Missouri Valley Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season
1. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
2020-21 record: 26-5 overall, 16-2 in the MVC
After another trip to the Sweet Sixteen for Loyola-Chicago, gone are coach Porter Moser to Oklahoma and Cameron Krutwig to the professional ranks. But those departures don’t mean that the Ramblers plan on taking a step or two backward, on the contrary, they look every bit like a team that can defend their title.
The school made a popular decision by elevating assistant coach Drew Valentine to the big chair to replace Moser. At 29, Valentine may be the youngest coach in college basketball, but if opponents are hoping to catch the Ramblers in a dip of sorts, think again, on Moser’s staff it was Valentine who was in charge of the defense that allowed just 56 points per game and ranked 2nd in the country in defensive efficiency at KenPom.
The roster got a big jolt when four seniors, Lucas Williamson, Keith Clemons, Aher Uguak, and Tate Hall decided to run it back for one more year. That announcement along with Braden Norris and Marquise Kennedy returning means that the Ramblers bring back everyone that played key roles last season.
The new faces on campus could make a big impact for the Ramblers. Two freshmen joining the team are Ben Schwieger and Saint Thomas. Schwieger is a 6-6 lengthy guard who has the ability to put the ball on the floor who shot over 48% from three averaging 17 points, over eight rebounds, and 3.8 assists as a senior. Thomas could be a sneaky pick-up for Loyola-Chicago as the 6-7 Omaha native filled the stat sheet over the last two seasons scoring 1,075 points with a 21.2/7.9/5.2 stat line as a senior.
Valentine was also able to bring in some experience, nabbing two transfers from the Ivy League. Ryan Schwieger is a 6-7 transfer from Princeton who averaged 10.7 points and shot 45.7% from the field for the Tigers in 2019-20. Fellow Ivy Leaguer Chris Knight joins the team from Dartmouth where he learned 2nd team All-Conference honors and led the Big Green in both scoring (14.8) and rebounding (6.4).
Next. WTE mid-major rankings for 2021-22 season. dark
The defending champs are ready to show they are still the top dog in the conference and that the road to the title will still go through the Windy City, and don’t be surprised if it does.