2018–19 Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team

The 2018–19 Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team represented Loyola University Chicago during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ramblers, led by seventh-year head coach Porter Moser, played their home games at the Joseph J. Gentile Arena in Chicago, Illinois. They were members of the Missouri Valley Conference. They finished the season 20–14, 12–6 in MVC play to earn a share of the MVC regular season championship. As the No. 1 seed in the MVC tournament, they beat Valparaiso before losing to Bradley in the semifinals. As a regular season conference champion who did not win their tournament championship, the Ramblers received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the TCU bracket. There they lost in the first round to Creighton.

2018–19 Loyola Ramblers men's basketball
Missouri Valley regular season co-champions
NIT, first round
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record20–14 (12–6 MVC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaJoseph J. Gentile Arena
Seasons
2018–19 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Loyola Chicago126 .6672014 .588
Drake126 .6672410 .706
Southern Illinois108 .5561715 .531
Missouri State108 .5561616 .500
Bradley99 .5002015 .571
Northern Iowa99 .5001618 .471
Illinois State99 .5001716 .515
Indiana State711 .3891516 .484
Valparaiso711 .3891518 .455
Evansville513 .2781121 .344
2019 MVC tournament winner

Previous season

The Ramblers finished the 2017–18 season 32–6, 15–3 in MVC play with a win against Evansville on February 18, 2018, Loyola clinched at least a share of its first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.[1] With a win over Southern Illinois on February 21, the Ramblers clinched the outright MVC championship.[2] The Ramblers defeated Northern Iowa, Bradley, and Illinois State to win the MVC tournament. As a result, the Ramblers received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 11 seed in the South Region, they upset No. 6-seeded Miami (FL) on a last second three-pointer. In the Second Round, they defeated No. 3-seeded Tennessee to earn the school's first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 1985. They then defeated Nevada in the Sweet Sixteen and Kansas State in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1963. Their Cinderella run ended with loss to Michigan in the national semifinal.

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Donte Ingram0G/F6'6"215SeniorChicago, ILGraduated
Adarius Avery10G6'5"190JuniorArlington, TNGraduate transferred to Central Oklahoma
Ben Richardson14G6'3"195SeniorOverland Park, KSGraduated/signed to play professional in Poland with MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza
Cameron Satterwhite23G6'4"175SophomoreGilbert, AZTransferred to Northern Arizona
Aundre Jackson24F6'5"230SeniorKennedale, TXGraduated/signed to play professional in Iceland with Skallagrímur
Carson Shanks32C7'0"245RS SeniorPrior Lake, MNGraduated
Nick Dinardi44F6'7"225SeniorPalos Park, ILWalk-on; graduated

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Tate Hall24G6'6"200JuniorGreenfield, INTransferred from Indianapolis. Under NCAA transfer rules, Hall will have to sit out for the 2018–19 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility.

2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Franklin Aguananne
#19 C
Abuja, NigeriaLa Lumiere School6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)210 lb (95 kg)Sep 15, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    ESPN grade: 80
Cooper Kaifes
SG
Shawnee, KSMill Valley High School6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg)Nov 15, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPNN/A   ESPN grade: NR
Isaiah Bujdoso
PG
Hamilton, ONSunrise Christian Academy6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg)Nov 8, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPNN/A   ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #93   Rivals: #58  247Sports: #103
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

2019 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2019 recruits
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Paxson Wojcik
SG
La Lumiere, INLa Lumiere School6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)170 lb (77 kg)Jun 24, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPNN/A   ESPN grade: NR
Thomas Welch
PF
Naperville, ILNaperville North High School6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg)Aug 9, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPNN/A   ESPN grade: NR
Marquise Kennedy
PG
Chicago, ILBrother Rice High School6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg)Sep 17, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPNN/A   ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #93   Rivals: #58  247Sports: #103
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster

2018–19 Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G1Lucas Williamson6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)205 lb (93 kg)SoWhitney YoungChicago, IL
G2Jake Baughman (W)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg)JrCentral CatholicBloomington, IL
G4Bruno Skokna6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)175 lb (79 kg)JrKošarkaški klub GoricaZagreb, Croatia
G5Marques Townes6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)208 lb (94 kg)RS SrSt. Joseph
Fairleigh Dickinson
Edison, NJ
F12Christian Negrón6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg)SoLarkinElgin, IL
G13Clayton Custer6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg)RS SrBlue Valley Northwest
Iowa State
Overland Park, KS
G22Isaiah Bujdoso6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg)FrSunrise Christian AcademyHamilton, ON
G23Cooper Kaifes6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg)FrMill ValleyShawnee, KS
G24Tate Hall  6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg)JrGreenfield-Central
Indianapolis
Greenfield, IN
C25Cameron Krutwig6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)255 lb (116 kg)SoJacobsAlgonquin, IL
F30Aher Uguak6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg)RS SoHarry Ainlay
New Mexico
Edmonton, AB
F31Dylan Boehm (W)6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg)SoLoyolaLos Angeles, CA
F33Franklin Agunanne6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)245 lb (111 kg)FrLa LumiereAbuja, Nigeria
F45Will Alcock (W)6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg)FrZionsville CommunityZionsville, IN
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank#Opponent#ResultRecordSite (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
Oct 23, 2018*
7:00 pm
Winona StateW 82–52 
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (2,882)
Chicago, IL
Non-conference regular season
Nov 6, 2018*
8:00 pm, NBCSCH
UMKCW 76–45 1–0
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Nov 9, 2018*
7:00 pm, NBCSCH
FurmanL 58–60 2-0
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Nov 14, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Niagara
Fort Myers Tip Off
W 75–62 3-0
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Nov 16, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Grambling State
Fort Myers Tip Off
W 80–64 4-0
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Nov 19, 2018*
5:30 pm, FS1
vs. Richmond
Fort Myers Tip-Off semifinals
W 82–66 5-0
Suncoast Credit Union Arena 
Fort Myers, FL
Nov 21, 2018*
8:30 pm, FS1
vs. Boston College
Fort Myers Tip-Off championship
L 66-78 5-1
Suncoast Credit Union Arena 
Fort Myers, FL
Nov 27, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPNews
No. 5 Nevada
MW–MVC Challenge
L 65–79 5-2
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Dec 1, 2018*
3:00 pm, NBCSCH
at UICW 73–64 5–3
Credit Union 1 Arena (3,539)
Chicago, IL
Dec 5, 2018*
8:00 pm, NBCSCH
Ball StateL 69–75 5–4
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (2,831)
Chicago, IL
Dec 8, 2018*
3:00 pm, BTN
vs. No. 23 Maryland
Baltimore Showcase
L 41–55 5–5
Royal Farms Arena (3,640)
Baltimore, MD
Dec 16, 2018*
3:00 pm, ESPN+
Norfolk StateW 80–49 6–5
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (3,412)
Chicago, IL
Dec 18, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN+
BenedictineW 75–47 7–5
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (2,139)
Chicago, IL
Dec 22, 2018*
4:00 pm, CBSSN
vs. Saint Joseph's
The Palestra Showcase
L 42–45 7–6
Palestra (5,735)
Philadelphia, PA
Missouri Valley regular season
Jan 2, 2019
8:00 pm, NBCSCH
Indiana StateW 79–44 8–6
(1–0)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (3,102)
Chicago, IL
Jan 5, 2019
2:00 pm, ESPN+
at DrakeW 85-74 9–6
(2–0)
Knapp Center (4,279)
Des Moines, IA
Jan 8, 2019
7:00 pm, CBSSN
at EvansvilleL 48–67 9–7
(2–1)
Ford Center (5,049)
Evansville, IN
Jan 12, 2019
1:00 pm, ESPN2
Illinois StateW 67–64 10–7
(3–1)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (4,513)
Chicago, IL
Jan 15, 2019
7:00 pm, NBCSCH
ValparaisoW 71–54 11–7
(4–1)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (3,412)
Chicago, IL
Jan 19, 2019
1:00 pm, ESPNU
at Indiana StateW 75–67 12–7
(5–1)
Hulman Center (10,200)
Terre Haute, IN
Jan 23, 2019
8:00 pm, CBSSN
at Missouri StateL 35–70 12–8
(5–2)
JQH Arena (4,863)
Springfield, MO
Jan 27, 2019
3:00 pm, CBSSN
Southern IllinoisW 75–50 13–8
(6–2)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (4,712)
Chicago, IL
Jan 30, 2019
6:00 pm, NBCSCH+
Northern IowaW 61–60 14–8
(7–2)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (3,011)
Chicago, IL
Feb 2, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN2
at Illinois StateL 57–65 14–9
(7–3)
Redbird Arena (8,107)
Normal, IL
Feb 5, 2019
6:00 pm, CBSSN
DrakeW 86–64 15–9
(8–3)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (3,611)
Chicago, IL
Feb 10, 2019
3:00 pm, ESPNU
at ValparaisoW 56–51 16–9
(9–3)
Athletics–Recreation Center (5,148)
Valparaiso, IN
Feb 13, 2019
7:00 pm, NBCSCH
at BradleyL 54–61 16–10
(9–4)
Carver Arena (5,490)
Peoria, IL
Feb 17, 2019
3:00 pm, ESPNU/ESPN3
Missouri StateL 61–65 16–11
(9–5)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena (4,722)
Chicago, IL
Feb 20, 2019
6:00 pm, NBCSCH
EvansvilleW 70–58 17–11
(10–5)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Feb 24, 2019
3:00 pm, ESPNU
at Southern IllinoisL 53–63 17–12
(10–6)
SIU Arena 
Carbondale, IL
Feb 27, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN+/ESPN3
at Northern IowaW 56–55 18–12
(11–6)
McLeod Center 
Cedar Falls, IA
Mar 2, 2019
5:00 pm, ESPN2
BradleyW 81–68 19–12
(12–6)
Joseph J. Gentile Arena 
Chicago, IL
Missouri Valley tournament
Mar 8, 2019
12:00 pm, NBCSCH
(1) vs. (9) Valparaiso
Quarterfinals
W 67–54 20–12
Enterprise Center 
St. Louis, MO
Mar 9, 2019
2:30 pm, CBSSN
(1) vs. (5) Bradley
Semifinals
L 51–53 20–13
Enterprise Center 
St. Louis, MO
NIT
Mar 19, 2019*
8:00 pm, ESPNU
(7) at (2) Creighton
First round – TCU bracket
L 61–70 20–14
CHI Health Center Omaha (5,755)
Omaha, NE
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

Source[3]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415161718Final
APRVRVRVNot released
CoachesRV

References