CHICAGO (November 8, 2021) - After reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 a year ago, Loyola University Chicago raises the curtain on a new era of Rambler basketball when it hosts Coppin State Tuesday night in a game that will be televised live on NBC Sports Chicago+. First-year Loyola head coach Drew Valentine, the youngest coach in NCAA Division I at 30 years of age, will be looking to get the Ramblers back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths for the first time since 1963 and 1964.

Over the last four seasons, Loyola is 99-36 (.733) overall and an impressive 56-16 (.778) in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Loyola has won its last nine season openers and is 81-22 (.786) all-time in season openers. The Ramblers have won their last three lid-lifters by an average of 30.3 ppg.

Gentile Arena has become one of the most difficult places in the country for opponents to play and the Ramblers bring a 22-game home-court winning streak, the fifth-longest active streak in NCAA Division I play, into the 2021-22 season. Loyola has won 29 of its last 34 (.853) nonconference games at home.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Loyola is 54-7 (.855) overall and 34-2 (.944) in MVC action at Gentile Arena. 

In its last four nonconference home games, Loyola is producing 78.3 points per game and is shooting a scorching 55.8 percent (116-for-208) from the field and 42 percent (34-for-81) from three-point territory.

Loyola – Coppin State – The Series

The Ramblers and Eagles are matching up for the fourth time in a series that began in 1992. Coppin State holds a 2-1 edge in the series and has claimed each of the last two meetings between the teams.

Loyola has split the two games in the series that were played in Chicago, winning the initial meeting, 80-70, on December 30, 1992.

When the teams last met, nearly two years ago to the day, on November 12, 2019, Tate Hall had 23 points and Cameron Krutwig had 18 points and 12 boards, but the Ramblers hit just 4 of 21 (.190) three-pointers in a 76-72 loss at Gentile Arena.

Scouting Coppin State

After going 1-8 in nonconference play during the 2020-21 campaign, Coppin State closed out the season by winning eight of its final 12 contests, all of which came in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.

Head coach Juan Dixon, who starred as a player at Maryland and then played seven seasons in the NBA, will have to replace his top three scorers, who accounted for 43.1 points per game last season.

Redshirt freshman guard Nendah Tarke is Coppin State's leading returning scorer and he put up 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season on his way to MEAC Rookie of the Year and Third Team All-MEAC accolades. Redshirt sophomore guard Kyle Cardaci, who contributed 9.3 ppg a year ago, connected on 40.3 percent (54-for-134) of his three-point tries in 2020-21.

Tuesday's game opens up an insane stretch for Coppin State to commence the 2021-22 season. The Eagles will play seven games in the first 11 days of the season, with six of those contests coming away from home.

Up Next

Loyola continues its season-opening four-game homestand Saturday afternoon (Nov. 13) when it hosts Florida Gulf Coast.