Loyola Ramblers Preview – https://loyolaramblers.com/news/2025/12 ... ugars.aspx

Chicago State Stats and Intel - https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... state/men/

Record: 1-9 (NEC MBB)
Coach: Landon Bussie
PS/G: 66.4 (341st of 365)
PA/G: 85.8 (352nd of 365)
SRS: -17.68 (341st of 365)
SOS: 6.43 (33rd of 365)
ORtg: 95.5 (345th of 365)
DRtg: 123.4 (361st of 365)


Chicago State Cougars (1-9) at Loyola Chicago Ramblers (3-7) – 4:00pm CST, Gentile Arena, Chicago IL

Finals week has concluded and we return to college basketball with Sunday afternoon hoops. The Ramblers host Chicago State and look to win a third straight game.

Last game against Princeton, the Ramblers were victorious 73-68. Loyola Chicago won its second straight game behind another 20-point performance from Justin Moore and a double-double from Miles Rubin. Moore finished with a game-high 21 points, while Rubin went for 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks. Loyola improved to 3-7 with the win, and gained back 20-points in the KenPom.

"Our response to adversity is starting to get better," said head coach Drew Valentine. "Earlier this season, we'd hit a rough spot or have a dry spell on offense, and we'd go internal. The guys are fighting through adversity and playing harder and moving on to the next play. It was a good team win but still a lot of work do to."

While this year’s Chicago State squad is bad and ranks at the bottom of nearly every statistical category, they’ve historically given the Ramblers solid competition when visiting Gentile Arena.

They are 1-9 on the year and with a winless 0-8 road record. Chicago State opened the year on an eight-game losing skid, playing road games and losing to DePaul, Saint Louis, Butler, UIC, Minnesota, Iowa, Fort Wayne, and Youngstown State. Their lone victory came last weekend against Saint Xavier, and then immediately got rocked by 40 to Illinois State. Through their first 10 games, Chicago State has a -19.4 scoring margin and allow opponents to score nearly 18 points per game on turnovers.

Three Cougars are averaging at least 10 points per game. Marcus Tankersley leads Chicago State, scoring 15.2 ppg. Tankersley has nine double-figure scoring efforts, including a season-high 24 points vs. Butler. He finished 12-19 from the field. CJ Ray grabbed a team-best 4.0 rebounds per game. He had a double-double vs. St. Xavier with 12 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.

Comparatively to Chicago State (1-9) and their putrid numbers, Loyola Chicago (3-7) statistically hasn’t been much better and could have also had the same or worse record by now too had it not been for current 2-game win streak.

For this matchup, advantage to the Ramblers but there’s not a lot to get excited about here with both teams struggling. That said, the Ramblers put up a pretty good effort versus Princeton in their last outing, and Justin Moore has nicely performed 2 great games in a row. And Xavier Amos makes his season debut today. Chicago State has lost 16 straight road games.

Chicago State Probable Starters – 6-4 G Marcus Tankersley, 6-6 G CJ Ray, 6-2 G Doyel Cockrill, F CJ Delancy, 6-5 G Chauncey Gibson.

Loyola Probable Starters – Rubin, Houinsou, Dotson, Moore, Tavarez


LAST 10 GAMES FOR BOTH SQUADS
N/A


Watch / Listen – Sunday afternoon’s game is regionally broadcast on Marquee Sports Network and streamed on ESPN+ with Jordan Bernfield and Kate Constable on the call, and can be listened to Rambler Sports Network with our friends Sudikoff and CT.

Postgame Show - Tune in to Sudikoff on RSN, followed by TalkinBlers Spaces on the X: https://x.com/blerstalking?s=21


Odds: Loyola -13.5 (as of 10am 12/14)

Wow...down 13. Chicago State is 1 - 9 for the season

The nightmare continues. At this point will be shocked if Drew isn’t let go

I doubt that we would make a coaching change in the season but I do share your disappointment with this year’s team. It’s been tough to watch especially the shooting performance.

What's going on here gentlemen?

CS to LUC

FG% 41 to 36
Three% 32 to 29
FT% 90 to 64
TOs 9 to 17 (bad)
Pts off TOs 19 to 10
Tot Reb 36 to 45
2nd ch pts 10 to 26
paint pts 28 to 22
Fst Brk 14 to 6
Steals 11 to 4 (not good at all)
Lead time 29 to 4

I don’t even know what to say. Nonexistent defense. Lazy passes that don’t even happen in a decent HS game. No effort.

Painful to watch

Kymany handed them five points on stolen inbound passes alone.

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MBB Scholarship Chart

Well…CSU has now beaten St. Xavier and Loyola in the 25-26 season…and 8 days ago they lost by 40 or so to Illinois State.

Seems mercurial Drew is not able to get this group to take his “hard” coaching. Ugly.

Three of Loyola's most humiliating defeats in its recent history have occurred in past month-and-a-half. This is shameful for the university and for a basketball program that had built so much goodwill.

Players appear disengaged, lazy and uninspired. Hope they are spending their NIL money well as they embarrass themselves on the court every few nights.

Coaching staff has no answers and makes minimal (or zero) adjustments. Hell, just look at today as we continued chucking up 3's instead of attacking the paint. Awful.

Fire them all. Start fresh.

Hiring a coach with no head coaching experience seldom works. That being said, I would give him the rest of the season to see if he can right the ship.

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Let's go Braden!