Wichita State Preview and Game Thread

[swellafelon]

Attendance issues aside, I had fun at the game and I'm not overly disappointed that we lost. I think WSU is clearly the better team this year, and showed it the second half. It has been their pattern all year to struggle in the first half and then dominate in the second.

One question I have is why the Ramblers seemed so determined in the second half to either drive to the basket or else force the ball down low. I think they would have been better served to work the ball around the perimeter and try to free up Turk or somebody else for an open three.

It was cool the way the Ramblers closed out the first half and went to the locker room ahead by five.

[01grad]

That's what we seemed to be doing in the first half. The only thing I can think is that maybe WSU extended their defense and forced us to try and go inside. We had more than a few opportunities that we just plain missed and/or got blocked due to our lack of size

[brot4britu]

And those comments Grad and Swella tell the tale. We are good but small. We will overcome this as we have all year. I look for a great balance of season with great things next year. More size and our guys a year more experience. eg--I ca see Earl going crazy next year.
e will be looking to go from this game to a nice finish--Our guys are just this darn good.

[LU 86]

I'm already working on a shame campaign. We win a national championship in men's volleyball, and our home exhibition draws less than 400?

We have our best men's basketball start since Lyndon Johnson was President, and we can't fill the Joe against the #15 team and conference favorite?

Shame. Total shame.

I've seen humorous videos mocking Loyola sports in the past, but this is serious. If I had a place in the athletics administration, I'd have people in EVERY dorm talking about how easy it is to go to games and how important. I'd have student-athletes visiting classrooms and talking about the sacrifices they have to make to represent Loyola. The apathy makes me ill, especially after the progress in the past two years.

Well here's something more to add. At the end of 2012-2013 volleyball season, Calhoun raised the amount of volleyball scholarships from 3.5 to 3.8(or maybe 3.85 I can't remember). NCAA allows 4.5 and the women get 11. (how is that possible under title ix).
Tom Kelly and Susan Malisch lowered it back to 3.5 to start next season. That's what they consider being a good administrator. I mean how much does that .3 cost the university. What a great way to tell a national championship coach and program way to go. Why don't they have the max of 4.5? Of course, I will state allegedly that's what happened.

[GoRamblers]

Announced attendance: 4,058

Hunte gets a hot dog...and I helped!

Not so fast.

My lawyers advise me that I have two meritorious legal defenses against paying off on the wager...

And who are these lawyers? Walter doesn't count. He's not board certified. He may be bored...and he may be certifiable, but he most certainly isn't a legitimate attorney.

[GoRamblers]

I'm already working on a shame campaign. We win a national championship in men's volleyball, and our home exhibition draws less than 400?

We have our best men's basketball start since Lyndon Johnson was President, and we can't fill the Joe against the #15 team and conference favorite?

Shame. Total shame.

I've seen humorous videos mocking Loyola sports in the past, but this is serious. If I had a place in the athletics administration, I'd have people in EVERY dorm talking about how easy it is to go to games and how important. I'd have student-athletes visiting classrooms and talking about the sacrifices they have to make to represent Loyola. The apathy makes me ill, especially after the progress in the past two years.

Well here's something more to add. At the end of 2012-2013 volleyball season, Calhoun raised the amount of volleyball scholarships from 3.5 to 3.8(or maybe 3.85 I can't remember). NCAA allows 4.5 and the women get 11. (how is that possible under title ix).
Tom Kelly and Susan Malisch lowered it back to 3.5 to start next season. That's what they consider being a good administrator. I mean how much does that .3 cost the university. What a great way to tell a national championship coach and program way to go. Why don't they have the max of 4.5? Of course, I will state allegedly that's what happened.

That extra .3 means Kelly can only make 5 visits to 5 Guys instead of his usual 6. That's a big deal...cheeseburgers are serious business.

[LU 86]

Kelly is wearing a letterman's jacket around these days. He bumped into me after the game and I asked him what he lettered in and he said "meetings". Does he have any idea how insulting it is he wears something he didn't earn to those who put the time and effort to earn one did. Why doesn't he wear a collar since he goes to meetings at a Catholic University.

[GoRamblers]

Kelly is wearing a letterman's jacket around these days. He bumped into me after the game and I asked him what he lettered in and he said "meetings". Does he have any idea how insulting it is he wears something he didn't earn to those who put the time and effort to earn one did. Why doesn't he wear a collar since he goes to meetings at a Catholic University.

How quickly you forget that he's a "Loyola guy." Nevermind the fact that he thinks Loyola degrees are worthless and that the University shouldn't hire alum...

[roggirl]

Wow. What a game. The first half was totally awesome in every way. Tense. Exciting. Obviously everything seemed to fall apart in the second half. The Ramblers did not seem to be playing to their strengths. Too short to get in the paint, they do much better from the 3 point range.
Observations (which may or may not be politically correct on Ramblermania): I totally dislike "Triple G" (Coach Gregg Marshall) and star Ron Baker (punch, claw, hold). Both seem mean.
The crowd: Good crowd! Lots of students even though they were just coming back for the spring semester starting Monday. It should also be noted (although Ramblermaniacs are in denial) that the majority of Loyola students are young women from the Chicago area, Ohio, or the East Coast. They do not care about the Missouri Valley Conference. Sorry.
I say welcome to the Wichita State fans. There were plenty of Rambler fans of all ages.
I just wish the ultimate result was different!

[ahunte1]

Kelly is wearing a letterman's jacket around these days. He bumped into me after the game and I asked him what he lettered in and he said "meetings".

Ok, but that response is hilarious.