Loyola Men's Basketball Preview

By Zach Hands

Basketball season starts at Loyola with heightened expectations and potential improvement from 2010.

The Loyola men’s basketball season kicked off their season Thursday night with an 83-71 exhibition win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Division II school. This season Loyola looks to improve upon last year’s record of 15-15. With four returning starters and 12 players returning overall, the Greyhounds have a solid balance of talent and experience and are expected to compete for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title. The Greyhounds were picked to finish third in the MAAC by writers and coaches.

This year brings a few new faces to the court for the Greyhounds, and those faces are not devoid of talent. A freshman class headed by local Baltimore products R.J. Williams, and Tyler Hubbard both rated highly with a grade of 78 by recruiting hub Rivals. Head coach Jimmy Patsos commented on ESPN Insider “The Baltimore and D.C. areas are loaded” Williams was showcased Thursday night, as he knocked down a three-pointer and caused a few turnovers with tenacious defense. The experienced players on the team took over the game as well, particularly Junior Erik Etherly, who led all scoring with 22 points. Indiana (Pa) never got closer than 7 points in the final 5 minutes of the game.

Last season was marred by close losses as the Greyhounds lost seven games that were decided by 3 points or less. They hope to erase those heartbreaking losses by putting games away this season, an issue that continuously plagued the teams last year. Optimism amongst fans and students is running higher this year because they know what this team is capable of. One fan at the game quipped “We’ve seen what they can do out here, they proved it last year. Now they just have to take care of business, and this team could make a serious push for the NCAA Tournament.” His view is shared by many experts as Loyola is picked consistently in the top tier in in the conference by CBS Sports, ESPN, and the MAAC coaches themselves.

Loyola freshman Rachel Wade put it more simply regarding her feelings towards the upcoming season, “I’m pumped.” The season starts with a difficult slate of games, including a trip to No.2 Kentucky on December 22. The official start to the season comes next Friday, November 11, as the Greyhounds travel to Winston Salem to battle Wake Forest. They open up their home slate with local rival Coppin State on November 14.

Bleacher Report, ESPN, and Coaches' MAAC Season Previews