Please Visit Our Sponsor 1931 N. 15th Ave. Melrose Park, IL 60160 Horizon League Links Butler Detroit Cleveland State Illinois-Chicago Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wisconsin-Green Bay Wright State Valpo Youngstown State Horizon Connection Horizon League Blog	Loyola Ramblers 11/02/07 by Joe Dlugosz If a team can have a disappointing 21-win season the Ramblers did that last year. As is often done in Chicago the hype machine went into full effect last season for the Ramblers and they were placed in the NCAA tournament before ever stepping on the court. A tall order for a team that hasn’t appeared in the tournament since the three-point line was instituted. The expectations and hype are gone this season along with stars Blake Schilb and Majak Kou. What remains, though, may be just what the Ramblers ordered. As head coach Jim Whitesell enters his fourth season at Loyola he finally has a team that is all his recruits. Leading the charge for the Ramblers this year will be junior guard J.R. Blount. Blount a 6’1” Milwaukee native has probably been waiting for this day since he first arrived on campus. No longer is he second or third fiddle, the Ramblers are his team. The pesky Blount is the Ramblers leading returning scorer, averaging almost 13 points a game. Blount will probably start the season at the point guard spot, but will move to the more comfortable two spot when transfer Justin Cerasoli becomes eligible after the first semester. Cerasoli was considered a top 50 player in the country coming out of high school, but has been well traveled since then with stops at Seton Hall and Mississippi. With just a season and a half left in his career the time for Cerasoli to live up to expectations in now. At 6’5” and 190 pounds with excellent ball handling skills Cerasoli will create all kinds of match-up problems for opponent’s in the Horizon League. Another match-up that favors the Ramblers is 6’7” forward Tracy Robinson. Robinson has the ability to play a point-forward type of position and will see an increase in his role this season, especially in the early going waiting for Cerasoli to become eligible. Senior guard Cortney Horton is more of defensive minded player, something the Ramblers will definitely need with the loss of all-defensive team player Majak Kou. Horton was bothered by injuries all last season and missed more than a month. Back to full health this season Horton will have to increase his role if the Ramblers are to continue their recent success. Incoming freshman Geoff McCammon is a diamond in the rough. Overlooked for most of his high school career a dominant senior season put him on the recruiting map. A 6’4” 200 pounder with incredible leaping ability McCammon is a bit raw but could develop into a star for Loyola. Dave Telander and Ryan Sterling are both sharp shooting guards. Telander is a 6’1’ senior who found his confidence and became comfortable with his role last season. A step slow on the defensive side of the ball, Telander has the ability to provide a quick offensive shot in the arm off the bench. Sterling is 6’4” freshman who has been impressive in practice thus far and may earn so minutes in a back-up role. Up front the Ramblers boast a pair of talented rebounding machines in Leon Young and Andy Polka. The 6’7” 240 pound Polka is the league’s top returning rebounder after averaging better than seven rebounds a contest as a freshman. He grew up in a hurry during the Horizon League tournament averaging 11 rebounds and 7.5 points per contest during the Ramblers post-season run. Young, a 6’6” 235 pound junior struggled through some nagging injuries last season, but still managed to post nearly nine points and six rebounds a game. If he returns to full health he is capable of a double double on any given night. He already has seven in his career. Senior Tom Levin does a little bit of everything for the Ramblers and has even added a three-point shot to his repertoire. The 6’8” 215 pounder chipped in three points and two rebounds a contest while hitting 45% of his three-point attempts. Junior center Darrin Williams looks bigger than his 6’8” 220 pound frame. He’s battled several knee problems over his career, but can provide some valuable minutes when healthy. Wyoming transfer Ross Forman is considered a good outside threat and can create some problems with his 6’8” frame on the perimeter. He was considered one of the top players in Minnesota coming out of high school. California native Kyle Thomas is a 6’8” 215 pound freshman forward who can play down low or on the perimeter. Thomas is said to possess good ball handling skills for a big man and have a good outside shot. He had several west coast schools show interest in him before choosing Loyola. The Ramblers on the outside appear to be at a loss without Schilb or Kou returning, but Blount is a natural leader who doesn’t quit until the buzzer sounds. With Polka and Young manning the frontcourt the Ramblers have the potential to dominate the glass this season, finding consistent scoring may be their biggest problem. Coach Whitesell finally has all his recruits in place, so now is the time for the Ramblers finally surprise some people for the first time in a long while. Email: Click Here to Threaten Big Joe

Copyright 2007, John C. Thomas.