Nevada and Loyola-Chicago headline the 2018 Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge. Can the Wolf Pack get revenge from last season’s loss?
Last season, Nevada and Loyola-Chicago battled it out in last season’s Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. With the No. 1 seed in the region Virginia Cavaliers knocked out, it was wide open for any of the teams left to make a surprise run to the Final Four.
It was a close game throughout between the teams, with each offense heating up in the second half. Both squads had three players who primarily scored for their respective teams but it was Marques Townes who hit the go-ahead three-pointer to give the Ramblers the 69-65 win. It allowed the No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago to advance to the Final Four for the first time in many decades, casting them as the Cinderella of 2018-19.
Fast forward to this season, and Nevada looks to make a Final Four run of their own. But it wouldn’t be as a Cinderella, as the Wolf Pack were ranked No. 7 overall to start the season. They’ve looked every bit of the part, starting out the season 6-0. Led by a trio of senior stars along with a bevy of now eligible transfers, Nevada has become a juggernaut in the Mountain West and the west coast at large.
Loyola-Chicago lost a couple of key players but still was picked to finish either first or second along with Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference. They’ve started out 4-2 but like last season, looks to go on a big run during the heart of the season.
The conference challenge between both the Mountain West and Missouri Valley has been off and on for a decade but will not be going forward, as the Mountain West and A-10 look to be starting their own series going forward. But what better way to end a series than having the best teams from each league going at it in a grudge match? Here are the storylines to look out for in this game.