Loyola-Fairfield Game Notes
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Feb. 17, 2006
Loyola (14-10) vs. Fairfield (9-15)
February 18, 2006 - Gentile Center
4:00 pm CST - WAUR (AM 930)
Today's Game: Loyola plays its final non-conference contest of the regular season when it entertains Fairfield Saturday. Today's game is a matchup of Jesuit schools from the pool of BracketBusters presented by eBay teams. The Ramblers, who are looking to rebound from a 62-50 loss at Butler on Thursday night, close out the regular season by playing two of their final three contests at home, where they have compiled a 10-3 record this year. In fact, Loyola is 6-0 at the Gentile Center this season versus non-Horizon League foes and is 9-2 under head coach Jim Whitesell in non-conference home games over the past two seasons. Loyola closes out the home portion of its schedule when it plays host to Wright State, Feb. 22. Prior to that game, the Ramblers will recognize senior guard Chris Logan and senior manager Kelin Althoff for their contributions to the program.
Loyola - Fairfield - The Series: This is the first-ever meeting between the two Jesuit institutions. Loyola has compiled a 12-8 all-time record against schools from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Bracket Racket: This is Loyola's third appearance in the BracketBusters presented by eBay event. The Ramblers split the first two meetings, both on the road, falling 77-71 at Illinois State in 2004 before earning a 68-64 victory at Evansville last February.
Head Coach Jim Whitesell: Jim Whitesell is in his second year at Loyola after guiding the Ramblers to a 13-17 ledger in his first season in Rogers Park. Under Whitesell's tutelage, the Ramblers won nine of their final 13 contests and tied for fourth place in the Horizon League after being picked eighth in a preseason poll. Whitesell has displayed an uncanny ability to revitalize programs and lead them to the NCAA Tournament as he previously has led a pair of area teams, Elmhurst College and Lewis University, to the postseason. The Iowa Falls, Iowa native owns a 305-221 (.580) career coaching record and is currently in his 19th season overall and second as a Division I front man. He picked up his 300th career victory in the Ramblers' 77-60 decision at Cleveland State on Dec. 29. Whitesell steered Loyola to eight victories in Horizon League action a year ago, tying the school record for most conference wins by a first-year coach. Gene Sullivan led the Ramblers to an 8-4 league mark in 1980-81, his first season on the job. Whitesell is 27-27 (.500) at Loyola.
On This Date: Loyola is 15-10 all time, including 8-2 at home, in games played on Feb. 18. On this date in 1963, the No. 2 Ramblers upended St. John's, 70-47 to run their record to 22-1 on the season.
Thousand Island: With 21 points at Detroit on Jan. 5, junior guard Blake Schilb became the 35th member of the Loyola 1,000-Point Club. The Preseason First Team All-Horizon League selection is the first Rambler to score 1,000 points since David Bailey accomplished the feat in 2001-02. He currently ranks 20th on the LU all-time list with 1,214 points and needs only 258 points to move into the top 10. Up next on the list is LaRue Martin (1969-72), who tallied 1,222 points in his three-year career.
Close Calls: Two of Loyola's five road losses in Horizon League play - at Detroit (73-67) and at UW-Milwaukee (78-75) have been by six points or less.
Select Company: Schilb needs 108 rebounds to become only the 18th player in Loyola history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during his career.
Shake and Blake: Junior guard Blake Schilb has posted some impressive all-around numbers so far this season and is a candidate for Horizon League Player of the Year. The 6-foot-7 guard is springing for team highs of 18.2 ppg and 3.8 apg and is also corralling 4.5 rpg. A Preseason First Team All-Horizon League selection, Schilb has scored in double figures in 47 of the last 48 games and has scored 20 or more points on 12 occasions this season. He has hit two or more treys in 15 of the last 19 outings and has scored in double figures in 30 straight regular-season Horizon League games. He needs 10 more assists to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists for the second consecutive season. In his last five outings, the junior owns a 2.44 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has shot .512 (64 for 125) from the field in the last nine games after knocking down .427 (85 for 199) of his tries from the field in the first 15 games. Schilb has scored 20 or more points seven times in the last eight home games and is tallying 22.5 ppg in his last eight contests at the Gentile Center.
Majak of All Trades: One of the top defensive players in the Horizon League, Majak Kou ranks second in the Horizon League in blocks (1.38 bpg) and third in steals (1.75 spg). The slender 6-foot-5 guard has already turned away more shots this season (33) than he did in his first two years at Loyola combined (20). In the last seven home contests, he is contributing 18.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.6 spg and 1.7 bpg, while shooting .495 (48 for 97) from the field. Last season at Evansville in BracketBuster action, Kou notched 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Kou has scored in double digits in eight of the last nine contests and tallied 10 points, five boards, three steals, a block and an assist at Butler, Feb. 16. Kou has scored in double figures in 11 of Loyola's 13 home games this season and has poured in 20 or more points in five of the last nine contests. The Ramblers are 12-5 this season when he scores in double figures.
Young Gun: Freshman Leon Young has given the Ramblers a physical presence in the post, averaging 10.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg, while shooting .482 (80 for 166) from the field. The 6-foot-6 forward has posted four double-doubles this season and is contributing 11.0 ppg and 5.2 rpg, while shooting .528 (19 for 36) from the field, in the last five outings. In his previous seven contests, Young had tallied only 6.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg on .395 shooting. He has hit nine straight free throws and ranks first in the Horizon League in free throw percentage (.838). Young is tallying 15.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while shooting .591 (13 for 22) from the field, in the last two home games. A workhorse in the post, Young led the state of California with 15.5 rpg, while also contributing 21.4 ppg, a year ago at Lakewood High School. The first Loyola freshman since Kenny Miller (1987-88) to open his career with consecutive double-doubles, Young also owns the California high school record for rebounds in a game with an astounding 30 caroms. Young is looking to become the first Loyola freshman since Javan Goodman in 1995-96 to lead the team in rebounding.
Everyone May Hate Chris, But We Love Logan: Senior guard Chris Logan has scored in double figures on 14 occasions this season, and is averaging 11.1 ppg on .465 (40 for 86) shooting from the field in 10 games versus non-Horizon League teams this season. Logan is dishing out 3.2 apg in the last nine games. He scored only 56 points in 21 appearances last season, but has more than quadrupled that total with 225 points through 24 contests this year. Loyola is 20-10 in the last 30 games he has started. In six home non-conference games this season, Logan is averaging 11.0 ppg and 3.3 rpg.
Maybe it is How You Start: Loyola is 13-1 this season when leading at the half.
Milwaukee's Best: Winning and J.R. Blount go hand-in-hand as the freshman guard has posted a 65-13 (.833) record in his last three seasons of competition, including the first 24 games of his collegiate career. The 6-foot-1 guard helped lead Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, Wis., to back-to-back Division III state titles in 2004 and 2005. Blount was notching 12.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg, on .632 (12 for 19) shooting from the field, in his last three outings before missing six games from Jan. 19 - Feb. 8, due to a stress fracture in his left foot. A starter in the first 16 games this season, Blount returned to action at UIC last Saturday and registered four points, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes. In his last four non-conference games, Blount is shooting .600 (18 for 30) from the field and averaging 13.0 ppg.
That Under-70s Show: Under Whitesell, Loyola has compiled a 19-8 (.704) ledger when holding its opponents to fewer than 70 points. The Ramblers are 9-3 in such instances this season.
Rookie Records: Leon Young's four double-doubles are the most by a Loyola freshman since Javan Goodman recorded six during the 1995-96 season. The Loyola record for double-doubles by a rookie is 20, set by Kenny Miller in 1987-88. Young and J.R. Blount are each averaging over 10.0 ppg this season. Only four freshmen in Loyola basketball history have ever finished a season by averaging double figures in points - Alfredrick Hughes (17.3 ppg in 1981-82), Tony Parker (17.1 ppg in 1973-74), Kenny Miller (14.7 ppg in 1987-88) and Chris Williams (10.6 ppg in 1998-99).
Rockin' Robinson: Sophomore forward Tracy Robinson has provided some valuable minutes off the bench in the last 10 games, averaging 5.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 1.8 apg, while hitting 11 of 20 shots (.550) from three-point distance. He has played 176 minutes in the last 10 contests after logging only 66 minutes in his first 11 appearances. The 6-foot-7 forward is shooting a robust .519 (14 for 27) from three-point range this season, but only .346 (9 for 26) from inside the arc. He has averaged 5.2 ppg in the last six home games and has hit a three-pointer in eight consecutive contests. He sank both ends of a one-and-one opportunity with 9.7 seconds left to seal Loyola's 71-68 victory at UIC last Saturday.
Training Days: Head athletic trainer Dr. Tom Hitcho is working his 826th consecutive Loyola men's basketball contest tonight. Since joining the staff for the 1977-78 campaign, "Hitch" has not missed a single contest and has witnessed 379 Rambler victories. In his 29th year at Loyola, Hitcho was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame, Feb. 4.
Parker Leaves Team: Sophomore guard Pierre Parker left the team Jan. 10 with the intent to transfer to another school. In 10 games this season, Parker averaged 1.2 ppg and 0.8 rpg.
Fabulous in February: The Ramblers have won six of their last eight games in the month of February and are 7-4 all-time, including a 5-3 mark on the road, during that month under Whitesell. Under Whitesell's leadership, Loyola is 9-5 in the months of February and March.
Gentile Giants: After notching an 11-13 (.458) record at the Gentile Center the last two seasons, Loyola has defended its home turf this year, as it has compiled a 10-3 record at The Joe. During the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, the Ramblers posted a sparkling 21-4 (.840) mark at home. With at least two home games remaining, Loyola has a chance to equal the Gentile Center record of 12 wins in a season, set in 1999-2000. The Ramblers have won 12 of their last 15 games at home.
Fantastic Freshmen: J.R. Blount and Leon Young are freshmen in name only. The duo is combining for 21.7 ppg and 10.2 rpg, while shooting a collective .484 (148 for 306) from the field through the first 24 games. Together, the roommates have scored in double digits on 22 occasions and are looking to become the first Loyola freshman duo to ever average double-figures in scoring for a season.
Charitable Ramblers: Loyola is the top foul-shooting team (.756) in the Horizon League, and ranked 13th in the nation through games of Feb. 16. LU is on pace to shatter the school record for free throw percentage in a season (.735) set in 1989-90.
Family Affair: The Ramblers' roster is loaded with players who have some interesting bloodlines. Senior guard Chris Logan is the cousin of Detroit Tigers outfielder Nook Logan and sophomore guard Dave Telander is the nephew of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander. Sophomore forward Tracy Robinson's uncle, Stephond Robinson, played at Loyola from 1983-88.
Successive Seasons of Success: With 27 victories in the last two seasons of competition, Loyola has posted its most successful back-to-back campaigns since recording 32 wins during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. This marks just the fourth time since 1990 that Loyola has notched consecutive seasons with 10 or more victories.
Polka Party: Loyola signed Andy Polka to a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period in November. The 6-foot-7 power forward stars at Oshkosh West High School, where current Rambler sophomore Tom Levin played. As a junior, Polka posted 14.2 ppg and 11.3 rpg while hitting a blistering 70 percent of his tries from the field. He is the third player from the neighboring state of Wisconsin to sign with Loyola since Whitesell took the reins of the program in April 2004. On Jan. 10, Polka buried a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer from three-quarters court to earn recognition as the No. 2 play on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays on Jan. 11.
Rambler Revival: Loyola needs one more victory to guarantee itself of its second winning season since 1986-87. In 2001-02, the Ramblers went 17-13 en route to an appearance in the Horizon League Championship game. Loyola has finished with a .500 record on two occasions - in 1997-98 (15-15) and 1999-2000 (14-14) - during that stretch as well.
Good Woods: Since moving into the starting lineup four games ago, junior Brandon Woods has contributed 6.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 1.5 apg, while shooting .478 (11 of 23) from the field. The 6-foot-8 forward missed the first seven games of the year after suffering a knee injury in the first week of practice back in October. In his last two non-conference contests, the California native is accounting for 8.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg.
Schilb's Shooting: The Ramblers are 6-2 this season when Schilb hits at least 50 percent of his shots from the field.
Schin on the Big Screen: Former Rambler Schin Kerr stars in the movie Glory Road, which chronicles the 1966 Texas Western University basketball team. That Texas Western team is the first to win an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship with five African-American starters. Kerr, who plays the role of David Lattin (#43) in the movie, averaged 10.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 56 career games for Loyola from 1999-2001.
Whitesell's Wins: In two seasons in Rogers Park, Jim Whitesell has racked up 27 wins which is the most by a Rambler coach in his first two years since Gene Sullivan recorded 30 victories in 1980-81 and 1981-82. In fact, Whitesell's 27 victories through two seasons are the third-most by the nine coaches that have roamed the Loyola sidelines in the Post-World-War-II Era. Tom Haggerty rolled up 43 wins during the 1945-46 and 1946-47 seasons.
Getting Defensive: Loyola has turned up its defense in the last nine contests, holding opponents to 66.9 ppg and .440 (219 for 498) shooting from the field. In the first 15 games of the year, the Ramblers yielded 72.0 ppg, while their foes connected at a .466 clip from the field. Loyola has held five of its last nine opponents to 43 percent shooting or less.
Tom Terrific: Sophomore forward Tom Levin hit three three-pointers en route to nine points off the bench at Butler, Feb. 16. He went 3 for 3 from beyond the arc in that game after misfiring on his previous eight tries from long distance and posting only nine total points in the previous six contests. Levin's nine-point effort was his best since a season-high, 10-point performance at San Diego, Dec. 20. The Oshkosh, Wis., native went for 12 points, hitting all four of his tries from the field, and four rebounds at Evansville last season in BracketBuster action.
