Loyola at UMKC Game Notes

Dec. 20, 2007

Loyola (4-6) at UMKC (4-8)
Date: December 22, 2007
Time: 12:05 p.m. CST Arena: Municipal Auditorium (9,827) - Kansas City, Mo.
Series: Loyola leads, 2-0
Radio: WYLL (AM 1160) - John Fitzgerald (play-by-play)
TV: None

Tonight's Game: Loyola wraps up a two-game swing through the state of Missouri by traveling to UMKC Saturday afternoon. The Ramblers are looking to get back on the winning track after suffering a 60-43 setback at Saint Louis Wednesday night. Since claiming its first road game of the season at Eastern Illinois, Loyola has dropped three consecutive games away from home. Today's contest is the Ramblers' final non-League road game until BracketBusters on Feb. 23.

Head Coach Jim Whitesell: Turning programs around is nothing new to Jim Whitesell and he has performed one of his best works in just three short seasons at Loyola. Now in his fourth season as the bench boss in Rogers Park, the Iowa Falls, Iowa native has guided the Ramblers to a 57-45 (.559) overall record. His 53 wins in his first three seasons at Loyola were the most by a Rambler head coach in his first three years since Tom Haggerty won 69 contests from 1945-48. Last year, Whitesell piloted Loyola to a 21-win season, its best showing since 1985. Whitesell comes from a family with numerous Hollywood ties. His brother Patrick is a high-profile agent in Hollywood, while brother, John, is a producer/director. Two other brothers, Sean and Chris, write for TV shows, including Cold Case and daytime soap operas. Whitesell, who owns a career 335-239 (.584) mark, is making his first appearance against UMKC as Loyola's head coach.

Loyola - UMKC - The Series: This is the third meeting between the teams and the first since Dec. 2, 2003, when the Ramblers earned an 83-75 victory in overtime at Municipal Auditorium behind 22 points and 10 rebounds from Louis Smith. UMKC played the final 23 seconds of the overtime period with only four players on the court after seeing five individuals foul out of the game. On Dec. 10, 2002, the teams met for the first-time ever, with the Ramblers securing an 86-75 victory at the Gentile Center.

Ramblers Against The Summit League: Currently in its 95th season of playing basketball, Loyola has compiled a 38-14 (.731) all-time record versus current members of the Summit League. In fact, the Ramblers have squared off at least one time against every member of that conference, with the exception of Southern Utah. Loyola's most victories, and losses, against a Summit League institution, have come against Oral Roberts, against which it is 14-10 all-time.

Dazzling Debut: Junior Justin Cerasoli got his Loyola career off to a rousing start by scoring a team-best 12 points off the bench at Saint Louis Wednesday evening. The 6-foot-5 guard, who transferred from the University of Mississippi at the semester break a year ago, was making his first career appearance as a Rambler. A top 50 player in the nation coming out of suburban West Aurora High School, Cerasoli hit 5 of 10 shots from the field, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and added two assists, a rebound and a steal against the Billikens.

All The Ramblers Want For Christmas Is A Win: Nothing says Happy Holidays quite like a victory and Loyola has enjoyed the Christmas holiday in each of the last two seasons by winning its final game before Dec. 25. The Ramblers, who are 2-1 under Whitesell in their final game before Christmas, have been triumphant in their final game before the holiday in three of the last four years and toppled UC Irvine, 72-69 on Dec. 22 a year ago.

Milwaukee's Best: If you had to describe junior J.R. Blount in one word, there is no question it would be "winner". The gritty 6-foot-1 guard has compiled a staggering 95-30 (.754) record over the last four seasons and needs 151 points to become the 37th member of Loyola's 1,000-Point Club. A Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League selection, Blount is the first Rambler since Chris Williams (1998-2000) to average double figures in both his true freshman and sophomore seasons. The Milwaukee native has scored in double digits in nine of 10 contests this year and had a career-best string of 10 consecutive games snapped when he managed only seven points at Saint Louis Wednesday night. Blount, who is averaging 13.0 ppg on the road this year, is contributing 14.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.0 spg in his last three appearances. He has found his stroke from the foul line, sinking 23 of his last 28 (82 percent) tosses from the charity stripe. Loyola is 14-3 since the start of the 2006-07 campaign when he records a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and he has handed out 13 assists (3.3 apg) to only nine turnovers in the last four contests. After starting the year by hitting 31 of his first 65 (48 percent) from the field, Blount has converted only 24 of his last 80 (30 percent) shots.

Aric In Action: Sophomore Aric Van Weelden has emerged as a reliable contributor off the bench as he is contributing 3.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 apg and 0.7 spg in 21.7 minutes of action over the last three contests. The walk-on, who logged only 30 minutes in 12 appearances a year ago, has already played 110 minutes in eight games this season. A heady player, the guard has committed only five turnovers in 140 career minutes of action, while doling out eight assists. In last Saturday's victory over Northern Illinois, Van Weelden equaled a career high with five points and set personal bests with five boards and four assists.

Polka Mania: Bruising 6-foot-7 forward Andy Polka has picked up where he left off last season when he established himself as one of the premier rebounders in the Horizon League. The sophomore finished third overall and first among League rookies last season with 7.2 rpg and heads into tonight's contest with 6.0 rpg. The 2006 Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin, Polka is contributing 8.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.3 apg in the last four games. His 230 rebounds last year ranked as the second-highest, single-season total by a Loyola true freshman. His 13-point outburst, which equaled a season high, versus Northern Illinois last Saturday was his best since tossing in 13 points at Eastern Illinois Nov. 13. The Ramblers are 2-1 this season when he scores in double digits.

Mister Robinson's Neighborhood: Tracy Robinson has developed a knack for coming up big late in games to lift Loyola to victories. He scored 14 of his career-best 16 points in the second half Nov. 13 to lead Loyola to a 72-65 victory at Eastern Illinois and laid in the game-tying basket just before the final buzzer to force overtime in a Dec. 8 win versus Milwaukee. A year ago, the senior buried five free throws in the final minute to seal a 75-71 win at No. 15 Butler. The versatile 6-foot-7 forward had not scored in double figures in his first two seasons as a Rambler, but scored in double digits on five occasions last year. Robinson is putting together a December to remember, totaling 10.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.4 apg and 1.5 bpg in five games this month. The senior, who poured in a career-high 18 points against Milwaukee Dec. 8, has scored in double figures in four of Loyola's last five outings. He has drained at least one trey in seven of the last nine contests, and is shooting a blistering 57 percent (4 for 7) from triple territory on the road this year.

Only The Young Can Say: Through games of Dec. 19, junior forward Leon Young ranked fourth in the Horizon League with 6.5 rpg. One of the top free-throw shooters in the Horizon League with a career .795 (232 for 292) accuracy rate from the charity stripe, Young has been unable to connect from the foul line 21 times in the first 10 contests this season after misfiring on only 16 of 86 foul shots a year ago. Young, who has already dealt a career-best 11 assists this season, needs 73 rebounds to become the 28th member of Loyola's 500-Rebound Club. Young has racked up 46 total points in the last three games, his best three-game effort as a Rambler. Loyola is 4-0 in Young's career when he registers 20 or more points. He has posted 15.8 ppg in the Ramblers' wins this season, while managing only 8.8 ppg in their losses. Over the last three outings, Young is tallying 15.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg and shooting 50 percent (13 for 26) from the field.

That Under 70s Show: Loyola is 41-17 (.707) under Whitesell when allowing fewer than 70 points. Since the start of the 2005-06 campaign, the Ramblers have posted a 31-12 ledger when yielding fewer than 70 points, including a 16-4 mark a year ago, but are 3-5 this season.

Fill My Eyes With That Double-Double Vision: With 21 points and a personal-best 14 rebounds in a victory over Milwaukee Dec. 8, Young recorded his eighth career double-double and Loyola improved to 7-1 when the forward achieves such a feat. Young's impressive showing was his first double-double since Dec. 30, 2006, when he totaled 11 points and 10 boards at Youngstown State. He has posted six of his eight career double-doubles against non-Horizon League competition and his 14 boards against Milwaukee were the most by a Rambler since Paul McMillan ripped down 15 rebounds at Milwaukee Feb. 12, 2004.

Elite Company: With 40 total wins over the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, only Butler recorded more than Loyola among Horizon League institutions.

"O" Woes: In Wednesday's 60-43 loss at Saint Louis, Loyola recorded its lowest point total under Whitesell and its worst offensive output since a 58-39 loss at Detroit Jan. 7, 1999. The Ramblers' offense has been missing in action away from home this season as the team is notching 54.5 ppg and shooting only 39 percent from the field. Since scoring 72 points at Eastern Illinois Nov. 13, Loyola has produced only 48.7 ppg over its last three games away from the Gentile Center.

Start Him Up: Blount enters tonight's game having been a member of Loyola's starting five in 46 consecutive contests.

Helping Hands: Loyola is 3-0 this season when it has posted a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Over the last two seasons, the Ramblers are 13-1 (.929) when recording more assists than turnovers, with the only loss being a 70-66 defeat, in overtime, to then-No. 14 Butler.

Maybe It Is How You Start: Since the start of the 2005-06 season, Loyola has amassed a 39-5 (.886) record in games in which it has held the lead at halftime.

In Search Of A Finishing Touch: Over the last six contests, the Ramblers have been done-in by red-hot shooting by their opponents in the second half. Despite holding its foes to 43 percent (88 for 205) shooting from the field in the first half, Loyola has allowed the opposition to convert 55 percent (97 for 178) of its tries in the final stanza in the last half dozen outings. On the other hand, the Ramblers have converted only 37 percent (74 for 203) of their tries in the second half over that six-game span.

The Proof Is In The Points: In its four wins this season, Loyola has put up 73.5 ppg and handed out 54 assists against 52 turnovers. The Ramblers, who led the Horizon League a year ago with 69.9 ppg, have mustered only 52.8 ppg and dished out 45 assists to 86 turnovers. Dating back to last season, Loyola has emerged victorious the last eight times it has scored at least 70 points, including a 4-0 mark this year.

Fab Forman: Sophomore Ross Forman, a transfer from the University of Wyoming, broke out of a four-game slump by tallying 11 points, his most since Nov. 24, off the bench against Northern Illinois Dec. 15. The 6-foot-8 forward had only scored eight points in the previous four contests after posting 11.3 ppg in Loyola's first four games of the year. However, in the Ramblers' last game, at Saint Louis Wednesday night, Forman was held without a field goal attempt for the first time this season.

Road Warriors: Dating back to last season, Loyola has claimed six of its last nine true road games, with the only losses coming at the hands of Purdue, Northern Iowa and Saint Louis.

Lights, Camera, Action: This season, Loyola will have 10 home games and 12 contests total, broadcast live on Lakeshore Public Television. Lakeshore Public Television, which is available on either channel 17 or 21 on most cable systems in the Chicago area, reaches 3.5 million households and is also available on channel 56 on Dish Network and DirecTV.

Not Without A Hitch: Head athletic trainer Dr. Tom Hitcho has worked 873 consecutive Loyola men's basketball regular-season contests. Since joining the staff for the 1977-78 campaign, "Hitch", as he is affectionately known to those on campus, has not missed a single game and has witnessed 409 Rambler victories. In his 31st year at Loyola, Hitcho was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2006.

Class Acts: Just into its fourth season, the Loyola senior class of Cortney Horton, Tom Levin, Tracy Robinson and Dave Telander has racked up 57 wins. The 2007 senior class totaled 62 victories, which is the most by a Rambler class since 1988 (69).

Getting A Handle On Randall: First-year assistant coach Lance Randall is a familiar face to a pair of Ramblers. Senior Tom Levin was coached by Randall's late father, Steve, at Oshkosh West High School. Randall, left his job as an assistant coach at Saint Louis to succeed his father at Oshkosh West following his untimely passing, was the head coach for two seasons for current Loyola sophomore Andy Polka. Randall guided Polka, and his 2005-06 squad, to a perfect 26-0 record and the Wisconsin Division I state title.

Ramblers Sign Four Early: Last month, Loyola announced the signing of four recruits, three of whom stand 6-foot-6 or taller, during the NCAA Early Signing Period. Joining the fold for the 2008-09 season are 6-foot-9 forward John Benkoske (Oshkosh, Wis.), 6-foot-7 forward Walt Gibler (Cincinnati, Ohio), 6-foot-6 swing player Jordan Hicks (Rochester, Minn.) and 6-foot-1 guard Courtney Stanley (Philadelphia, Pa.).