19. Loyola-Chicago
Year one in the A-10 almost couldn’t have gone worse for the Ramblers or second-year head coach Drew Valentine, who’s still trying to fill the shoes of Porter Moser. The Ramblers won just 10 games last season and finished dead last in the A-10, one year after winning the MVC title and making the NCAA Tournament. There were various reasons for Loyola’s downward spiral last season but Valentine has been busy making sure this upcoming year is very different.
While the Ramblers lost Marquise Kennedy and a few other pieces, last year’s top scorers will be back in Philip Alston, Braden Norris, and Ben Schiweger, all valuable pieces in Valentine’s rotation. What’s made the Ramblers more of a threat in the offseason is the transfers they’ve landed. They add two All-Ivy League players in forward Dame Adelekun, who averaged 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds last season at Dartmouth, and Greg Dolan, the leading scorer at Cornell with 13.6 points a game.
The important thing for Loyola is that a majority of their lineup returns with additional experience. They’re no longer brand new to the A-10 and they get a pair of experienced Ivy League studs who’ll get important minutes for the Ramblers this upcoming year. It’s not necessarily do-or-die for Valentine and company, but they’ll be in significantly better shape with those two additions.