Game Notes
We await
http://www.loyolagreyhounds.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/010516aaa.html
KenPom
LU (3-10, 1-1) and ranked #250
@
LOY (3-10. 2-0) and ranked #263
LOY wins by 3 (77-74)
KenPom also sees Wednesday night wins by: Bucknell (over AU), Holy Cross (over Colgate), BU (over Navy), and Army (over LC). If correct on all accounts, we would fall two games behind the 3-0 Bisons and Greyhounds.
A bit of background………….
Loyola is off to a surprising 2-0 start in PL play, but when you consider the competition maybe it’s what you might have expected. The Greyhounds set down AU by 8 and managed a last minute win over The Leopards of LC. The two victims now sport a combined 4-21 record. Prior to their back-to-back wins to start PL play, they had lost 8 straight including one each to SB and MSM – two teams we had also faced off against in early-season action. The comparable outcomes were:
LU beat MSM by 3…….LOY lost to MSM by 17
LU lost to SB by 13……LOY lost to SB by 13
More things to consider…………..
LU got the best of Loyola in their previous visit to Reitz Arena (2/7/15) by the score of 69-63. TK, JC, KR, and JG combined for 52 of the team’s 69 points that night. The surroundings didn’t seem to bother us as we hit on 24 of 27 (.511) of our field goal attempts. Goldy, playing like we need him to play this year, pulling down a game-high 8 boards that night.
Loyola’s new found love for the “3”. The Greyhounds have hit 53.6% of their long range attempts over their first two PL contests but struggled (22.9%) in their previous five games.
Loyola’s touch from the line. Jones, Hubbard and Walker have been near automatic in PL games, lifting the team’s connect rate to .810.
Loyola’s uniform scoring which features 4 players in double-figures. Each kicks-in, on average, 11 to 14 a night and all are capable of having a big night.