NCAA Basketball: 10 teams that should bounce back after disappointing seasons

Loyola-Chicago

Year one in the Atlantic 10 went about as bad as it possibly could for the Ramblers, who really fell on hard times last season. Drew Valentine’s second season since succeeding Porter Moser was certainly a disaster, with Loyola finishing just 10-21 and last place in the A-10. Recent successes were led by balanced offense and strong defense but this team was all over the place.

Fortunately, the Ramblers will return their top three scorers from last season, notably getting Braden Norris back for his bonus pandemic season. The Ramblers added Desmond Watson, a wing from Davidson, and also raided the Ivy League, landing former Dartmouth big man Dame Adelekun and talented Cornell shooter Greg Dolan. These additions add much-needed depth and talent to the roster, with just a few names moving on from last year’s team.

Frankly, Loyola wouldn’t have been competitive had they stayed in the MVC last season, but it’s fair to wonder if this was about the new conference as well. The roster is better, more talented, and more experienced, and this program knows their new conference much better too. Loyola was never going to come into a new league and be the same dominant program we’ve seen the last half-decade, but next year will be a step in the right direction towards contention.