Loyola vs. UIC Game Notes

March 5, 2008

#8 Loyola (12-18, 6-12) vs. #4 UIC (17-14, 9-9)
Date: March 7, 2008
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Arena: Hinkle Fieldhouse (10,114) - Indianapolis, Ind.
Series: UIC leads, 26-13
Radio: WYLL (AM 1160) - John Fitzgerald (play-by-play); Dave Klusendorf (expert analyst); Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 122)
TV: www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv

Tonight's Game: For the fourth time in the last seven seasons, city rivals Loyola and UIC will meet in the Horizon League Championship when the teams face off in a second-round game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Friday night. The eighth-seed Ramblers advanced to a second-round contest by virtue of a 57-51 victory at No. 5 seed Milwaukee Tuesday evening. Loyola was the only lower-seeded team to win a first-round game.

Head Coach Jim Whitesell: Turning programs around is nothing new to Jim Whitesell and he has performed one of his best works in just three short seasons at Loyola. Now in his fourth season as the bench boss in Rogers Park, the Iowa Falls, Iowa native has guided the Ramblers to a 65-57 (.533) overall record. His 53 wins in his first three seasons at Loyola were the most by a Rambler head coach in his first three years since Tom Haggerty won 69 contests from 1945-48. Last year, Whitesell piloted Loyola to a 21-win season, its best showing since 1985. Whitesell comes from a family with numerous Hollywood ties. His brother Patrick is a high-profile agent in Hollywood, while brother, John, is a producer/director. Two other brothers, Sean and Chris, write for TV shows, including Cold Case and daytime soap operas. Whitesell, who owns a career 343-251 (.577) mark, is 5-5 against UIC, and 6-3 in League Championship play, as Loyola's head coach.

Loyola - UIC - The Series: The city rivals are meeting for the 40th time in a series that dates back to 1986. This is the fourth postseason meeting between the schools, all in the last seven seasons and Loyola has prevailed in two of the previous three outings. One thing is a given about showdowns between the Ramblers and Flames in the Horizon League Championship - the games will be barnburners. Two of the previous three postseason encounters have gone in overtime and the combined margin of victory has been 11 points. UIC has won four of the last five meetings and has swept the regular-season series in each of the past two campaigns. A year ago, the Ramblers eliminated the Flames from the Horizon League Championship courtesy of a 66-62 victory at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. Blake Schilb exploded for 31 points and eight rebounds to lead Loyola in that game. On Jan. 12, UIC earned a 78-68 victory in double overtime at the UIC Pavilion, despite 23 points from J.R. Blount and 21 points from Justin Cerasoli. Last month, the Ramblers dropped a 60-55 contest at the Gentile Center as Josh Mayo scored 21 points to lead UIC. One thing is a given when these teams get together - the game will be a nail biter. Twelve of the last 15 meetings have been decided by seven points or less, with three of those games going into overtime.

Tournament Tidbits: Since joining the League in 1979-80, Loyola has accumulated a 25-27 (.481) record in League Tournament action, claiming its lone title in 1985. The Ramblers are 10-6 in Horizon League Championship play since the start of the 2002 postseason, advancing to one championship game and three semifinal appearances in that span. Only three times has a lower seed won a first-round game under the new format and Loyola has accomplished the feat twice, including this week's 57-51 decision at fifth-seeded Milwaukee. Under the current tournament set-up, the Ramblers have posted a spotless 5-0 ledger in first-round action, a 2-2 mark in second-round play, and have made a trip to the semifinal round for three straight seasons for the first time since 1990-92.

Milwaukee's Best: If you had to describe junior J.R. Blount in one word, there is no question it would be "winner". The gritty 6-foot-1 guard has compiled a staggering 103-40 (.720) record over the last four seasons and is the 37th player in Loyola history to score 1,000 points. A Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League selection, Blount is the first Rambler since Chris Williams (1998-2000) to average double figures in both his true freshman and sophomore seasons. The Milwaukee native is coming off a 23-point, four-rebound, three-assist effort at Milwaukee on March 4, and is chipping in 24.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.0 spg in Loyola's last pair of outings. Blount, who has scored in double digits in 10 of the Ramblers' last 11 games away from home, is contributing 16.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 2.8 apg in six career games in the month of March. Loyola is 20-8 since the start of the 2006-07 campaign when he records a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and is 8-3 this year when he shoots better than 45 percent from the field. A career 14.0 ppg scorer in League Championship play, Blount has scored in double figures in five consecutive contests and is tallying 19.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 2.0 apg, while shooting 58 percent (14 for 24) from the field in his last two League Championship outings dating back to last season.

Polka Mania: Bruising 6-foot-7 forward Andy Polka has not succumbed to the proverbial sophomore jinx after establishing himself as one of the premier rebounders in the Horizon League a year ago. The 2006 Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin, Polka is contributing 6.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 2.0 apg in three career Horizon League Championship outings. One of only two Ramblers to have started every game this season, Polka registered seven points, 12 boards and a pair of assists versus UIC in the second round a year ago. Polka, who is the leading rebounder among Horizon League sophomores with 6.7 rpg, is on pace to finish as one of the top 10 rebounders in Loyola history and needs 68 boards to join Loyola's 500-Rebound Club. The burly forward owns season averages of 9.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 1.8 apg versus in-state foes this year and is also chipping in 7.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.0 apg, while shooting 54 percent (7 for 13) from the field, in two meetings with UIC in 2007-08.

Mister Robinson's Neighborhood: Tracy Robinson has developed a knack for coming up big late in games to lift Loyola to victories. Two years ago, he converted a pair of crucial free throws in the waning seconds to seal a win at UIC. He scored 14 of his career-best 16 points in the second half Nov. 13 to lead Loyola to a 72-65 victory at Eastern Illinois and laid in the game-tying basket just before the final buzzer to force overtime in a Dec. 8 win versus Milwaukee. A year ago, Robinson buried five free throws in the final minute to seal a 75-71 win at No. 15 Butler. The versatile 6-foot-7 forward also hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift Loyola to a 69-68 victory over Youngstown State on Jan. 31. Robinson, who is contributing 10.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.4 bpg and 1.8 spg versus teams from Illinois this season, has guided the Ramblers to four straight wins when he scores 10 or more points. He registered 13 points at Milwaukee Tuesday night.

Only The Young Can Say: One of the top free-throw shooters in the Horizon League with a career .810 (272 for 336) accuracy rate from the charity stripe, Leon Young has buried 46 of his last 50 (.920) attempts, including 15 of the last 16 (.938). Young, who has already dealt a career-best 18 assists this season, needs 38 rebounds to become the 28th member of Loyola's 500-Rebound Club. Loyola is 4-1 in Young's career when he registers 20 or more points. He has converted 13 of his last 19 (68 percent) from the field and in eight games off the bench this season, has scored in double digits on four occasions. Young, who has been sidelined for 10 of Loyola's last 18 games for an assortment of ailments, has scored in double digits in seven of his last 12 appearances. In the Ramblers' 11 wins this season, the Long Beach, Calif., native is producing 16.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg. He went for a team-high 12 points against UIC on Feb. 9.

Great Eight?: Loyola is making its sixth League Championship appearance as the No. 8 seed and is 2-5 all-time in that slot. A No. 8 seed has advanced to the Horizon League Championship title game just once, when Wright State fell to No. 3 Green Bay, 73-59 in 1995. Just four years ago, Loyola was the No. 8 seed and dealt No. 5 Wright State a 76-59 defeat at the Nutter Center in first-round action. Since the League adopted the current tourney format in 2003, the title game has been a match-up of both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in all but one year (2005), when top-seeded Milwaukee slipped past No. 3 Detroit, 59-58.

Totally Ross-Some: Sophomore Ross Forman enjoyed the finest night of his collegiate career in last Saturday's regular-season finale at Green Bay. The transfer from the University of Wyoming posted his first career double-double with career highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds as he connected on 12 of 19 shots from the field, en route to the highest point total by a Rambler since Blake Schilb tossed in 29 points versus Butler on March 3, 2007. Forman's 15 boards are the most by a Loyola player since Paul McMillan snagged 15 caroms on Feb. 12, 2004 against Milwaukee. Forman, who was making his first start since Jan. 31, entered the Green Bay game having scored only 28 total points in his previous nine games and topped the double-digit scoring mark for the first time since pumping in 11 points versus Northern Illinois on Dec. 15. He followed up his Green Bay effort with a 10-point showing in Tuesday's opening-round victory at Milwaukee and is accounting for 19.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg in the last pair of contests. The 6-foot-8 forward has committed only one turnover in his last 187 minutes of action and has drained 19 of his last 33 (58 percent) shots from the field.

Close Calls: Seven of Loyola's 12 Horizon League defeats this season have come by 8 points or less and if you throw out a 68-53 setback at Milwaukee on Feb. 28, the Ramblers' last four losses in circuit play have come by a combined total of 17 points.

Ten Spot: Whitesell is the first Loyola bench boss since Gene Sullivan in the early 1980s to win 10 or more games in each of his first four seasons on the Lake Shore Campus.

Blount's Count: Through 30 games, Blount leads the Ramblers with 15.4 ppg and is a cinch to become the first Loyola player since Eric Dolezal (1990-93) to average 10 or more points in each of his first three seasons on the Lake Shore Campus. Through games of March 4, Blount ranked fifth in the Horizon League in scoring.

Heaven On Seventy: Seventy points has been the benchmark for success when it comes to the Ramblers' offense this season, as they are 7-0 when scoring at least 70 points. In fact, dating back to last year, Loyola has won its last 11, and 12 of its last 13, contests when it reaches the 70-point plateau.

Start Him Up: Blount enters tonight's game having been a member of Loyola's starting five in 66 consecutive contests.

Maybe It Is How You Start: Since the start of the 2005-06 season, Loyola has amassed a 47-9 (.839) record in games in which it has held the lead at halftime.

Thousand Island: Blount became the 37th player in Loyola history to score 1,000 points when he scored the game-winning basket with four seconds left to help his squad to a 65-63 victory at Valparaiso on Jan. 26. The 6-foot-1 guard is the third Rambler in as many seasons to achieve the feat, joining former teammates Blake Schilb (2004-05) and Majak Kou (2006-07), and he is also one of six current Horizon League players with over 1,000 points - A.J. Graves of Butler (1,749), Mike Schachtner of Green Bay (1,285), Jon Goode of Detroit (1,227), J'Nathan Bullock of Cleveland State (1,190) and Josh Mayo of UIC (1,185). Blount currently ranks 26th on Loyola's all-time scoring chart with 1,146 points.

Smith Passes Away: Loyola is mourning the passing of former men's basketball player Anthony Smith (2002-05), who passed away on Jan. 28 at the age of 24, after a courageous bout with leukemia. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged career bests of 5.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg as a senior in 2004-05. For the remainder of the season, the Ramblers will wear black patches featuring Smith's number "50".

Up Next: The winner of tonight's game will face top-seeded Butler in the semifinal round Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. That contest will be televised live on ESPNU. Loyola is 3-5 all-time against Butler in League Championship play, but has dropped five straight postseason games to the Bulldogs since a 75-62 victory in 1991 at the University of Dayton Arena.

Double-Digit Delight: Thanks to a 68-61 victory over Valparaiso on Feb. 20, Loyola has reached the 10-win plateau for the fourth straight campaign. The last time the Ramblers posted 10 or more wins in four consecutive seasons was a 16-year stretch from 1974-89, when Loyola averaged 15 wins per year.

Successful Seniors: Loyola's senior class of Cortney Horton, Tom Levin, Tracy Robinson, Dave Telander and Darrin Williams, has notched 65 victories since the start of the 2004-05 season, to become the most successful in terms of wins, since the Class of 1988 piled up 69 wins in its career.

Not Without A Hitch: Head athletic trainer Dr. Tom Hitcho has worked 893 consecutive Loyola men's basketball contests. Since joining the staff for the 1977-78 campaign, "Hitch", as he is affectionately known to those on campus, has not missed a single game and has witnessed 417 Rambler victories. In his 31st year at Loyola, Hitcho was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2006.

Ramblers Sign Four Early: In November, Loyola announced the signing of four recruits, three of whom stand 6-foot-6 or taller, during the NCAA Early Signing Period. Joining the fold for the 2008-09 season are 6-foot-9 forward John Benkoske (Oshkosh, Wis.), 6-foot-7 forward Walt Gibler (Cincinnati, Ohio), 6-foot-6 swing player Jordan Hicks (Rochester, Minn.) and 6-foot-1 guard Courtney Stanley (Philadelphia, Pa.).