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Even though the college basketball season has been over for three weeks now, there is still some activity amongst some of Chicago’s men’s basketball programs. Here is the latest…..
The Loyola Ramblers announced recently that they will be joining the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1st of this year. They will essentially be replacing Creighton who joined DePaul and “The Catholic Seven” in what will be the new version of the Big East next season. Loyola was a core member of the Horizon League since it joined in 1994 when it was known as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.
They played in the Summit League before that which was known back then as the Mid-Continent Conference. Over the years they formed a fierce rivalry with UIC as well as other Chicago schools, most notably DePaul and Chicago State. With Porter Moser trying to bring Loyola back to it’s winning ways of the past, perhaps a change of scenery will be the the boost that this program needs.
It’ll be interesting to see Loyola create new rivalries with Illinois State, Bradley, and Southern Illinois. It is a brand new day for basketball in Rogers Park.
Speaking of Loyola’s former rival UIC, the Flames athletic department announced yesterday that head coach Howard Moore has been given a three-year contract extension. The deal still needs approval from the UIC Board of Trustees, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Especially since Coach Moore led his Flames to accomplish quite a bit this past season.
In 2013, the UIC Flames made it to the postseason for the first time since 2004 and won their first postseason game in school history. They defeated Chicago State in the first round of the College Insider Tournament back in March. Moore has also done a solid job of recruiting local players which were a major asset to the teams success this year.
This extension will keep Moore at Harrison and Racine through the 2017-2018 season. Of course we couldn’t leave you without talking about the DePaul Blue Demons…..
Last week, four players decided to transfer other schools. This week, it looks like those four spots have been filled with the announcement of some new recruits. The biggest recruit so far has been shooting guard R.J. Curington. The 6’5″ Curington is originally from Chicago but played his high school ball at the legendary Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
Oak Hill is the home for NBA alumni such as Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, and Jerry Stackhouse just to name a few. Hopefully Curington will be the next NBA star to come out of Oak Hill. Joining Curington will be Morgan Park guard Billy Garrett Jr., and junior college transfer forwards Forrest Robinson and Greg Sequele.
Earlier this week I was once again on the “Cooley and Chivari Show” on Sportstownchicago.com. Starting on Monday, the show will air from 6pm-8pm moving from it’s former 12pm-2pm time slot. You can hear my interview here:
This Friday night I will be coming to you from U.S. Celluar Field on the South Side as the White Sox return home to face the Minnesota Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm and you can follow on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
We here at Q101 send our prayers, thoughts, and condolences to the victims in Boston.
The road to March Madness has officially begun tonight as the first round of the 2013 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament got under way. Illinois-Chicago and Loyola were at the forefront of tonight’s action.
The 5th seeded UIC Flames got to play one final home game tonight as they opened the tournament against 8th seeded Cleveland State. The CSU Vikings had beaten the Flames in both regular season meetings this year.
Those defeats had motivated the Flames and as they took the court at the UIC Pavilion one final time, they would not be denied. The Flames dominated from start to finish.
Center Josh Crittle was the torch that burned brightly for the Flames tonight as he scored a career-high 20 points which led all scorers. He also went 10-12 from the free throw line, and added 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Guard Daniel Barnes also had a hot hand as he pitched in with 16 points, shot 4-7 from three point range, and led his team with two steals. Gary Talton added 11 points and 5 assists, while forwards Hayden Humes and Marc Brown scored 10 points each.
UIC has truly redeemed themselves from their regular season failures against the Vikings. They used their size and speed advantage to punish CSU and take home an 82-59 victory. Illinois-Chicago out-rebounded Cleveland State 45-32, and forced 12 turnovers.
While things were all gravy on the West Side, the North Side was not so lucky. Loyola lost their first round game to Youngstown State 62-60. Loyola has struggled against Youngstown this year as they lost both regular season encounters.
This was a tale of two halves for the 7th seeded Ramblers. YSU took a 12-4 lead early on, but after a timeout Loyola was back into it and tied the game at 19. The two teams would be tied at 29 at the break. In the second half Loyola got busy right off the bat.
They took a 40-34 lead midway through, but that’s when things started to fall apart for Loyola. YSU came back to tie the game and both teams would trade shots until the final minute. The 6th seeded Penguins would win the game on a last second jump shot from D.J. Cole.
Ben Averkamp’s 14 points and Jordan Hicks’ 12 points just weren’t enough on this night. There will be no celebration in Rogers Park tonight.
The final opening game of the night would see the 4th seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay end the misery of the 9th seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 62-46. As the Panthers head home down I-43, they can now begin to improve for next year.
UIC moves onto the quarterfinals to go toe-to-toe with the same Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix team. They split the regular season series 1-1 this year. The Flames will need another monster game from both Josh Crittle and Daniel Barnes if they are going to win this rubber match and advance to the semifinals.
Waiting in the wings is the top seeded, regular season champion Valparaiso Crusaders. As for Youngstown State, they have the pleasure of going up against interstate rival Wright State who took the 3rd seed in this years tournament.
Who ever wins this battle of Ohio mid-majors will have the difficult task of playing 2nd seeded Detroit in the semifinals.
Every game from this point on will be on a neutral site as Valparaiso hosts the remainder of the tournament. The festivities resume on Friday night.
Currently UIC is now 17-14 and have improved their postseason chances. They could be in the very tip of the bubble for the NCAA Tourament. But at this point, a bid to either the NIT, CBA, or CIT seems like a better chance.
As for the Ramblers, they finish with back-to-back losing seasons. Although their record of 15-16 is a complete turn around from last year’s 7-23 season, it may not be good enough to get even a CBI or CIT bid.
Wednesday afternoon at 1:30, tune into http://www.sportstownchicago.com/home.cfm and click on the listen live link. I will once again be joining the “Cooley and Chivari” show, where I will give my analysis on the opening round of the Horizon League tournament.
Today was a very competitive day for Chicagoland college basketball with two major televised games on the schedule this afternoon. One game was nationally televised, the other was regionally televised.
First up was the nationally televised game between DePaul and Rutgers in a Big East Conference match up in Rosemont. The Demons were looking to end a nine game losing streak while Rutgers was looking to climb out of the gutter in the standings.
The first half was back and forth for both teams. The Blue Demons and the Scarlett Knights were both scoring at will and would not be denied. The game was tied at 32 at halftime.
In the second half DePaul put the pressure on Rutgers as Worrel Clahar, Cleveland Melvin, Brandon Young, and Donnavan Kirk all scored in double figures for the Demons.
They would need those performances as they only got nine points off of their bench. A key injury to Rutgers guard Eli Carter took the pressure off of Oliver Purnell’s team halfway through the second half.
DePaul led by as much as 12 late in the second half, but it looked like they were about to blow another lead. Rutgers guard Myles Mack scored 14 of his 28 total points late in the half to tie it at 62 with two minutes left.
The Blue Demons would rally thanks to big shots by Worrel Clahar and Cleveland Melvin and finish the game on a 13-7 run to take home a 75-69 victory and pick up their second conference win of the season.
DePaul is now 11-14 overall and 2-10 in the Big East for a tie for ninth place in the standings with Seton Hall. The Demons will get a couple days to enjoy their victory before hitting the road to take on the mighty Georgetown Hoyas on Wednesday night.
As for the regionally televised contest, Loyola and UIC battled it out at the Gentile Center in Rogers Park. The Flames already had a leg up on the Ramblers in the season series after a two-point victory back on January 16th.
But today the action shifted away from the UIC Pavilion and Howard Moore’s group entered hostile territory. It looked like it was going to be a defensive battle to the very end.
Especially when the first three minutes of the game were scoreless and only eight total points were scored in the first five minutes. It appeared that without Ben Averkamp and Cully Payne in the lineup, Porter Moser’s squad was going to have a hard time contending with UIC’s size advantage.
The Ramblers would counter the Flame’s size with their speed and quickness. Loyola’s defense also did a solid job as they held Illinois-Chicago guard Gary Talton to just 10 points. They also managed to slow down Flames center Josh Crittle.
Crittle only had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks before fouling out in the second half. Loyola kept hitting one shot after another and had built up a 14-point lead at one point.
The Flames did try to battle back late in the game with runs of 9-2 and 8-3. But UIC’s foul trouble would come back to haunt them in the final minutes as Loyola would go 6-8 from the free throw line to stay ahead for good.
Loyola would defend their home court successfully and tie the season series at one game each with a 69-60 victory. Christian Thomas would come up big filling in for Ben Averkamp as he led all scorers with 23 points.
Jordan Hicks would contribute 18 and Devon Turk scored 10 in place of Cully Payne. The Flames are now 15-11 overall with a 6-7 Horizon League record.
They are now fifth place in the conference and this loss puts them back on the postseason bubble. As for Loyola, they are now 14-12 overall with a 4-9 Horizon League record. They are only a game and-a-half ahead of last place Wisconsin-Milwaukee as they fight to salvage their season.
The Flames can rebound with a victory over last place UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday night. As for Loyola, they have now broken their four-game losing streak and they improve to 5-1 against Chicago area teams.
But it doesn’t get any easier for them as they have to go to Valparaiso on Tuesday. The first place Crusaders have already defeated the Ramblers once this season.
The season is not over yet, stay tuned…… You can follow on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports for constant updates
The Final Score
Tonight the Ramblers finally snapped their four-game losing streak. But they didn’t do it unscathed. They barley made it out of the Jones Convocation Center in one piece.
Loyola had to make changes to it’s usual game plan from the beginning. They went with a three guard, two forward lineup instead of it’s usual four guard lineup with Ben Averkamp in the middle.
Loyola head coach Porter Moser did this to compete with Chicago State who had the size advantage. The Cougars also had a three guard, two forward lineup. But when you consider that third guard is the 6’7″ Quinton Pippen, with 6”7″ forward Jeremy Robinson, and 6’8″ forward Nick Ross, the Ramblers needed to put more size on the court.
In the first half the Ramblers easily jumped out to a 13-2 lead. But turnovers, and other mistakes, got CSU back into it midway through the half. They also got Ben Averkamp into foul trouble early, he had three fouls by halftime. But the Ramblers hit some clutch shots towards the end of the half to increase their lead.
In the second half, Loyola came out of the gate on a path of destruction. They quickly got on a 9-6 run forcing CSU head coach Tracy Dildy to call a timeout. I guess the Cougars got his message loud and clear because when play resumed, the Cougars got on their own 9-7 run.
It would go back and forth until the middle part of the second half. Loyola would go on another big run, this one would be scored 12-9. From there it looked like Loyola had the game well in hand. Especially since Averkamp {who scored in double figures} managed to keep himself from fouling out of the game.
Loyola had a 56-49 lead with 3:22 left in the game. But the Ramblers would blow it with another round of bad mistakes. Turnovers, bad fouls, mishandling the ball, and even a time violation all worked in favor of CSU.
The Cougars scored off of every single one of Loyola’s mistakes. Chicago State would cut Loyola’s lead to 57-54 with just under a minute left. Both teams would squander every opportunity they had down the stretch. Loyola missed shots that would have put them ahead for good, while CSU kept missing shots that would tie the game.
Quinton Pippen would be the hero of the second half as he finally managed to hit a game-tying three point shot with 30 seconds left. Loyola had the chance to get the go-ahead basket but would turn the ball over after they failed to inbound the ball before getting hit with a five second violation.
Once CSU got the ball back, they turned to their star, Jeremy Robinson to win the game for them. He missed his first shot, got his own rebound, missed another shot, which was luckily rebounded by guard Nate Duhon.
Duhon put up a last-second shot to win the game but it went right off the iron as time expired. In the extra frame, the Ramblers got off to a hot start and never looked back. They managed to stop another last-minute rally attempt by Chicago State to walk out with the 66-63 victory.
Loyola ends a four-game losing streak, while stopping CSU’s two-game win streak after all was said and done. Loyola is now 4-1 against Chicago area teams.
Aside from Ben Averkamp, forward Christian Thomas also got in double figures with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Ramblers guard Jordan Hicks also pitched in 13 points of his own.
For the Cougars, their dynamic duo of Jeremy Robinson and Quinton Pippen combined for 30 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort.
The Cougars (6-15, 1-1 Great West) will have a week to prepare for their upcoming conference game against Utah Valley on January 26th.
Loyola (11-7, 1-4 Horizon League) resumes conference play with a trip to Cleveland State on Wednesday night.
Here is the box score from tonight’s game:
In the aftermath of tonight’s insanity, I got an exclusive interview with Loyola’s Ben Averkamp:
CSU head coach Tracy Dildy also held a press conference:
I must say that tonight was one of the craziest games I’ve covered so far.
Ben Averkamp (24) has 7 points and 3 fouls.
Loyola’s team captain hasn’t been too effective thus far. Up until the midway point in the first half, Averkamp only had 2 points. He would eventually get benched for the final three minutes of the half after getting into foul trouble early.
But not to fear as Nick Osborne, Christian Thomas, and Jordan Hicks have all done their part to keep the Ramblers ahead. But Chicago State almost came back to tie this game around the eight minute mark.
Missed shots, turnovers, and fouls almost came back to haunt Loyola as the Cougars turned those mistakes into points. Loyola saw a 17-5 lead change to a 27-21 lead within just a few minutes.
At point CSU went on a 10-7 run, but Loyola calmed themselves down, limited their mistakes, and got back on track to finish the half on a 7-5 run. The Cougars are still alive thanks to Jamere Dismukes, Quinton Pippen, and Matt Ross.
Considering that Loyola at one point had a 13-2 lead, the Cougars are in better shape now then they were when the game started. Can the Cougars force Ben Averkamp to foul out of the game?
Can Loyola keep up the momentum that they took into the locker room at halftime? Follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports to find out.
Here is the first half box score:
Both teams are on the court for early warm-ups.
In a rare January non-conference match-up, the Chicago area tonight will be treated to another North Side VS South Side addition of college basketball.
Tonight from the Jones Convocation Center off of 95th and King Drive, the Chicago State Cougars play host to the Loyola Ramblers.
These two programs come into tonight’s contest with very contrasting stories. Although the Cougars are struggling again this season, they have won their last two games.
The 6-14 (1-1 Great West) CSU Cougars have won by an average of 25 points in their last two contests. A 77-53 victory over Illinois-Benedictine , and a 81-56 win over Houston Baptist.
The Cougars have been led by clutch shooting from forwards Jeremy Robinson and Quinton Pippen {Son of Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen}.
Tonight they will have a tough task on their hands as they take on the Ramblers from Rogers Park.
Despite the fact that Porter Moser’s team has lost four in-a-row, the Ramblers are 3-1 against Chicago area teams this season.
Perhaps tonight will be the night that they can break their four game funk and establish themselves as the elite in Chicago hoops this year.
Accomplishing this feat will not be easy, Loyola’s last four games have been lost by seven points or less. Their defense has collapsed in the final seconds of these games, despite the fact that star forward Ben Averkamp has carried this Ramblers squad every step of the way.
Tonight it will be survival of the fittest that decides this one.
You can follow me during the game on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
The Penguins celebrate their upset victory over the Ramblers.
Loyola initially started the second half right where the left off in the first half. But halfway through they hit a snag and it cost them dearly.
Star forward Ben Averkamp got into foul trouble early, Loyola’s defense had difficulty defending the outside shot, and they missed key shots down the stretch.
The Ramblers had led by 14 midway through the second half, and that’s when the trouble began. YSU outscored LU 38-31 in the second half.
They also shot over 50 percent from the field, scored 10 points off of Loyola turnovers, and took advantage of a nearly three minute stretch where Ben Averkamp wasn’t on the court because of the foul trouble.
Many of those foul calls were questionable. Especially when Averkamp was getting pulverized inside the paint and no calls were made. The Rambler nation was not happy with the officials when this one was said and done.
The Penguins hit key shots when they needed to and in the end, Loyola couldn’t keep up. Ben Averkamp had a chance to tie the game with free throws just under the two minute mark but he missed them both.
Loyola also got the benefit of a foul call with one second remaining but they couldn’t turn that into points which could have sent the game into overtime.
The end result is a 68-66 loss. The Ramblers now drop to 10-4 (1-1 Horizon League), Youngstown State moves up to 9-6 (1-1 Horizon League).
Loyola’s four-game winning streak comes to an end, and they are now 6-2 at the Gentile Center. Here is the box score from today’s game:
After the game Loyola guard Joe Crisman and forward Ben Averkamp spoke with the media:
Head coach Porter Moser also held a press conference:
Loyola forward Ben Averkamp (24) leads all scorers with 13 points.
Ben Averkamp was the driving force behind Loyola’s first half comeback. Loyola took an early 6-2 lead, but missed shots, lack of defense in the paint, and the inability to rebound put Loyola in a hole.
Turnovers also assisted Loyola in their first half downward spiral. YSU took advantage of every opportunity Loyola’s mistakes gave them. At one point the Penguins led by as much as nine.
The Ramblers however would not be denied as their star player {Averkamp} would put his team on his back as he’s done so many times. His 13 points and 5 rebounds would push the Ramblers in the right direction.
Eventually Loyola would tie the game late in the half. And as Youngstown State frantically tried to regain the lead, they began to make mistakes which tipped the scales in Loyola’s favor.
The Ramblers would finish the first half on a 6-2 run and here we stand at the half with Loyola leading 35-30. Let’s see if Loyola can keep up the pressure in the second half.
Here is the halftime box score:
You can continue to follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
The 2012-2013 Loyola Ramblers men’s basketball team has been quite the story. Head coach Porter Moser has delivered one heck of a turnaround in Rogers Park.
Last year the Ramblers finished with a dismal record of 7-23 (1-17 Horizon League). This year the Ramblers find themselves in a much better position.
Currently they are 10-3 and won their conference opener against Valparaiso on Wednesday night. The Ramblers have won four in-a-row and have not lost since December 8th.
Today the play Horizon League game No. 2 as the Penguins of Youngstown State make their way to the Gentile Center on Chicago’s North Side.
YSU is wrapping up a two-game Chicago road trip. Earlier this week they lost to the UIC Flames at the Pavilion on the West Side by a final score of 65-60.
They have now lost two of their last four, and they are hoping to get back on the winning track this afternoon. But that task will be easier said than done as the Ramblers are 6-1 on their home court this year.
Now that the nitty gritty of the conference schedule is here, this Loyola team will be truly tested. How they perform in the Horizon League will set the tone for the rest of the season.
You can follow me on Twitter during the game @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Yesterday afternoon I had the honor and privilege of attending the Chicagoland Basketball Kickoff Luncheon. DePaul University hosted the event at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Downtown Chicago.
Even though this was a DePaul sponsored event, Northwestern, Loyola, Illinois-Chicago, and Chicago State were also in attendance. Coaches, players, administrators, and special guests from each school were present at this star studded event.
Before lunch was served, some coaches elected to speak to the media before hand. One of those coaches was DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell.
The Blue Demons return 10 players from last years squad along with six new freshman. Once again DePaul has depth at the guard position, but this year they also invested in the front court.
When the Demons take the court for the 2012-2013 season they will have seven players that measure 6’6″ or taller. This was something that was lacking over the last few seasons.
Coach Purnell is confident about this years team, and he expects to see improvement on the court. Here is what he said in his pre-event press conference:
After the press pool, Coach Purnell spoke with me exclusively:
Next up on press row was Chicago State Cougars head coach Tracy Dildy. Historically the Cougars have not been a great basketball program.
Since they began play in 1966, the Cougars have compiled a record of 516-777. Coach Dildy has compiled a record of 10-52 in his two seasons as CSU head coach.
The Cougars have always been at the bottom of the Chicago college basketball barrel. They have never participated in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
In the mid 90′s,CSU came close to making the post season on two occasions when former Chicago Bull Craig Hodges was their head coach.
Aside from that, CSU has always been a doormat for teams like DePaul, UIC, and Loyola. Coach Dildy is looking to forever change the landscape of Cougars basketball.
Here is what he said before the luncheon began:
Right before lunch was served, other coaches spoke to the media set including DePaul Women’s head coach Doug Bruno, as well as the women’s coaches from Illinois-Chicago, Loyola, Chicago State, and Northwestern.
The host for Friday afternoon’s festivities was WGN Radio and Comcast Sportsnet personality David Kaplan. Here was his introduction as the event started:
Each coach would speak in a panel setting, beginning with Loyola head coach Porter Moser and Chicago State’s Tracy Dildy. Earlier this week, I spoke with extensively with Coach Moser at the Horizon League’s media day: http://q101.com/2012/10/horizon-league-media-day/
On Friday, Coach Moser would bring his message to a bigger audience. Coach Dildy would talk about the changes that are taking effect at Chicago State:
Next up on the panel was Northwestern’s top assistant Fred Hill. Northwestern is entering it’s 14th season under Bill Carmody, Coach Carmody was on a recruiting trip which is why Coach Hill was in his place.
Last year the Wildcats barely missed the NCAA Tournament, they made a mini-run in the NIT before being eliminated. Coach Hill told the luncheon guests that “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” is primed to make a serious run in 2013.
And finally, Oliver Purnell would close out the event with his speech. Coach Purnell spoke about his optimism for his team this year, his recruiting efforts, the improvement of his players, and the expansion of the Big East Conference:
After the event was over, DePaul forward Cleveland Melvin was kind enough to speak with us exclusively:
This year will be a defining moment for college basketball in the Windy City. It’ll be interesting to see how DePaul, Loyola, and UIC improve from last year.
Chicago State will have a huge microscope on them, Can coach Dildy lead his team out of the dark? But I do think that Northwestern will make another post-season appearance.
The only question for them is, can they get into the NCAA Tournament?
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