Loyola vs. Cleveland State Game Notes
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Jan. 2, 2007
Loyola (9-5, 1-1) vs. Cleveland State (6-9, 0-2)
January 4, 2007 -- 7:00 p.m. CST
Gentile Center - Chicago, Ill.
Radio: WYLL (AM 1160) - Andy Masur (play-by-play); Dave Klusendorf (expert analyst)
Webcast: Available at www.horizonleague.org
Tonight's Game: Loyola raises the curtain on the 2007 portion of the schedule when it hosts Cleveland State Thursday night. The Ramblers, who went 19-14 during the 2006 calendar year, are looking to get back to their winning ways after suffering a 76-71 loss at Youngstown State on Dec. 30. Loyola, which has not lost consecutive contests since dropping four straight games last January 2-11, has been battling the injury bug this season as five players on the roster have already missed games due to injury.
Loyola - Cleveland State - The Series: This is the 29th meeting between the teams and Loyola, which owns a 19-9 edge in the series, has claimed the last nine meetings overall and 10 of the last 11. The Ramblers have won six straight games versus the Vikings in the Windy City and last suffered a loss at the Gentile Center on Feb. 3, 2001. Loyola is 11-2 all-time against Cleveland State on its home court. Behind a game-high 27 points from Blake Schilb, the Ramblers rallied from a nine-point, first-half deficit to record an 81-75 victory over the Vikings at the Gentile Center a year ago. Leon Young came off the bench to pour in 20 points and snag eight boards, while Majak Kou chipped in 17 points in that victory as Loyola shot 55 percent from the field.
Mid-Major Players: Loyola is ranked No. 16 in the latest collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, which was released Jan. 1. The Ramblers have gone 2-1 this season against teams in the Mid-Major Top 25, posting victories versus San Diego (#22) and Northern Iowa (#5), while falling to Bradley (#23). Fellow Horizon League member Butler holds down the top spot in the poll.
Head Coach Jim Whitesell: In three short seasons, Jim Whitesell has injected new life into the Loyola program and made the Ramblers a contender for the Horizon League crown. So far in his brief stay in Rogers Park, the Iowa Falls, Iowa native has guided Loyola to a 41-33 (.554) overall record. A master at rebuilding programs in his previous stops at Elmhurst College and Lewis University, both of which he steered to NCAA Tournament appearances, Whitesell's 32 victories in his first two seasons at Loyola were the most by a Rambler coach in his first two campaigns since Tom Haggerty won 43 games from 1945-47. Whitesell is 17-17 (.500) in Horizon League play as Loyola's mentor, and last season notched his 300th career victory in the Ramblers' 77-60 decision at Cleveland State on Dec. 29, 2005. Whitesell, who sports a career record of 319-227, is 4-0 versus Cleveland State.
For Starters: The Ramblers are looking to get off to a hot start in Horizon League play after opening up the last three seasons with conference marks of 2-7, 1-4 and 1-4, respectively.
Strong Schedule: Loyola's non-conference opponents have compiled a 95-60 (.613) through games of Dec. 30. Five of the Ramblers' non-league foes (Ohio State, Saint Louis, Purdue, Northern Iowa and Bradley) had already rolled up 10 wins this season.
Blake's Back: After testing the waters at the NBA predraft camp in Orlando in June, senior Blake Schilb opted to return to Loyola for his final season of eligibility with hopes of leading the Ramblers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1984-85. Last season, Schilb averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game en route to Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors. A two-time First Team All-Horizon League selection, Schilb has also been recognized as one of 50 preseason candidates on the Wooden Award Watch List. The versatile 6-foot-7 guard is one of only seven players on the Wooden Watch List that compete in so-called "mid-major" conferences.
Gentile Giants: The Ramblers have won 11 of their last 13 games at the Gentile Center and are 21-4 in their last 25 contests on their home court. Loyola went 13-3 at the Gentile Center a year ago to set a record for most home wins in a single campaign since the building opened for the 1996-97 season. Under Whitesell, the Ramblers are 14-3 versus non-league foes and have claimed nine of their last 12 games versus Horizon League opponents at "The Joe".
Getting Defensive: In its last four victories, Loyola has yielded only 57.5 ppg while holding opponents to .390 (83 for 213) shooting from the field, including .273 (18 for 66) from beyond the arc. Loyola has held five of its last eight opponents to fewer than 70 points.
Chairmen of the (Offensive) Boards: Thirty-six of Loyola's 70 rebounds the last two contests have been grabbed on the offensive glass.
Rating Game: Through games of Dec. 31, Loyola stacked up with the best teams in the country as it owned an RPI rating of No. 49 according to Ken Pomeroy's rankings. The Ramblers also had a strength of schedule of No. 16 and have already played games versus five top 50 teams - Saint Louis (#44), Northern Iowa (#41), Purdue (#39), Ohio State (#25) and Bradley (#22).
Climbing the Charts: Schilb continues to climb both the Loyola and Horizon League career scoring charts and enters today's contest in 34th place on the conference's all-time list with 1,563 points. The high-scoring senior is one of 36 players in League history to rack up 1,500 points and is aiming to become only the 30th player to top the 1,600-point plateau. Up next on the list is former Loyola star Javan Goodman (1,564).
All in the Name of Charity: Loyola has benefited from getting the ball inside and taking it to the basket. Through 14 contests, the Ramblers have made 258 foul shots, while their opponents have taken only 246. Loyola, which set a school record and led the Horizon League with a .754 free-throw percentage a year ago, is 5-0 this season when it gets to the foul line at least 25 times. After experiencing a hiccup and connecting on only .500 (20 for 40) of their tries from the stripe in the Purdue and Loyola New Orleans games, the Ramblers have converted .763 (74 for 97) of their tries in the last four outings.
Majak of All Trades: While Schilb grabs most of the headlines, his fellow backcourt mate, Majak Kou, quietly puts up impressive numbers at both ends of the floor. The slender 6-foot-5 guard was one of only six players in NCAA Division I competition to average at least 1.0 three-point field goals, blocks and steals per game in 2005-06. He dropped in a career-best 30 points, the most by a Rambler since Schilb scored 39 versus UIC on March 4, 2005, at Youngstown State on Dec. 30. Kou has scored in double figures in three of the last four outings and has made 9 of his last 15 (.600) shots from the field at the Gentile Center. Over the last pair of outings, he is contributing 20.5 ppg.
Thousand Island: Kou became the 36th player in Loyola annals to record 1,000 career points when he tossed in his 30th point in the Ramblers' Dec. 30 game at Youngstown State. Schilb and Kou are the first set of Loyola teammates to have at least 1,000 career points at the same time since Carl Golston and Andre Battle in the mid-1980s.
Maybe It Is How You Start: Since the start of the 2005-06 season, Loyola has amassed a 24-2 (.923) record in games in which it has held the lead at halftime.
Schilb's Shooting: Schilb's success in putting the ball in the basket has had a direct affect on the outcome of games over the last few seasons. In fact, Loyola is 21-3 the last 24 times the talented senior guard has shot 50 percent or better from the field. With three triples against UW-Green Bay on Dec. 2, the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter became Loyola's all-time leader in that category, surpassing David Bailey's previous mark of 166. Schilb has struggled with his shooting touch over the last six contests, hitting at a .313 (20 for 64) clip from the field, including a .182 (4 for 22) rate from beyond the arc. In his first eight appearances of the year, Schilb shot .489 (46 for 94) from the field and .425 (17 for 40) from long range. He played only 15 minutes at Youngstown State on Dec. 30 after suffering a finger injury.
Not Without a Hitch: Head athletic trainer Dr. Tom Hitcho is working his 846th consecutive Loyola men's basketball contest tonight. Since joining the staff for the 1977-78 campaign, "Hitch", as he is affectionately known to those on campus, has not missed a single contest and has witnessed 393 Rambler victories. In his 30th year at Loyola, Hitcho was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame last February.
Polka Party: Andy Polka is making a name for himself in his first season with the Ramblers as he is the leading rebounder among Horizon League freshmen with 6.6 rpg. Since moving into the starting lineup six games ago, the physical 6-foot-7 forward has averaged 8.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 3.0 apg, and shot .500 (15 for 30) from the field. The 2006 Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin owns a 3.67 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last three outings and has tallied 10.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 2. 5 apg in his last four contests at the Gentile Center. In a pair of Horizon League affairs this season, Polka is accounting for 6.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg.
Blake Bits: Schilb has posted some impressive numbers against Cleveland State in his career, averaging 18.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 4.2 apg in five meetings with the Vikings. In the last three games against CSU, the Preseason Horizon League Player of the Year has posted 22.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 5.0 apg. Schilb has scored in double figures in 33 of the last 34 regular-season Horizon League contests. Loyola has won eight of the last 10 games in which Schilb has scored 20 or more points. He has converted 47 of his last 49 (.959) free throw attempts and earlier this season drained 33 straight shots from the foul line. Schilb has reach double digits in scoring in 32 of his last 33 games at the Gentile Center, topping the 20-point mark in 13 of his last 18 outings there. The Ramblers are 6-2 this season when Schilb leads the team in scoring. Last Saturday at Youngstown State, Schilb was forced to leave the contest after only 15 minutes after suffering a finger injury. He has started 76 consecutive games.
Milwaukee's Best: If you had to describe sophomore guard J.R. Blount in one word, there is no question it would be "winner". The 6-foot-1 Milwaukee native has compiled a staggering 79-19 (.806) record over the last three-plus seasons. He has scored in double figures in 12 of 14 games this year, including each of the last five. Over the last five outings, Blount is accounting for 15.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 3.4 apg and he has scored in double digits in six of Loyola's seven home games this season. He has drained at least one trey in seven straight contests, the longest stretch of his career, and is tallying 14.2 ppg with 28 assists to only 15 turnovers in the Ramblers' wins this year. In Loyola's setbacks, he has mustered 12.0 ppg but has 15 assists and 16 turnovers. Blount has hit 13 of his last 15 (.867) attempts from the foul line after converting only 7 of his previous 19 tries and owns a 2.25 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last two games.
Leon's Numbers Are Getting Larger: After becoming the first true freshman to lead the Ramblers in rebounding since Javan Goodman in 1995-96, Leon Young has picked up where he left off last season. The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward recorded five double-doubles a year ago, the most by a Rambler freshman since Goodman, and is tallying 9.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 12 appearances this season. Young, the 2005-06 Horizon League free-throw percentage leader, has buried 28 of his last 35 (.800) charity tosses after starting the year by hitting 6 of his first 10 (.600) tries. Loyola is 16-7 in his career when he scores in double digits. Young notched 18.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and shot .667 (12 for 18) from the field in a pair of games versus Cleveland State a year ago. After going to the foul line 40 times in his first seven appearances, Young has made only five trips to the stripe his last five games. He needs 72 points to reach 500 for his career. The Ramblers are 6-1 in his career when he records a double-double.
Select Company: With a season-high nine rebounds at Bradley on Dec. 19, Schilb became the 18th player in Loyola history to record at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds for his career. The last Rambler to accomplish the feat was Javan Goodman (1995-99), who closed out his illustrious career with 1,564 points and 908 rebounds. Schilb's enters tonight's game with 1,563 points and 506 boards in his time in the Maroon and Gold.
Home Boys: In its last four home games versus Horizon League foes, Loyola has shot a hearty .534 (103 for 193) from the field, hitting at least 50 percent of its shots in each of those outings. The Ramblers are tallying 76.0 ppg and also shooting .414 (24 for 58) from behind the arc in that stretch.
Fast To Forty: With a 41-33 record as Loyola's front man, Whitesell reached 40 victories faster than any Rambler coach since Thomas Haggerty, who needed only 48 games to reach that plateau from 1945-47. Whitesell, in his third year in Rogers Park, is also trying to become the first Loyola coach since Gene Sullivan in the early 1980s to win at least 10 games in each of his first three seasons on the Lake Shore Campus.
California Dreaming: During the early signing period in November, Loyola signed 6-foot-8 forward Kyle Thomas to a National Letter Intent for the 2007-08 season. The Folsom, Calif., native has been rated by some publications as the third-best player in northern California after averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior at Folsom High School.
