished, the Ramblers hope they can live up to the hype and make their first appearance in the NCAAs since their 1985 run to the Sweet 16.  With three players named to the conference all-league squads and a coach that has taken the Ramblers from being the doormat of Horizon League to being picked to finish first, Loyola certainly has the pieces in place to contend for the Horizon League crown.

Leading the way for the Ramblers is senior guard Blake Schilb.  Schilb has blossomed under Whitesell’s tutelage and was named the pre-season player of the year among a laundry list of other accolades.  At 6’7” and 220 pounds, Schilb can play any spot on the floor.  Schilb was second in the league in scoring a season ago posting better than 19 points a game to go along with a team-high 3.9 assists and better than five rebounds.  A quick glance at Horizon League leaders a year ago will also show Schilb’s name in just about every category.

Fellow senior Majak Kou was named to the pre-season second team and was on the all-defensive team last season.  The spindly 6’5” guard was fourth in the league in steals and second in blocked shots for the Ramblers last season.  The streaky scorer went off for 20-points six times last year and averaged nearly 13 points a game.  When Kou is hot he makes the impossible shot look easy.  During one four-game stretch last season Kou averaged more than 22 points a game while shooting 53% from the floor and carrying the Ramblers to a 3-1 mark during the streak.

Forward Leon Young burst onto the scene last year as a freshman and has earned pre-season second team honors.  The 6’6” and 235 pound Young started his collegiate career with double-doubles in three of his first four games and was red-hot for the first half of the season.  Young slowed down some in the second half of the year but still managed to post better than ten points a game and place fifth in the league with more than seven rebounds a game.  With a year of experience under his belt, Young will have his sights set on leading the Horizon League in rebounding.

Fellow freshman JR Blount also had a decent freshman season, though he missed six games due to injury and never quite got back to full speed after that.  The 6’1” point guard is now fully recovered and should get back his very quick first step that led to five 18-plus point games before his injury last season. 

If the Ramblers have a weakness this season, it will be their undersized frontcourt.  Center Kye Pattrick appeared in 30 games last season but recently suffered a broken foot.  At 6’9” and 250 pound,s Pattrick provided some much needed bulk in the frontcourt.  With his loss others will have to step up.

Senior forward Brandon Woods missed the start of last season with a knee injury but wound up starting the last ten games of the year.  He has tremendous quickness for a 6’8” forward but is not much of a force on the glass.  Woods averaged just over four points and two rebounds a season ago.  Junior Tom Levin appeared in all 30 games last season averaging three points and just over three rebounds.  He will also have to post better numbers for the depleted Ramblers frontcourt.  Sophomore Darrin Williams is a load at 6’8” and 240 pounds but has been hampered throughout his Ramblers career with bad knees. 

Incoming freshman Andy Polka is the reigning Mr. Basketball from the state of Wisconsin.  Polka is a 6’7” 240 pounder who led his team to the state championship in Wisconsin.  He has a knack for rebounding and a decent ability to score inside. 

On the wing, Tracy Robinson earned some valuable experience last season after being relegated to the bench for the first half of the year.  At 6’7”, Robinson provides some decent size on the perimeter and hit nearly 47% of his three-point attempts. 

Juco transfer Cortney Horton has some athleticism and will see time in the backcourt with his ability to create and score.  Junior Dave Telander saw limited action last season but still possesses a deadly three-point touch.  If he regains his confidence, he could be a useful weapon for the Ramblers off the bench. 

The Ramblers certainly appear to have all the pieces in place to make a run for the top spot in the conference.  With three all-league performers in the rotation and much confidence after finishing strong last season, the Ramblers are looking forward to trying to finally make a post-season appearance 

Email: Click Here to Threaten Big Joe