CHICAGO (February 19, 2021) – Loyola University Chicago head men's basketball coach Porter Moser is one of 15 NCAA Division I coaches named to the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List, which was announced today.
 
Joining Moser on that list was Casey Alexander (Belmont), Darian DeVries (Drake), Scott Drew (Baylor), Andy Enfield (USC), Mark Few (Gonzaga), Leonard Hamilton (Florida State), Chris Holtmann (Ohio State), Juwan Howard (Michigan), Bob Huggins (West Virginia), Lon Kruger (Oklahoma), Nate Oats (Alabama), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Shaka Smart (Texas) and Mike Young (Virginia Tech).
 
In his 10^thseason at Loyola, Moser has piloted the Ramblers to their first Associated Press Top 25 ranking since 1985 in addition to a 19-4 overall mark and a 14-2 ledger in Missouri Valley Conference action in 2020-21. Defense has been the calling card of Moser's teams during his tenure in Rogers Park, and this year's club may be his best yet on that end of the floor, leading the nation in scoring defense by allowing only 55.7 points per game. In addition, the Ramblers rank fifth in the country in field goal percentage (.511).
 
Loyola's trajectory under Moser has taken off, but especially over the last four seasons, during which it has won two MVC regular season championships, reached the NCAA Final Four, earned a National Invitation Tournament bid, produced back-to-back MVC Players of the Year, and compiled a 92-35 (.724) overall record and a 54-16 (.771) mark in Valley play.
 
The Ramblers enter the final weekend of the regular season needing one more victory for their fourth consecutive 20-win season, a feat that has only been achieved one previous time in program history, from the 1945-46 through 1948-49 campaigns. Moser's club also needs one more victory to tie the school record for conference wins in a season (15).
 
Loyola wraps up the 2020-21 regular season next weekend when it welcomes Southern Illinois to Gentile Arena for a two-game series, February 26 and 27.