CHICAGO – Fans will get their first chance to see the 2023-24 Loyola Chicago men's basketball team in action Sunday afternoon as the Ramblers host Trinity Christian College in an exhibition game. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. inside Gentile Arena.
 
Scouting the Trolls
Trinity Christian College, an NAIA institution located in nearby Palos Heights, Illinois, is coming off 12-16 overall record a year ago and a 6-14 mark in league play. The Trolls enter the 2023-24 season having lost their top four scorers a from a year ago and will be led this season by top returner Brady Loerop, who averaged 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
 
Elite Company
•  Over the last five seasons in which the NCAA Tournament has been played, the Loyola men's basketball program is in elite company when it comes to postseason success.
•  The Ramblers are just 1-of-12 teams across all of Division I men's basketball to have both a NCAA Final Four and NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance on their resume.
•  Joining the Ramblers on the prestigious list are: Michigan, Villanova, Kansas, Michigan State, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, UCLA, Houston, Duke, North Carolina and Miami.
 
Schedule Outlook
•  Loyola's non-conference schedule features a mix of quality mid-major opponents, regional rivalries and marquee contests.
•  The Ramblers open the season on Nov. 8 against Florida Atlantic in the Barstool Sports Invitational. The Owls made national news a season ago after advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament and will enter the 2023-24 season as the No. 10 team in the AP Top 25 poll.. The Barstool Sports Invitational will be held in Chicago, across town, at Wintrust Arena (home of DePaul University).
•  Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Ramblers are part of a talented field at the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri. Loyola will open tournament action against preseason No. 8 Creighton. The Bluejays are coming off an Elite Eight appearance a year ago and have appeared in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. On the other side of the bracket features Colorado State and Boston College.
 
Returning Force
•  Loyola returns a seasoned and veteran group to the court in 2023-24. Of the 155 starting positions over the course of a 31-game season last year, the Ramblers return 125 combined starts (80.6%). Additionally, Loyola welcomes back 74.2% of its scoring, 71.4% of its rebounding and 75.5% of its assists totals from a season ago. Leading the charge is the quartet of Philip Alston, Braden Norris, Ben Schwieger and Tom Welch.
 
Rambler Newcomers
•  The Loyola men's basketball team welcomes six new members to the roster this season. Joining the Ramblers this season are a quartet of transfers in addition to two freshmen.
•  The Ramblers picked up a pair of Ivy League graduate transfers in Greg Dolan (Cornell) and Dame Adelekun (Dartmouth). The duo were both named Second Team All-Ivy League a season ago, with Dolan going on to earn NABC Second Team All-Region honors.
•  Loyola stayed within the conference to add Des Watson (Davidson), who will be entering his junior season in 2023-24. A lock-down defender, Watson started the final 18 games of last season for the Wildcats, finishing tied for third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.4 points on 40.9% shooting.
•  The Ramblers added some additional length in 6-foot-7 Patrick Mwamba (Oral Roberts). Mwamba was a member of the Oral Roberts squad that qualified for the NCAA Tournament a season ago, averaging 7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game off the bench.
•  Also added into the mix are freshman Miles Rubin and Matthew Mortenson. Rubin, a product of Chicago powerhouse Simeon High School, is the highest-rated player in Loyola men's basketball history. The 3-star recruit according to 247 Sports was rated as the sixth-best player in the state of Illinois and was a top-200 national recruit. Mortenson provides additional depth to the Loyola lineup after attending nationally recognized IMG Academy.