Loyola-ChicagoOctober 17, 2007
COACH AND PROGRAM
The Blake Schilb Era is over at Loyola, leaving a somewhat bittersweet legacy.
The Ramblers won 21 games last winter, most in two decades. A 10-6 mark was a two-game improvement in the conference. They reached the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament for the third consecutive year. But that's it. They lost in a semifinal for the third consecutive year, not quite the satisfying end to a much-anticipated season that everyone had in mind.
There is no pressure of preseason great expectations this year. In stark contrast to a year ago, the Ramblers return only one full-time starter. Their go-to players -- the versatile Schilb (17.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and guard Majak Kou (12.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) -- are gone. But don't expect Loyola to freefall down the standings. There are plenty of experienced players returning and a couple of immedi-ate-impact newcomers on the way.
''I don't think expectations will be as big this year,'' coach Jim Whitesell said. ''Last year, I didn't know if we'd earned a bull's eye because we hadn't been to the [NCAA] tournament or any-thing, but we certainly got a lot of attention, and Blake was a big part of that.
''This year, scoring won't be nearly as easy. There were times last year we'd be able to stay in games by scoring. Now, we'll have to do all the little things very well, playing on the defensive side, taking good shots, making sure we keep the turnovers low.''
PLAYERS
Despite the veterans returning, this will be a new-look team. The 6-7 Schilb will be missed in so many ways. He was the scorer, distributor (4.0 apg) and the guy who could go get a basket when one was sorely needed. Kou not only averaged 12.9 points, he was a long, athletic defender. The other departed starters, big men Kye Patrick and Brandon Woods, were role players who will be missed but are not irreplaceable.
''We're going to need a lot of contributions from a lot of guys,'' Whitesell said. ''I see us having a lot of guys scoring eight, nine, 10, 11 points, maybe six off the bench, that type of thing.''
The redesign begins with junior guard J.R. Blount (12.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg). The 6-1 Milwaukee native is the only player who started all 32 games last winter as injuries nagged the Ramblers al-most from start to finish. Blount can play either guard spot and is comfortable getting his own shot and setting up others. Schilb and Kou accounted for the lion's share of Loyola's three-point shots last year, so Blount will have to take up the slack in that department. Improving on his 34.7-percent accuracy would be a bonus. Blount will probably spend more time at the point early in the season until Justin Cerasoli becomes eligible at mid-term.
Cerasoli was a touted Chicago-land prospect in the 2004 class who has since been well traveled. Loyola is his third and presumably last Division I stop. He signed with Seton Hall and aver-aged 6.2 points as a freshman, getting 10 starts. However, the pastures seemed greener at Ole Miss and Cerasoli transferred and red-shirted in 2005-06. Then coach Rod Barnes got the ax and Cerasoli didn't feel comfortable with the Andy Kennedy regime, so he transferred again, arriving at Loyola last winter. At 6-5, Cerasoli has combo guard skills and should be able to create mis-matches much as Schilb did the last few years. He becomes eligible at the end of the semester and has three semesters to play for the Ramblers.
''I think he'll definitely be an integral part of it,'' Whitesell said. ''But it's not easy to walk in the door midstream and say, 'Here's the ball, go out and win games for us.' But his work ethic and attitude are real good. I wouldn't say he's a lot like Blake because their games are a lot different, but he gives us that taller guard.''
Leon Young (8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Andy Polka (6.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) should become full-time starters in the frontcourt. Each started 14 games last winter and played in the 25-minute range. Young's numbers were down from his All- Horizon Newcomer team freshman season in which he relished a sixth-man role. Injuries (elbow and foot) were the biggest factor. At 6-6, 235, Young is bullish in the paint. He didn't attempt a single trey last year.
Polka is another banger, at 6-7, 240. As a freshman he finished as the league's third-leading rebounder, despite limited starts and minutes. He attempted one more three-pointer than Young (and made it), so his range is limited. The staff is hoping off-season work will improve Polka's mid-range game and make him harder to guard. Polka is also an excellent passer.
If there's one thing the Ramblers aren't short on, it's guys in the 6-6 to 6-8 range who can play inside or step out a bit. Tracy Robinson (4.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and Tom Levin (2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg), are seniors who fit that category, as is newcomer Ross Forman. Robinson has improved yearly and handles the ball well for a 6-7 man. He was 17-of-54 (31.5 percent) from three-point range last year.
The team leader in that department was the 6-8 Levin (14-of-31, 45.2 percent). Levin is a versatile utility player who understands the system and can adapt to a variety of situations.
Forman is a 6-8 transfer from Wyoming, where he averaged 1.5 points in 15 games two years ago. He definitely will have a place in Loyola's rotation although it's yet to be determined if it's starting or coming off the bench.
''Ross is gonna play a lot for us,'' Whitesell said. ''He's a real good shooter with good size. We love the way he practiced last year. We put him on Blake a lot in practice. He's a good fit for us.''
Then there is 6-8 junior Darrin Williams (0.7 ppg, 0.2 rpg), whose improvement is not reflected in his numbers -- yet. Williams has endured a pair of ACL surgeries, and if he continues to make progress he could force his way into some minutes. Speaking of ACL surgery, 6-11 Matt Adler has yet to get his college career untracked. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to help this winter.
Several veterans are vying for back-up minutes on the perimeter. Dave Telander (2.1 ppg, 0.6 rpg) is a 6-1 senior who made at least a partial recovery last winter from a terrible sophomore slump in 2005-06. He's primarily a three-point shooter whose overall game tends to follow his accuracy, for better or worse. Cortney Horton (2.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg) was recruited from the junior-college ranks to provide toughness and defense. The 6-2 senior acquired a stress fracture just when he was getting the hang of things and never really recovered. He has one more shot.
Aric Van Weelden (0.2 ppg, 0.3 rpg), a 6-4 sophomore, played sparingly as a freshman and hopes to parlay a good off-season into more minutes.
Two freshmen enter the mix. Kyle Thomas is a 6-8 Californian who had an excellent senior season in high school. He needs to get stronger but also fits into the mold of guys who play inside or outside. Geoff McCammon is an athletic 6-4 guard who came in under the radar until he had a breakout senior season in suburban Chicago. He's still raw but could develop in time into a very good mid-major player.
''Andy and Leon and J.R., those guys got a ton of minutes last year,'' Whitesell said, ''but we didn't ask them to be the go-to offensive player either. That's gonna be our big challenge, to really get an offensive identity. Honestly, I think it will be lot of balance.
''Actually, I'm pretty excited. We've got a good group, even though you could say there lot of question marks about us.''
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C
BENCH/DEPTH: C
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: C
Some picked Loyola to win the league last year, and the Ramblers obviously fell short of that lofty goal. This year, expectations return to a more modest level.
Blake Schilb and Majak Kou will be missed, no doubt about that. J.R. Blount can be an excellent guard in this league, and it's time for him to become an offensive leader. In Leon Young and Andy Polka, Loyola has a couple of battlers inside. Young needs a healthy season to fulfill his potential and Polka needs to build on the momentum of a strong rookie campaign.
After those three, it gets iffy. Several other players need to step up to a new plateau. If mid-term transfer Justin Cerasoli is the real deal, things get easier. Loyola's strength may be its versatil-ity. Its challenge is to grind out some hard-fought wins with toughness and defense.
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