12. Loyola Chicago Ramblers
Last Season: For reasons only known to others, the Ramblers received high praise in last year’s preseason poll. This proved to be futile as Loyola-Chicago came in last place in their first A-10 season. There were a few who did not see the reason why they polled so high (I was in this very small minority), and there are legitimate reasons why this take was flawed: The roster turnover was seismic. Losing five guys who were either seniors or graduate transfers — some of whom were Porter Moser’s guys — has something to do with that. Some of the transfers that Drew Valentine brought in were underwhelming in Jeameril Wilson (Lehigh), Bryce Golden (Butler), and Sheldon Edwards (Valparaiso).
Overall, the roster was extremely thin (both figuratively and literally), as they were dead last in team rebounding (31 per game in the A-10), had issues scoring the ball (67.4 points per game in the A-10), nor could they defend as they were outside the top 260 in Kenpom. The three things that are critical to winning basketball games were not up to par for the Ramblers at all. It was a bumpy adjustment for Loyola coming from the MVC, and while the national media likes to criticize the A-10’s poor performances, the conference is still the best non-power six in the nation It is still extremely talented with some of the best coaches in the nation. Not that it is a Big East-type, but it certainly is a big step up from some of the lower-end mid-majors.
The conference added them to strengthen their strength in basketball. It makes sense given the A-10 needs to try to get back to their normal standard of three bids to the NCAA tournament. Loyola came to the forefront in the last six seasons or so with Moser taking them to the Final Four in 2018, and has since been a stable program amongst mid-majors. They’ve developed one of the best home environments which plays into the A-10’s strengths for when their teams host visiting out-of-conference opponents. It gives the conference a chance to secure big wins and a chance for an at-large bid.
For year two, Drew Valentine has certainly upgraded the roster with legitimate A-10 talent to improve their output. A 4-14 record in conference is simply unacceptable by their standards which drove the staff to just get better. The conference kind of went both ways this season in terms of improvement: some teams are worse while others have drastically improved. Loyola isn’t in the regression section at all, nor did they drastically improve for this coming season but they will begin their climb towards the top with incremental steps forward.
Returnees: Jalen Quinn, Braden Norris, Trey Lewis, Tom Welch, Sheldon Edwards, Ben Schweiger, Philip Alston, Jayden Dawson
Out: Marquis Kennedy, Saint Thomas, Bryce Golden, Jacob Hutson, Jeameril Wilson,
In: Desmond Watson, Miles Rubin, Dame Adelekun, Patrick Mwamba, Greg Dolan
Potential Strengths: It’s always nice when at least four or five guys come back, in Loyola’s case they have seven guys coming back who are going to be integral parts of the team this season. It starts with Ben Schweiger and Philip Alston coming back off some very good seasons. Alston joined last offseason after spending three seasons in Division II and was by far the team’s best player. 14.7 points and 5.8 rebounds on 47% shooting were all-conference-worthy in my eyes, but the lack of team success hurt him in that process. Schweiger made all-freshman with a 9.2 point per game season, 2.1 assists on 35% from three. He did so while sharing the backcourt with a veteran like Braden Norris, who will provide stable leadership in a backcourt with some inexperience. Norris’ four assists per game led the squad for the third straight season and will be vital as he sets up Alston and Schweiger for more point totals.
Trey Lewis coming off his redshirt season is a massive addition to this team, he even has the element of surprise. He came out of high school as the No.2 rated prospect in the state of Michigan and garnered every possible award that high schoolers can win a seven-foot wingspan, and a winning mentality. Sheldon Edwards should find his way into being a capable backup guard who shot over 90% from the line last season. Jalen Quinn had a relatively quiet freshman year after an illustrious high school career, but that has more to do with him being behind two guards that ended up being much better. He could find his way into a much larger role this season and be ready to start once he’s a junior.
Loyola needed two elements to begin seriously competing in the A-10: athleticism and distance shooting. They certainly added athleticism when they stole Desmond Watson from Davidson. His slashing style gives Valentine a nice inside threat who also shows signs of some creation. The biggest knock on Watson has been his three-point shooting: going from 18% to 27% is an important distinction for a team that is banking on overall development. Graduate Transfers Patrick Mwamba, Dame Adelekun, and Greg Dolan are going to make real impacts as three-point threats. Adelekun and Dolan both shot over 40% from three last season at their respective Ivy League schools (Dartmouth and Cornell).
Valentine’s philosophy is to get back on defense rather than crash the offensive boards. This will certainly be useful considering how poorly the Ramblers performed on defense last season. They certainly made significant upgrades with veterans and added a longer-term piece in Watson. The front line features an experienced Tom Welch and a highly touted freshman named Miles Rubin.
“Miles is exactly what is coveted in basketball at the highest levels right now. He is a long and fluid athlete who can impact winning on both sides of the ball. Miles is an elite rim protector who can block shots on and off the ball. He’s got a soft touch around the rim with either hand and we think he’s got a future in shooting the ball from the perimeter because of that touch.” (via loyolaramblers.com)
Potential Weaknesses: Having legitimate A-10 talent is still a concern for this group even if they added some more guys who can fill that need. Watson and Schweiger are certainly verified to fit the bill, Alston is also very much an A-10 level player. Lewis and Quinn are a little more of the unknown — even with Quinn’s sample size — many will need time to evaluate if they are ready for this level of basketball. Watson is the clear “x-factor” as he gives another option in multiple areas for this group. But outside of him, Alston, Schweiger, and Norris this roster’s “A-10” talent are very much in question right now. Dawson is an important player, but he’s coming off an injury that kept him out for some time.
The front line is certainly in question with no Bryce Golden in the paint. Not that he was any sort of world-beating center but he was at least a capable inside presence. Rubin has a high ceiling but how much impact is he going to have right away? If these guys want to make noise, the non-graduate students will have to make significant jumps. It may be a tall order, but a big step forward in development is vital if Loyola wants to have a double-digit season in the win column.
Outlook: As I mentioned earlier in this preview, Loyola could not defend, score, or rebound at proficient A-10 levels. I would try to find some portion of the scheme to harp on, but it comes down to the personnel that Valentine has. It’s much better but they are going to need more as they continue their quest to contend in this conference. While they have a chance to turn and few heads — they are certainly going to leap from a miserable 2022-23 season — the Ramblers need more time to get better. This is a season critical for development which may not result in much winning, but banking on long-term success is a better route to take in Loyola’s case.