Men's Basketball Preview - Part 7: Loyola
Oct. 25, 2005
After finishing the year by winning nine of its final 13 contests, Loyola University Chicago's men's basketball squad hopes to ride that momentum into a promising 2005-06 campaign. Second-year coach Jim Whitesell returns three starters from a team that surpassed preseason expectations and finished tied for fourth in the Horizon League a year ago.
"The way we finished really helped our confidence and enthusiasm," Whitesell said. "It was nice to see that our hard work finally paid off and it was definitely an exciting way to finish the year."
A major reason for optimism stems from the emergence of junior guard Blake Schilb as one of the top players not only in the Horizon League, but also the country. Last season, due to an injury to point guard DaJuan Gouard in early December, the 6-foot-7 Schilb moved to the point position and blossomed as both a player and a leader for the team. A First Team All-Horizon League selection in 2004-05, Schilb posted team-high figures of 17.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.7 spg, while hitting 50 percent of his shots from the field.
"Blake is coming off of a great season and we expect bigger and better things from him this year," Whitesell said. "His strength is his versatility and he has great size for a point guard. His maturity, confidence and toughness really helped him become a great player last year and he has a legitimate shot to be the Player of the Year in the Horizon League."
Schilb showed how dominant a player he can be at the Horizon League Championship as he averaged over 24.0 ppg and helped the Ramblers advance to the semifinal round.
Most likely joining Schilb in the backcourt this season will be junior Majak Kou. The team's top defender, the lanky 6-foot-5 sharpshooter averaged 10.6 ppg, 1.4 spg and connected on 38 percent of his tries from three-point range a year ago.
"Majak will be a defensive stopper for us and he is also a proven scorer," Whitesell said. "His shot selection really improved last season. His length is the key because he has such great wing span."
Chris Logan started 13 games in the backcourt last season and Loyola went 7-2 down the stretch with him in the starting lineup. He was one of only three players last season to post more assists than turnovers.
"Chris had a tough time adjusting early on, but once he got an understanding of what we wanted out of him, he really took off," Whitesell said.
Two other returnees who should see plenty of action in the backcourt are sophomores Dave Telander and Pierre Parker. Telander, who contributed 4.3 ppg a year ago, got off to a solid start in 2004-05 and is a bona fide long-range shooting threat. At 6-foot-3, Parker has the size and length to be a physical presence in the backcourt. The younger brother of San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker Jr., Pierre posted 3.2 ppg as a freshman, earning five starting nods.
In the frontcourt, sophomore Tom Levin has worked hard in the off-season, adding bulk to his 6-foot-8 frame. A student of the game, the forward made 23 starts as a freshman and averaged 5.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg. Only a sophomore, Levin is the Ramblers' most experienced returning frontcourt player.
"Tom was a glue guy for us last season because he has a real good understanding of what we want on the floor," Whitesell said. "He has a great basketball IQ and has really improved as a shooter and gotten stronger."
The only other experienced player in the frontcourt is sophomore Tracy Robinson, who appeared in 21 games as a freshman, averaging 1.9 points per game.
Because of that lack of experience in the frontcourt, Whitesell and his staff hope that a handful of newcomers - Kye Pattrick, Brandon Woods and Leon Young - to step in and contribute immediately. Pattrick and Woods are junior college transfers while Young posted some gaudy numbers (21.4 ppg, 15.5 rpg) last season at Lakewood High School in California.
In the backcourt, a highly talented newcomer will vie for playing time as well. Freshman J.R. Blount helped lead Whitefish Bay Dominican High School to and undefeated season and the state title in Wisconsin last year while averaging 21.1 points per game.
Loyola should have its deepest team in recent history as it tackles another challenging schedule that includes home games against Evansville, Bradley and Purdue, as well as Horizon League foes Illinois-Chicago and UW-Milwaukee.
Story provided by Loyola University Office of Sports Information
