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Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 1/06/04

1/06/04
by Joe Dlugosz
Though the pre-conference season had its share of disappointments for Ramblers fans we all of the sudden have something to look forward to. With Monday night’s win over Cleveland State the Ramblers improved to 2-0 in the Horizon League. Yes it’s early, but with that 2-0 mark and the recent losses UIC has suffered, coupled with Detroit’s loss to Milwaukee, the Ramblers hold their fate in their hands. The next three games at UIC, then home versus Milwaukee, and then back on the road for a match-up with Butler can make or break the Ramblers season. Though, at 2-0 the Ramblers still aren’t in the league’s driver’s seat just yet, wins in these next three games would sure go a long way towards that end.

Going to UIC has routinely been at the head of a long list of Rambler’s Achilles’ heels, but this game is more important than it’s been in a while. In recent history going to UIC never had this much significance. The Flames are reeling after dropping two straight games to open the conference season and another loss could end their dream of winning the conference regular season crown. Not that it would make up for a decade of dominance over the Ramblers, but it sure would be nice to go into the Pavilion and make the Flames sweat out what was to be their dream season. I hope the Ramblers haven’t forgotten recent history. They’ve been dominated by the Flames, humiliated at some times and downright heartbroken as well. Keeping that in mind should help motivate the Ramblers to ruin Martell Bailey and Cedric Banks’ last season together, much like they’ve done to Ramblers seasons past.

With Milwaukee’s newfound success has come the hubris of new bandwagon jumping fans. Last season’s dogfight in the Gentile Center set an unofficial record for most fan ejections in one contest and most empty Old Style cans in the visiting team’s fan section. The 92-91 loss at the hands of the Panthers was also a tough pill to swallow. Milwaukee, like Loyola, now stands at 2-0 in conference with wins over UIC and Detroit. The Saturday match-up at the Gentile Center should be a revenge-minded affair for the Ramblers, as well. The Panthers easily handled the Ramblers at Milwaukee last season handing Loyola their worst conference loss of the season and their second biggest margin of defeat on the year. The posturing and sweating of Bruce Pearl has got to leave a bad taste in their mouth too. Ramblers fans better show too, because last season they lost the Gentile Center to the up and comers from brew town.

Does that much have to be said of Butler? The Ramblers haven’t won at Hinkle in quite some time and it seems that every match-up with the Bulldogs is an emotion filled event. After taking the Bulldogs to overtime at Hinkle last season the Ramblers managed to bring it all together at the Gentile Center handing the Bulldogs a ten-point loss. Though, the Ramblers have had some decent success during the Bulldogs recent run atop the conference, Butler appears to be in a bit of a funk now. The Ramblers should take the same emotion that’s been brewing in this rivalry over the years and finally break the hex at Hinkle.

A tough stretch of games lies ahead for the Ramblers and thinking that they may come out with three wins in three games against the caliber of opponents they’re facing may be an even longer stretch of the imagination. However, at least we, as fans, have something to look forward to. There are only three teams still undefeated at this early part of the conference season and the Ramblers are one of them. Just like some other long suffering teams in Chicago land, maybe this year Loyola can finally dump at least of few of the aging family of monkeys that have set up shop on the Ramblers back. And it sure would be nice to beat the three most despised teams in the conference along the way.

Previous Columns:

Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/29/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/22/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/15/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/08/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 12/01/03
Big Joe's Two Shots and the Ball - 11/24/03