Dark Horse in Valley

[BUDude]

I think Loyola might surprise some people this season and stay out of Thursday night.

[agrinut]

I think Loyola might surprise some people this season and stay out of Thursday night.

If a team that won 5 Horizon games this past season is not a play-in team then the Valley's RPI might start with a 2. My comment about BU being like Missouri State last year is they have a bunch of new faces and a senior guard. I think they are highly overrated but thats just me.

[GoRamblers]

I think Loyola might surprise some people this season and stay out of Thursday night.

If a team that won 5 Horizon games this past season is not a play-in team then the Valley's RPI might start with a 2. My comment about BU being like Missouri State last year is they have a bunch of new faces and a senior guard. I think they are highly overrated but thats just me.

I think that's a pretty simplistic view of Loyola...

[Pinkie]

I think Loyola might surprise some people this season and stay out of Thursday night.

If a team that won 5 Horizon games this past season is not a play-in team then the Valley's RPI might start with a 2. My comment about BU being like Missouri State last year is they have a bunch of new faces and a senior guard. I think they are highly overrated but thats just me.

The Valley's RPI will be much worse this year no doubt. There will be a fight at the bottom of the valley after WSU, UNI and maybe Indiana St.

[glm38]

I think overall valley RPI will be down a bit. But I dont think it takes the huge hit some are predicting. I think WSU, UNI, ISUb, MSU, and Bradley will all be pretty good this year. And UE is a possibility as well.

Drake and SIU are the 2 teams that worry me. SIU in particular. I just don't see them getting much better. At least not this year.

[agrinut]

I think Loyola might surprise some people this season and stay out of Thursday night.

If a team that won 5 Horizon games this past season is not a play-in team then the Valley's RPI might start with a 2. My comment about BU being like Missouri State last year is they have a bunch of new faces and a senior guard. I think they are highly overrated but thats just me.

I think that's a pretty simplistic view of Loyola...

I don't want to complicate things. Why should I expect more out of bad team from an inferior conference? My Bears were putrid last year but they would have beat your ramblers.

[GoRamblers]

I think that's a pretty simplistic view of Loyola...

I don't want to complicate things. Why should I expect more out of bad team from an inferior conference? My Bears were putrid last year but they would have beat your ramblers.

Well, to start, LU had the 6th youngest team in D1. Additionally, we were without our best player (Averkamp) for a month with concussion problems. At that same time, we also lost our point guard (this was a plus and a minus since it allowed Jeff White to get playing time as a freshman and show his worth). Some of that time overlapped with the loss of our shooting guard. So, for February, we were playing with 6 scholarship players.

When you look at our record last year, you will see that we lost 7 games by a combined total of 12 points. Several of those were on last second shots.

Our record does not indicate how competitive we were last year. I disagree with the assertion that MSU would have beaten LU last year but there is no way to prove either of our assertions (other than the measurable stats, of which LU had the advantage in all categories).

Finally, I'll say this. Our biggest problem in the Horizon was that we played to our opponents. We ALWAYS played Butler tough (and even took games from them during their most formidable years). Honestly, I think MSU would find similar ground if you all had to play Youngstown State and the other Ohio state universities. Thankfully, we won't have that problem in the MVC.

[Shockerfan13]

I think that's a pretty simplistic view of Loyola...

I don't want to complicate things. Why should I expect more out of bad team from an inferior conference? My Bears were putrid last year but they would have beat your ramblers.

Well, to start, LU had the 6th youngest team in D1. Additionally, we were without our best player (Averkamp) for a month with concussion problems. At that same time, we also lost our point guard (this was a plus and a minus since it allowed Jeff White to get playing time as a freshman and show his worth). Some of that time overlapped with the loss of our shooting guard. So, for February, we were playing with 6 scholarship players.

When you look at our record last year, you will see that we lost 7 games by a combined total of 12 points. Several of those were on last second shots.

Our record does not indicate how competitive we were last year. I disagree with the assertion that MSU would have beaten LU last year but there is no way to prove either of our assertions (other than the measurable stats, of which LU had the advantage in all categories).

Finally, I'll say this. Our biggest problem in the Horizon was that we played to our opponents. We ALWAYS played Butler tough (and even took games from them during their most formidable years). Honestly, I think MSU would find similar ground if you all had to play Youngstown State and the other Ohio state universities. Thankfully, we won't have that problem in the MVC.

Well put and this is why I think they are a potential dark horse. Very young but competitive team last year that has some talent. If the ball bounces just a TAD different last year they look much better.

I will admit that ignorance made me feel early on that Loyola is a 7-10 place team this year. Since then I have looked a little deeper at our newest member and feel that mid pack is possible for Loyola if things fall right. Especially due to lack of Valley strength this year.

I think Loyola will be picked 8th preseason due to the same ignorance by many with the potential to finish much better. That is why they are my "dark horse"

[GoRamblers]

Well put and this is why I think they are a potential dark horse. Very young but competitive team last year that has some talent. If the ball bounces just a TAD different last year they look much better.

I will admit that ignorance made me feel early on that Loyola is a 7-10 place team this year. Since then I have looked a little deeper at our newest member and feel that mid pack is possible for Loyola if things fall right. Especially due to lack of Valley strength this year.

I think Loyola will be picked 8th preseason due to the same ignorance by many with the potential to finish much better. That is why they are my "dark horse"

Loyola fans will be the first to admit that we have found a way to underachieve. In years when we should have broken our NCAA drought, we found ourselves highly disappointed.

Is there a chance that we end up on Thursday night and, by extension, the bottom of the conference? Sure. But I think that, all things considered, this Loyola team is different from those past Rambler teams.

[Mikovio]

My comment about BU being like Missouri State last year is they have a bunch of new faces and a senior guard. I think they are highly overrated but thats just me.

But last year's MSU team didn't have a returning POY candidate. Bradley will have that along with an all-Newcomer forward in Pickett. Only Wichita State has more coming back in terms of league honors. Plus, 2 of BU's 3 incoming freshmen were consensus 3 stars while none of MSU's were.

I don't know how this season will play out and you may be right but if that happens it won't have anything to do with a Bahamas game in which the rules are different and Ford is experimenting with minutes and a newcomer heavy lineup probably without regard for the final score.