TalkinBlers
TalkinBlers
Talkin A10 Tourney with Rocco Miller
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Dave, Bryan, and Tom recap Loyola's games against SLU and GW and preview our first round matchup in the A10 tournament. To round out the show college basketball analyst and bracketologist Rocco Miller joins the podcast to talk about Loyola's season and the A10 tourney.
Hello and welcome to another edition of Talk and Blurs. I'm your host Dave, and as always, I'm joined by Brian and Tom. In this week's episode, we're going to talk about Loyola's end of the regular season for the A10, where they were able to get a win on senior night against GW. They also played a very this might sound weird, but like respectable game against Slough on the road, but you know, it's moral victories in an eight-win season. We're also going to be joined by Rocco Miller to talk about Loyola's season and look ahead to the A10 tournament with him. Before we get into men's basketball, a little bit of a rambler recap on the year. Women's basketball won their first game, beating the nine-seed St. Bonaventure, and then played a really tough game against the eventual champion, Rhode Island Rams, and ended up losing in the third round of the A10 tournament in Henrico. Really great season for Coach Gooth and company. Only losing two players to graduation, Kira Chivers and Alexis Mobley. So hopefully they can return a lot of that core. And I think that expectations next year should be should be pretty high based on what they were able to do in conference play, going 9-9.
SPEAKER_01I'm excited with what they have the potential to return and what that could mean for the next season.
SPEAKER_03I wish, again, we talked about this about a few episodes ago. Their seeding really does, and the seeding didn't maybe help them out uh going up against a national team in Rhode Island, right? They get plenty of votes and they won it all. So yeah, I just it was a fantastic game. I want it, I wish we could have gone the distance. Uh what a weird last second quarter. And then it was just so defense and so great. The three just wasn't landing, which is tough. But I I I it was just I think it gets me excited of like, hey, go go find those last pieces. Like you gotta go fill in the holes with chivers for sure. But it's like there, you know there's something there, and I think that that should fuel the offseason and be like, hey, we we did not when it came to A10 tournament or 8-10 conference play, we didn't stop or let that define us. So really appreciated that fight for them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and you know, I think that there's there's so many positives that you can build off of, especially with that defense, like Thomas mentioned, that seem to be so smothering, especially late in games. Like they I think that they held St. Bonaventure to like no points for the last four minutes or something to complete that comeback, and they really frustrated Rhode Island, which was the top seed and ended up winning it all. But they had a really tough fight in their first game. Really respectable tournament for them, but just couldn't get it done against the top seed, but a lot to look forward to for next year. Looking over to uh men's volleyball, they I don't think we talked about them last week, but they beat number 13 Ohio State, three sets to one. They swept Ball State at home, three sets to zero. But then yesterday they lose three sets to one to Purdue Fort Wayne at home. Really confusing results there, but luckily they have those two strong ranked wins above them. Purdue Fort Wayne is also ranked number 19, but really tough to lose a conference game at home, and especially on the 30th anniversary celebration of the start of the program. Kind of tough to swallow that pill. But you have two games against unranked Queens coming up. Hopefully, you can get back on track and get ready for that game against Ohio State where you have to travel to Columbus. Yeah, I'd imagine that would be a tough out. Yeah, that that's just a little disappointing, especially on the 30th anniversary celebration where you're like they brought back the 96th team.
SPEAKER_03They yeah, they talked about the during the men's basketball game, and it was like, oh, that's really cool. Like, I wish I couldn't spend seven hours just at campus, but I wish I could have seen it. And I literally said, I was like, oh, I kind of wish it was been like I know they're still ranked, like Purdue's not a bad team. I was just like, oh, this would have been a crazy Ohio State game to have seen. And then no, it was a crazy game because they lost. I didn't expect it. So no, again, I think I think it honestly though, I've been looking at the standings. I feel like the volleyball, and we talked about this, it's so like back and forth of who sets and what rankings, and sometimes you have to be perfect just to get in. Like if you don't win the Miva, you just it's really hard to get in, right? The tournament's so hard. So I I don't I'm not like tremendously mad. I think this team can win, they just proved it. It's just like you hopefully don't like just drop a game because yeah, yeah, that's the classic. You don't want to just drop a game for the sake of it.
SPEAKER_02So yeah. And it could be that like you know, you have those back-to-back really good wins against top 15 programs that you have a little bit of like the the energy dip going into that game against Purdue Fort Wayne where you're kind of like recovering, especially when you're going from the Thursday gate Thursday night game against Ball State to a Saturday night game against Purdue Fort Wayne. Maybe the the scheduling there was a little too close, but I'm not trying to make excuses. They should have won that match. So hopefully they can get it together for their back-to-back nights facing Queens on March 13th and 14th before they travel on March 19th out to Columbus. Let's get into the bulk of our episode now and let's talk about some men's basketball. Let's start off with you know the road game at Slough. It was a game that Loyola was expected to lose by 23 points, and we ended up leading a little bit in the first half, thanks to, in large part, Xavier Amos in the first half, and then Kay Dotson in the second half kept us within a couple possessions for most of the game until Slough pulled away decidedly. But I really thought that we we put up a good fight and really did a good job with limiting possessions, even though you know you look at the box score, Slew shot 60% from the field, 53% from three. They they really executed on a high level, but I think that we definitely slowing them down seemed to really be effective for us to stay in this game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I looking at the box score now, um, I'm shocked at how consistent it was from half to half. Like we scored 32 in the first half, 33 in the second, and then St. Louis scored 40 in the first and 39 in the second. I didn't realize that it was like that close. I mean, I guess there were moments where we got closer, but it felt like St. Louis kind of just like ran away with it. But yeah, I'm I'm glad we held our own.
SPEAKER_03I I think that's that's the best way to sum it up. It's like we we can only hold on as much as we can because I don't know, yeah, like senior night for certain guys, especially a certain guy named Robbie, who will be infamous hopefully in a week or two here with a tournament. Um, but like again, for me, it's guys like Amari McCourtrie, like just finding ways to score. It's just like they're they're so deep. And that's the thing, it's like they are a national team, in my opinion. So it just goes to show that like yeah, we played, we kept it in there. I just think they have the depth to play a full 40-minute game, and also the skill set of it. So that's really again, I really agree with you, Brian. It's like they we we were consistent, we wouldn't kind of didn't necessarily hand it to them, I think personally. I think we did show up, which was a little bit more surprising at the beginning of the game. I know I was like, oh, we we might do this, and and again, overall we shot 48% from three, which is crazy. Um, but again, just it's a very competitive team. It's a St. Louis team that um that again it's just up there. So yeah, I I think very surprised at how we did it. Um kind of showed you some like, hey, we can compete with teams if it comes to the tournament time. So yeah, not not like not upset with how the result happened, just like hey, just it's a good team, we played it. That's what it is.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think it definitely helps when looking at Xavier Amos's stat line, 25 points, 9 of 12 shooting, six of seven from deep to go along with four rebounds and an assist. K Dotson, 19 points on six of fourteen shooting, a little less um efficient, but I believe he hit all it felt like he hit all five of his threes in the second half, or maybe at least four of them. And he really yeah, kept us alive. Miles was the next leading scorer with eight, but also uh turned in five blocks, a steal, three assists, and four rebounds in this one um on four of six shootings. So he had a really efficient night with a really high defensive impact. That might sound weird saying a high defensive impact when your opponent shot 60% on the game, but I mean, I the fact that he's still going out there and blocking, he had like nine blocks this week, which is really awesome to see from from him, but we'll get into the the GW game a little bit later. Yeah, it just it felt like one of those games where you're just like you're throwing the kitchen sink at your opponent and seeing what happens, and I think we we saw some positives that ended up helping us go into the GW game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, honestly. A lot more positives than I had expected considering the opponent.
SPEAKER_02I will say for Slew, after that game, they cut down the nets, and what happened? They lost the outright championship, regular season championship of the A10. Classic. Hark and back to Richmond two years ago, where they cut down the nets and then lost their final game, and we ended up getting a share of the regular season title. Yeah, I think the the message to every A-10 team at this point is do not cut down the nets in the regular season.
SPEAKER_03I I get it, you're home, but yeah, just don't. Just not when not when it's clean, not when it's confirmed you're the soul. Like just if if you're like, oh hey, there's no other way, it's our last home game, we'll share it no matter what. Okay, then yeah, cut it. But when you have a chance at the soul possession, just maybe wait. Just wait a little bit.
SPEAKER_02I I would, but especially since they got throttled by George Mason, who desperately needed a win. I think they they lost by it might have been 30. I think it was like 29 on the road. Yeah, it was it was ugly. That Mason crowd was crazy, though. Yeah, they they were definitely very into the game, and for their senior night, they needed a big win because they had an abysmal second half to conference play. I think technically, I think we might have had more wins than them in the second half of the con of the conference season.
SPEAKER_03I mean slightly there.
SPEAKER_02But like the fact that it's it's close for me to make that claim and have it be like, is that true? Um is very uh telling of how their season kind of fell off at the end. But yeah, I um I really think that the things that we saw that were positive in terms of limiting possessions for the Ramblers against Slough, granted, Slough still hit a very high clip, it ended up being that it was something that was carried over into a winning effort, a get back game against uh the revolutionaries on on Saturday on senior night. So looking at that game, Loyola won that game 68 to 62, led behind the duo of Xavier Amos and Kate Dotson, who scored uh 32 of Loyola's 68 points. They limited the revolutionaries to 33% from the field, 27% from three, while we were shooting 44% from the field and 37% from deep. And also 14 to 16 from the line. That that's something that you circle that, you give it a nice, nice sticker on the box score. Yeah, right. Good job at the top. Really happy about that. And yeah, would love to hear your guys' thoughts on this win against GW.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, this was the first free throw performance where we didn't have a note on it that said see me after class, you know. Um no, I th I think it was it was really good. I I didn't expect us to um hold a team that scored as proficiently as George Washington did the last time we played them to only 27 points in the first half, and it got a lot closer, but at the same time, like the expectations with this team are lower than they have been in the past. They they did as good as we can expect of them, or I I guess what I would hope at this point.
SPEAKER_02George Mason and Loyola both had three wins since the start of February, so just putting it out there. That was kind of crazy.
SPEAKER_03Anyway, can I ask how many wins we have across the entire season? No, no, no, no. You can count them on less than two hands, so like uh no, uh well, yeah. Again, it's very similar, actually. A GW team that I as much as the George Watt Mason team should have been a team that kind of pushed the pushed the top teams in the in in the A10. And again, when we say top teams, probably just you right now could say again VCU and SLU and maybe Dayton if they depending on whether they show up. But yeah, GW again, Castro. I was really, I think I said this, I was really excited for this matchup. Uh Castro got to give me did go six of 10 and he battled. Uh, but again, I think it was kind of a quiet six of ten. Didn't feel necessarily, especially being there in the arena, that again, that first half, as Brian pointed out, 27 points. They didn't feel like they were again as disruptive. I think even it could have been cleaned up at the end. There was one very bad defensive breakdown that could have been up 31 to 25. So yeah, I I think my biggest thing, I appreciate the free throw call. I will say, I'm trying to find the point in the game it happened because this game got very close in the second half that there was a lot of concern. We were like, Oh, we were up, I think 12 at one point, maybe 11 comfortably, and you're like, okay, this this team's got it, and then all of a sudden we're only up two, and you're like, Oh, what's happening? Exactly what I'm about to say. Yeah, I watched Miles drive, and you think he was gonna try to dunk it, and I get it. Maybe I would have loved to him to not try to dunk it and get the basket because you're like you're a little worried about the free throws. Like, I'm like, this is a one, this is this is maybe a one out of two, and he made both. And I think all of us around where I was sitting were like, let's go. Like, that's a huge momentum feeling. And then again, what did we do? We gotta stop. And I think that just helps make a foul on their end. We get two points and we extend the lead still, and then after that, Kate Dotson then back to back um stops, makes free throws. And so again, that's six points. That's six straight six straight free throws just takes a nice swing, right? Instead of um one and and you're only up by three, you're up now eight. And I think that that was literally brought us down to under a minute. So that whole defensive stop and the free throws was very nice to watch situational basketball. And and again, I struggle sometimes with this team blowing a lead late in the second half. We saw it at home against Dayton. Your question about it at St. Bonaventures, you're like, What why can't we hold this lead? So even to let the GW dwindle it down to two points to be able to say, hey, I'm gonna lock in and still take this lead, and then of course, bring it back up to a little bit more breathing room was nice, very nice to see. Uh especially and the last home game, the last game of the season, very nice little momentum. Uh, and again, I I I think this team easily could show that it can play and be competitive at the same time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I will say for the three for three of the four conference game victories that we've had, um, the game at Rhode Island, and then the the two most recent wins against Richmond and against GW at home, it came down to hitting our free throws late. And for a team that shoots under 70% on the year, that feels weird is not not the right word. Um, miraculous is a little too extreme, but um it it speaks to like the potential for clutch performance, which uh it's that also sounds weird because you're talking about a team with eight wins, but like uh hitting those shots down the stretch, we weren't able to ever be in those situations late. And I think it it shows that like with a guy like this game, it was Kate Dotson before in uh in Rhode Island it was Justin Moore, and I think Daewok um hit a few, and like Josh Ola Joseph hit a few down the stretch against Richmond. Um so I'm glad that they can hit him when it matters, is is I guess what I'm getting at. Um and there were uh like a couple other stats against GW that really made my my heart melt a little bit. Um got you a little messy eye. Yeah, fast break points. Loyola had 10, GW had zero for the game. For a team that loves to get out and run in the revolutionaries to have zero fast break points is incredible.
SPEAKER_01Um Loyola had especially when you're like playing with the pace like we were, you know. Oh we it was obviously like a very deliberate decision to slow things down, and so being able to then take advantage of fast breaks at the same time is like that's a nice little versatility going on there, you know.
SPEAKER_02And it's even more miraculous when you look at it as 10 of Loyola's 12 turnovers this game were live ball steals. Wow, like that that's insane. I know, like it's crazy, and points off turnovers, only eight of them. So, like that's another big thing. Loyola had the GW had 11 turnovers. We had 14 points off those 11 turnovers. So losing the turnover battle, but winning the points off turnover battle, winning the fast break point battle. Um, we only lost the points in the paint battle by two, dominated the free throw line compared to um compared to GW. Only one more made three, but we went 10 of 27, they went nine of 33. So they could not hit their shots from deep. And you know, we also even though they took 19 more shots than us, well, we still had one less made basket.
SPEAKER_03And then that's so that's the crazy. I will say it this one blew pretty much blew my mind yesterday watching this live. They had 19 offensive rebounds.
SPEAKER_02That's their game, that's a lot of their game, though.
SPEAKER_03And it was, it was. You could clearly see Drew was he had played started Xavier Miles and then Richardson. And it and it's really tough because you one, if you put Miles and Castro, maybe get a foul trouble. Like, again, there was that that commonality of like we're gonna defend as much as we can. Now, again, that's the great thing. You you make a miss on the first shot, you make it really difficult. Well, all that effort was exerted on the first one, and then they just got a second shot. But again, it wasn't necessarily a collapse, it wasn't as an easy bucket back because they easily, yes, they had a load of second chance points, but not a lot that, in my opinion, like tilted the entire defense to like, oh, we can't make a stop. So I think that was crazy one just to watch. Like, again, you had it was like giants at some points, right? You saw Castro go in, but then there was a few other people that tip a lot of tips again. When you when you're looking at 6'10 people, you forget that sometimes they can't reach it over another 6'10 person, so there's a lot of tipping of it. And I was like, the ball's just gonna land somewhere. So it was again, it was a lot you could you could see was physical, and that's why it's not necessarily like a bad thing. Yes, we got out rebound totality, but in reality, though, the impact was still we were able to collectively be a strong defense, especially down low. I will say Castro is Castro, could have been easily, in my opinion, uh A-10 player of the year, just maybe on the not being healthy, but our defense showed up, especially in the second half. We're very competitive from uh three on the defensive side, which we haven't, right? So that's the thing. It's like this team is showing where they can be good and they're fixing some of the stuff. So you have to be a give and take. So yeah, I was very to your to your point about just like again, points second chance points, points off turnovers. We we cleaned it up where we needed to. I felt like there was a little bit more of a polishing on some of the areas where we're kind of slacking, and I it was nice to see for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. And you know, we talk about Rafael Castro having a quiet game. I think Miles, just like if you look at the box score, deceptively looks quiet, but his hand prints were almost literally all over this game. Only eight points on three of seven shooting, but he did hit those two free throws that you know sent the I've never seen a crowd be so loud over free throws. But um that wasn't winning chicken or something, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Exactly.
SPEAKER_02It wasn't breaking.
SPEAKER_03There was a few of us that did ask for some Chick-fil-A.
SPEAKER_02We were just yeah, yeah, because I think uh Christian Jones uh hit missed his two.
SPEAKER_03He missed two, so that's what we were like, we made two, they missed two.
SPEAKER_02Like we I'd be cheering too. But like if you look like he had a triple nickel, he will almost had a quadruple nickel because he had four blocks, um, six assists, which is a career high, five rebounds, only two fouls going up against Rafael Castro is pretty pretty incredible. Only two turnovers to his six assists, and he finished still with a steal. Like I th this this is gonna sound weird, and it might be. A Homer thing. This is a stat line that shows why he will be a defensive first team player, like an all-defensive team player for the A10, and will somehow I think he'll land on the third team. Even though we're a 4-14 team, I think he'll be third team all A10 still. Because I think you you see a guy who, even with all the struggles, continues to find ways to impact this team in a positive way to give them even the uh slightest chance to win.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And yeah, because I mean you saw it against uh against Richmond where he put up 19. You see it here where he goes and fills up the stat sheet in any way he can. Um all he was missing was basically a made three. And yeah, so I I think this this just showed this a game like this shows how important Miles is to like the the success for Loyola.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and yeah, I mean don't sell yourself short. You were pointing out before we started recording that um if you go on ESPN and look at the statistics for the team, the team leader for every metric that they have in like the expanded view or whatever is Miles. So I I I think third team's deserving, I think he deserves maybe a little bit more, but I would understand given our performance. Yeah, it's a hard sell to say second team. I get it, I totally get it. I'm not gonna be upset, you know.
SPEAKER_02Although Frank Mitchell's probably gonna get like first team and he's on a four-and-14 Bonnie's team, just because he averaged like a double-double in in conference play. We'll see if that knocks him down to second team, but you know, I I think if you're gonna use the Frank, yeah, the Frank Mitchell logic for him to be on an all A10 team on a four-win St. Bonaventure team, then maybe Miles deserves third team as someone who still led the the the conference and block shots. Just saying. Yeah. We need something. Also, I'd be remiss without with mentioning St. Bonaventure and saying, like talking about Mark Schmidt. Um, that whole situation feels kind of messy, but 19 years as the the head coach of St. Bonaventure, hired by Loyal his own Steve Watson, um, when he was the when he was the AD at St. Bonaventure. Um incredible run for him. A legendary A10 coach and the winningest coach in Bonaventure history. I I believe that's yeah, I'll I'll double check to make sure that's true before um, but he had such a lasting impact, and it's a shame to see it end in what looks like a bit of a messy situation, to say the least.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I I got to see a little bit of the the Bonnies game before because it was leading into the the Loyola game. Um and it was it was like almost heartbreaking watching him walk off the court after having lost, but then you could tell like the crowd was really giving him a standing ovation, was yeah, happy for him. So that was nice.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, just a shame to see a career end like that. It gave me Phil Martelli St. Joe's vibes, where legendary coach has a bit of a messy exit, and it's a shame that it happens like that, but um I know that Mark Schmidt's still gonna he's probably gonna take some time off and enjoy life for a little bit. Yeah, I think he said post-game in his interview, he's like, I don't want to be known just as a coach, so I'm gonna go travel and drink a bit of a good for him.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, good for him, yeah. Really happy for him though. Um but enough of that the sidetrack. One other thing that I wanted to point out from the the GW win, Nick Anderson's performance off the bench, only 15 minutes, because the starters, every starter played at least 30 minutes in this game. Um, nine points, three rebounds, and an assist plus a steal. Really liked what I saw from him. Uh, he was one of the reasons why we had 10 fast break points, because he was just able to really his size in the in the fast break and his ability to finish at the rim and Eurostep around players is very I'm always surprised when he makes a shot. Because he looks he looks so lanky and maybe like it's not gonna be efficient motion, but he he finds a way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, I'm like, why are you going up for that? And he makes it immediately. Yeah, proven shot again. Shut up, Brian. Exactly. Yeah, Nick's just like me. He DMs me after every game and says that one shut up.
SPEAKER_03No, but I again I watched him drive, I forget if he had it off the steel or he just had the outlet and he drew, and I was like, drive on him, drive on him. Yeah, and it it was, and it also kind of was he made the basket kind of falling down a little bit, and I was like, he's able to body and play with any like it's not that there's a and maybe it's the freshman mind, you're like, Oh, he's a freshman, I don't know if he can do it. It's like no, he he's he's an athletic player, like he can do it. So it is nice to see, and again, in a we in a weird way, nine points is fantastic off the bench for sure. Um, and again, to plug in for the 15 minutes, I understand Drew played really the starters the entire game, three of the biggest guys on the court he could with Xavier, Miles, and Richardson. But again, to be plugged in and be able to do that is really nice to see. But yeah, no, it was fun to see. It is fun to see him drive and be physical in the back going to the basket and getting something.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I do also want to like um in this game, the reason why the starters were able to play 30 plus minutes each, the utilization of that zone has like really allowed their legs to be fresh. I think I know that they spent a lot of time after the first shot went up trying to like get the rebound away, like trying to get possession, but it felt like they were able like with the zone, they controlled the pace very well and slowed the game down, limiting possessions. So I think that with the zone, you kept their legs a little bit fresher for being able to execute on offense down the stretch, um, and you know, being able to hit your free throws, because right that that's all part of it. Yeah. Now, do I think that we're gonna be uh become a team that runs a zone primarily? No. Um, I don't think I don't think Drew's just gonna turn into Jim Beheim or uh I yeah, and and just turn us into Midwest here teams.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. It's again to your point, right? If you can only have three guys off the bench, maybe you have to play uh a defense that's gonna be less straining on your starters. Because again, I when I looked at it, I was like, wow, only three guys off the bench. And then I was like, actually, I don't even know who would be healthy off the bench. Like it just like you hit the reality of like we are we are pretty deep in the injured uh roster right now, right? So we're so deep in injuries, you guys just wouldn't get it. We're the best, we're the number, yeah. Um no, I think the biggest thing for me when watching it is that yes, he controls the pace for sure. Possession time possession kind of things get slowed down. It's just I I personally couldn't watch the backdoor screen or happen any more times. So I think exploitation, yeah. Exploitation of the dunker spot is just it kills me because it was at least 12 to 16 points, just that. And I and I'm fine with like you might not be able to go reach it, but someone has to be like the free safety in NFL. Like, someone's gotta be, I'm gonna mark, just be like, hey, we're going now. Like you've got to, because it's just this again. I I'm not a coach here, so I'm gonna I actually wanted to look it up like what is the appropriate rotation to like who slides down because it was just through the clear. Now, again, this team has the length in height, so they can do it. So again, it might evolve, of course, to who you're playing, right? For playing any other team that just wants to shoot the three better than yes, than what GW did, then it's it's gonna be maybe uh moot of the point of worrying about uh an alley oop here. But it was just so you're like, oh, this is happening a lot, and again, that's why you saw Castro get maybe six of ten, right? Um from from some of the from some of the spots, right? So uh yeah, again, it's an interesting setup and an interesting set, and it might need to be the thing we need with the roster we have available.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, because I think the only healthy player that did not play was like at least scholarship healthy player was Braden Young. Um, and when you're running a two-big lineup and neither of them are in foul trouble, maybe you don't need your third center for this game. But I I if Miles and Richardson were in foul trouble, we would have seen some Braden Young minutes. Um, I will say, yeah, especially at the start of the second half, it was trading buckets going basically two for two. Like it was Castro dunking and then us getting some it was actually Miles getting some buckets at the beginning of the second half. So the the center's kind of going at it, but we did it, these it did seem that we made an adjustment where they weren't just getting that that dunker spot look. We were rotating a little bit better, um, like lower with Richardson or Amos. Um, there was that one defensive play that sticks out where Amos played really good on ball defense, and then Miles high pointed the ball and swatted it over the room. That was in the first half, yeah. But still, I'm like, I think that like that play, I was like, how is that not goaltending? But also that was sick.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, don't ruin it for me.
SPEAKER_03There there was a there was a little bit of that while sitting there. I was like, oh, that was that coming down?
SPEAKER_01Like, yeah, it doesn't matter. Yeah, no, Miles is a physics major.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, Miles has a mastery in physics.
SPEAKER_02We need to it's incredible, like his his ability to jump late and block those shots.
SPEAKER_01Like, yeah, that's exactly what I was gonna say. He gets up there so quick, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that pogo stick like badge that you get in NBA 2K.
SPEAKER_03Well, it was funny because I think it was it might have been toward the end of the game in the second half. There was a point where down at the other end, I think Xavier had good great defense. You saw Miles get excited, but then there was also a point where Miles went for the buck, but then Richardson all of a sudden came out of nowhere. I felt and just like and I was like, oh, two guys just flying high. And it does, you do feel a presence. And uh again, if I was any type of player, I'd second I'd be second guessing, hey, can I go up against these guys? Um, unless you were Castro, maybe, but yeah, it is it is like it almost to Brian's point feels he's effortless, like it just it's his natural motion, he just can get there, and regardless of if he's maybe a little behind, he'll he'll he'll get there. So it is it's very fun to watch, I have to say.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I really and the fact that Alexander Richardson led the game in rebounds was great. Um, nine nine boards, two offensive, uh Amos second on the team in rebounds, uh, with eight. Richardson actually led the entire game with rebounds with nine because Castro only had led the uh led the revs with eight. So really great to see from him, uh, especially on his senior night. Um yeah, I I know that we had high expectations for him uh coming into it being a pro ball guy, but I I do think that he at the end ended up being that guy who like we we thought we were going to get in in terms of rebounding specifically, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because I I remember going back kind of recently and listening to one of the older episodes, and we were talking about how he was such a good scorer, and I was like, that is that's crazy to think about now. But I I don't mean to like shit on him yet. He's been playing well of late.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he he's filled a role, especially as a second center starter, where we're kind of running a yeah, well, we're definitely running a two-big lineup, but where he's like a fake four has been really interesting. I think that he he does have a decently quick step to be able to guard out on the perimeter. Um maybe him and Miles kind of trade off on guarding the perimeter, which I think I like the versatility, it it's like some great cross-training. Um but yeah, I I I've really liked what I've been able to see from being able to use him as a starter against two big lineups, like you have with a Castro and Hunger, or like we'll see with um like uh with uh Mike Walls and when we have to face him and um I believe it's Colin Tanner. I forget. Um that's that's on me.
SPEAKER_03But again, to the point is like I no one no one no one knows how this season could have been if everyone was healthy and the roles and everything, but I do agree. I think Richardson's role right now, if we can go a few days in Pittsburgh, is to be that extension of the big man, whether it be a starter and then be that like false four, whatever you want to call it, um, because he's not necessarily the stress four, right? Um, but um but just help because again, if one of them got in foul trouble, it'd be a very different because I we don't know what's the full depth going into Wednesday. I I personally think it's gonna be a very similar depth to what we saw in the GW game. So yeah, I I think right now you gotta play your role that you're it's given to you, and I think if he can grab the boards, helps other people out, that that is tremendous because again, Miles might need to buy boxing someone else out. So if we can get another height in there, it tremendously gives, I think, the help you need, and also maybe again less exertion, maybe guys can go longer because they're not battling every single second just for the ball, or it's they can be a team effort on that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. Um I do think that if one team gets us into foul trouble in in uh Pittsburgh, and we do have to see some extended Braden Young minutes, which you know, I I think that he he did step up during the time where we just didn't have like when Alexander Richardson was also out. Um I thought that that game that he had against uh George Mason where he had the the highlight play was you know pretty fun to see. Um but if we're if we're relying on this too big lineup to run a zone, then it might be I mean we'll probably be in be in some serious trouble if we can't uh can't execute that um to the to the best of our ability.
SPEAKER_01For the time being it's looked good though.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean it it it's been it worked two of the three times that we've that we've played it, holding our opponent to under like around like around 65 seems to be what works for us. So if this is if slowing down the pace can make it more like a valley game that we're that we basically grew up as Rambler fans watching, then I'm all for it. Any way you can find a way to win and get give yourself an advantage or level the playing field, you gotta you gotta yeah, do whatever you can to do it.
SPEAKER_01No, definitely.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And looking back at that, like you know, I'm looking back at the the Richmond game. That was a game a lot of fouls called. So many fouls. Um, well, like 63 total free throw shot. Like, I don't think we're gonna have a s that kind of refereeing performance in in Pittsburgh. You gotta hope.
SPEAKER_01You gotta hope.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um, but yeah. One more thing before we move on. I do want to point out the duo of Xavier Amos and Kate Dotson this past week has been phenomenal, especially from from deep. Uh Cade three for five in this in against GW, Amos three for six. Um, both the leading scorers on the team, again, it they seem to have really found their stride offensively in these past couple games, which has really uh been a godsend for a team that has really needed people to step up and score points.
SPEAKER_01Um I was saying before we started recording, it was just me and Dave talking for a bit, but um in the the scrimmage before the season that they did, it it felt like Xavier and Cade were going to be like huge parts of our offense. And I mean, like obviously they they still were meant to be during the season. It's just like they didn't produce like the way that they've been producing these past couple games, and um I don't know. I just I I wish it could have turned out better in the season, but I'm happy we're seeing it at some point, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I agree. I agree with that. But yeah, um Loyola clinched the 14 seed. Clinched, wow.
SPEAKER_01We did it. Congrats, guys. Hang on.
SPEAKER_02We didn't cut now. The nets cut us. No, but uh I guess it's backwards when you lose when you're the last, yeah, in last place. But um we open up with the two o'clock slot against Richmond, the 11th seed in the tournament. Um, winner goes on to play Davidson. Um, not trying to get too ahead of myself. I think we'll we're only gonna really look at the Richmond game because if the team's just gonna be taking it one game at a time, we should too. Um last time we played Richmond was the only time we played them this year. We talked about it. We won that game 69-66 in what was a free throw battle for the ages. Um, but it was a game where we saw Miles Rubin really dominate with 19 points on 7-10 shooting, also 5-7 from the free throw line. Um, AJ Lopez for the Spiders had a really good game, 23 points on 6-12 shooting, including seven made free throws and four made threes. Um, Mike Wallace had a real had a pretty solid game with 14 points. But on the Rambler side, it was really about the team effort in terms of scoring because Miles was the only double-digit guy, but you had Amos with eight, Cade with seven, uh Joshua Joseph had nine, Nick Anderson with eight, and you had Daniel with with seven as well. So you had all those guys contributing, multiple made baskets, a lot of made free throws towards the uh towards the end of that game. Um what do you think what do you guys think are the keys to getting a second victory against the spiders?
SPEAKER_01Tom, you want to take that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, again, I think the big thing is we we said this when we played Richmond. We we we knew when we played him because we played late that this is actually a pivotal game for tape because you will potentially be playing them, and lo and behold, we are absolutely playing them in the conference tournament. So my thing is this the biggest thing I have to say is when you look at just a reflection of this game, they shot 29% from the field goal from field gold, and we only beat them by three. So, like defense is maybe there again, the foul. That's let's let's take those free throws, cut them in half. They don't they don't shoot, they don't make 20 points, uh, or sorry, 24 points just from the free throw line. So maybe you say 12 to 15. So maybe that helps. Now, granted, we also made 20 points from free from free throw. So you I would say that might have to change, especially with stuff like that. But you let AJ Lopez go off. Uh a fantastic game by him. He shot over 50%, but then you played competitively against some other people. So I think you have to either try something similar on defense for sure. Uh, I would say offense, uh see see what's working right now. Seems like running it through Xavier and Cade is gonna be the biggest thing. Very different uh than what we did here. We just had miles. So I'd say keep the defense, you know how to beat them. You just you you have the tape. Um, and then maybe keep it with the Xavier and the Cade uh formula going here. I I would be intrigued if we can keep that momentum uh on their side.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I would love to see that too. It's just they've been I mean, not them in particular, but our offense has just been so inconsistent that I'm like, you know, there's there's so few people on the team that I like can rely on night in and night out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and then yeah, that's and again that you said this earlier, right? It it's it's it's a bummer that we didn't get to see this consistency or even this back-to-back of two-game stretch from Xavier and Kate in early in the throughout the season, right? Xavier out for nearly the entirety of uh non con, right? So again, maybe you can take this. You you it's not that long of a stretch of a break. It's almost like you're playing another uh A10 game because it's the Saturday to maybe Tuesday, Wednesday bucket, right? So I I would yeah, it it's so again, it's very interesting. You look at my Miles had what, five assists or six assists? The GW game. So you have to tell me Miles can divvy it up. So yeah, I I would say it's at this point, no plan should be off the table, but you can't be saying, oh, we're gonna go with four different plans of a day. You have to just stick with like two things and then make adjustments at half because I think slowing it down made the complexity of things a lot easier to control and takes takes it takes it completely out of letting the other your opponent run the game. I think if you can slow it down and and yeah, it might be old valley talk, who cares at this point? I want to find ways to win. I don't care.
SPEAKER_01I think that there's something to be said about like dictating your pace, you know, playing your game instead of playing the opponent's game. And I think we probably could have used a slower pace throughout the season. Yeah. But I get what you're what you mean.
SPEAKER_03No, I love no, I love that because it's again do we need to take a three in every single scenario? Right. Maybe not, right? So I I when we're in control of it, we don't have to rush our shots. Yeah, I I love that. It's it's again, you you get to dictate your your who's in control, who's in power, right? I'm the captain, whatever you want to say. Um find it. Find your find your rhythm, find your the groove. Because again, you look at this Richmond game, Miles was the one who found a groove of 19 points and seven of ten from field gold. But you have to have supporting cast. Yeah, we want it, but you just you need some support. So yeah, we'll see. I I don't know. I'm I'm just I gave the one side note, I would love to chat uh because I know Dave, you know, it's like I'm just worried about depth. I don't know what we have for Wednesday. And I I'm not forcing, I I'm not begging. I would love everyone to be healthy. I totally get it if guys are kind of now. There's one person who I don't get, but for the rest of the guys, I understand it's the it's potentially last game of the year. Do you want to I I don't want you to hurt yourself, but if you could show up and help, that'd be great.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean it's it sounds like Kamani had season ending surgery, so he's done it. Caleb Reese had a hard cast on his arm, so that's that's a broken hand.
SPEAKER_03Like just done off on the bench and put me in coach. Yeah, um, that would be uh that would be Justin Moore.
SPEAKER_02Um I I don't know if he he's 100% done for the year, but I I would suspect so. Um, just with how you know, coming off an ACL injury. We we get we talk about it a little bit with Rocco in our interview at uh later in this episode, but like you know, the guy who the guy who also tore his ACL in that game in Milwaukee for San Fran did not play this year. So like maybe Justin Moore hasn't been 100% healthy all year. Um and then Chuck Love, I think, is probably not coming back at this point since he hasn't played a game in in 2026 calendar year.
SPEAKER_01I think if Drew brings Chuck Love back in for uh a tournament game after not playing for the entire year, you can confidently say he deserves to be fired.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it would it would be malpractice unless Chuck Love is like I'm sneaking in. Like he's like he's like putting on Zach Royster's jersey and running onto the running on the I guess I will accept that specific situation.
SPEAKER_03I feel like we do get some technical fouls thrown in. So maybe I don't know. Um I appreciate that. I think I think it's just I wish we had 10 healthy people, but we don't. So I also have to, I would say for listeners, taper your expectations also just on that. Like you might have some teams that are fully healthy. Uh granted, I'm looking at the box score. Honestly, we only really played Caleb Reese played in the Richmond game, but we really only then had three guys off the bench. Now, it had more of a spread out minutes, uh, but pretty much nearly the same in theory of who's available.
SPEAKER_02So yeah. Um, it just the difference is that Kate Dotson only played 25 minutes against Richmond and had to play, I think, 37 against GW without Caleb Reese available. So like after Cade Dotson, then the next point guard is Daewok Tavares, and like it's yeah, I mean I think Daewok has he has his skills, he is not a point guard. He's played admirably in a position that he is not known to play. It he it's hard to expect him to be Kamani like like what Kamani does last year, but like I I think we're we're figuring it out. We're we're putting together a backup point guard by committee um without Caleb, without Justin Moore. Um, I will say keys to the game for the Richmond one. Um can have 16 turnovers that lead to 20 spider points. Um I know spider points as a phrase just sounds funny.
SPEAKER_01That's what I call it when I eat a fly.
SPEAKER_02Points for the spiders. Um I also don't think you can realistically go five of sixteen and win this game. Um, I think that there won't be it's not gonna be a game where there's 63 attempted free throws. I if it is, then cool. Like maybe you can win that, but you're also in a situation where you'll have nine healthy scholarship players for this game, including Braden Young, who even when we're low, hasn't been seeing the court. Um low on bodies, he hasn't been really seeing the court. So, you know, I I I really think it's going to be controlling the pace with that zone if we can, taking care of the ball, and then being efficient with our shot making. I know all things that really always contribute to winning, but it just priorities for for this Rambler team is that if it does come down to a free throw shooting competition, then you gotta find a way to keep hitting your free throws. It seems like the last week they found something that worked for them. Um, but this is gonna be an NBA level arena. So and the last time we played in this arena, it didn't go well, but you know, um uh that was five years ago. We don't have to live in the past, do we? But um yeah, I I think that we just really have to be smart with our offense and let the let the zone dick like let the zone just work um as it's been the past couple games.
SPEAKER_01I can't believe that that was five years ago. Yeah, it feels like it was just yesterday.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Lucas make Lucas making his last uh his last start as a Randler and yeah, being a game where yeah, I know I was we don't have to go into detail. But you know still waiting for him to make the league. He's on the Windy City Bulls.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he was at the GW game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, him and Sheldon Edwards are knocking on knocking on the door for uh for the NBA. So really excited to see if what like when one of them can make it. Because I mean, uh Sheldon's on the Texas Legends, the the Dallas Mavericks G-League affiliate. So, you know, there's always the possibility there that he'll get a call up for like a 10-day contract. Any final thoughts ahead of the Richmond game? I'm not even gonna pretend, like I'm not I don't think it's worth getting into the Davidson game just because I don't want to think that far away.
SPEAKER_01Nothing's guaranteed at this point.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well we if we want to get really crazy, we could break down Davidson and St. Joe's, but like if only talk about our path to the semis.
SPEAKER_01Let's just let's talk to our about our path to the final four at that point, you know. I mean, it it runs through beating like Florida, right?
SPEAKER_03We've done that before. We've done that before.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I know. Without any further delay, here is our interview with Rocco Miller. And we are now joined by college basketball analyst and brocket bracketologist Rocco Miller. He's one of the busiest men in college basketball this time of year. So, Rocco, thank you so much for being able to join the show.
SPEAKER_00Great to be on with you guys. How are we doing in Loyola Land? Are you ready for the season to be over or are we excited for shocking the world in the Atlantic 10 tournament?
SPEAKER_02You know, I love your optimism. I I think we're kind of in the point of looking forward to the offseason, but you know, if we can play more basketball, I'll take it.
SPEAKER_03I yeah, I I've told my wife uh if if after four days, I might end up be driving to Pittsburgh next weekend. So, you know, we'll see. We we will see.
SPEAKER_00After four days, so you don't even get the green light unless the Ramblers make it to Sunday. Is that the word it's St.
SPEAKER_03Paddy's Day here in Chicago next weekend?
SPEAKER_00So yeah, you don't want to miss that. You don't want to miss that. And even if they make it to Friday, I think that would give you a pretty big smile.
SPEAKER_02Oh, exactly. If they can win a couple games in Pittsburgh, that'd be great. Um before we get to the A10 tournament, we'd love to talk to you about Loyalist season overall. I know you cover over 300 teams and follow them, but you know, with the Ramblers, they've been one of the most disappointing stories in college basketball this year at seven and feel what feels like forever. From the games that you've been able to see for the Ramblers, what what have you seen that's like been I guess in like a big issue for the team? If you had to boil it down to like maybe one aspect of the team that you've noticed?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, uh good question. Uh, I think the season, of course, got off to such a rocky start. Uh, it's beginning with the Mercy Hearst performance, I think, on that first Thursday of the year. Even the opening night game like required a game winner to beat Cleveland State. That's a Cleveland State that team that went on to get 10th in the horizon. Um, you know, had to play an opening round game Monday to open up championship week. So it's not like they had a great year. And then that Mercy Hearst loss started Springboard at a one and seven start. Um, I think some of it just from knowing Coach Valentine and a lot of the staff members and people around the program, uh, listening to you guys, of course. Um it the the portal editions, there was a lot of guys without naming names that just aren't weren't good fits either with their character or in terms of what they wanted to run defensively, offensively, uh combination of both, I would say. Um, and then of course, I think the big issue too, once things were starting to get sorted out, the health, the health's been a massive problem. Uh, I think the you know, you guys know more about what happened after the holidays. It's it's a 3-13 Atlantic 10 season, and so a lot of my focus has to go towards the league races, and I wish the Ramblers were part of that. Many years they have been, so uh certainly not anything you're a stranger to. Uh, but once the tailspin really started in league play, uh, I I've only really been keeping up box score wise and availability-wise. Justin Moore is like one of my favorite players. I happen to be at the Loyola San Francisco game in Milwaukee last year when he tore his ACL. Sadly. Yeah, yeah. So we were all there. I wish I would have met you guys there. Um, chips uh chips uh for San Francisco also tore his ACL in the same game. He's still not back, he's still hanging around, and hopefully he'll get an extra year next year. But but uh for more to come back that quickly and get back ready to go for the season opener might have been a little bit of a rush back on his part. Uh, but that period where he the the Ramblers came out to to Santa Cruz in San Francisco, they played both the Dons and the Broncos, and I was on the call, of course, for the big win over Santa Clara that we still talk about when we break down Santa Clara's resume, which is kind of funny. Uh, I thought Justin Moore was unbelievable. Uh and I've always like when he's been healthy, I love that guy. I mean, he just makes winning plays, he's a closer at the end of games in a tight game situation. Uh, and obviously he's back hurt again. And he was in and out of the lineup during December at that point of time when I was preparing for the game. But he was the best player on the floor that one day against Santa Clara, and that that starts to explain some of that. But I think uh you you look at Xavier Amamos as well, only played 15 games. Uh, I know he's in and out, but uh watch he played a great game in that Santa Clara game as well. That was my first real up-close look at him, obviously, the former Northern Illinois star. Uh, he was absolutely dynamic, uh, both defensively and offensively, had a couple huge block shots to keep the Broncos um uh you know playing from behind. They they made a couple runs in that game that it felt like Santa Clara's finally gonna take over. And Xavier almost was a big piece defensively alongside Miles Rubin, and the team really connected with Kate Dotson's also a winning player in my book, uh, and key and Kimani uh Huensu. Like those guys together were all really good together, but I mean, everybody I just named except for Miles Rubin's been has missed time. There hasn't been many days where they all got to play together, and that's just so hard to get anything rolling when that continuity is not there. And then there's some guys I've probably purposely left out that are more portal players, um, that I think were a little bit more detrimental, a little less connected, not as good at force fixers, not as good of defenders in some cases. So I just you know, I would have never even even with the guys that are getting uh the minutes, I would have never expected what we saw when it comes to the Northern Illinois game or the Chicago State or the Mercier. Sorry to bring those up again, or even a 3 and 13 league record, you'd think they'd be serviceable enough to be middle of the pack A10 good. So this has just been kind of honestly appalling um to see the results the way they are. But at the same time, I'm kind of glad I got to see like their best version that one day in Santa Cruz, because you could see the vision like for that one day where they were really clicking and playing together. And Drew was you know, he was very, very locked in on that trip, like making substitutions, making sure they had the perfect personnel for the situation. Um, they they look like a team that they were ready to turn their season around, leaving that trip. And so it's just disappointing that uh I think a lot of what went downhill after that was the health because I right after that, New Year's Eve, they go to Rhode Island, they played very well that game. They end up hanging on and winning by four. But I remember they had a pretty big lead in that game. I'm like, all right, here we go. Ramblers are starting to figure it out one and oh, and then the Dayton game, they were up most of the game too. And that was the uh that would have been a two-o start. Of course, they kind of chunked it at the end and lose by two. Uh, and then the the wheels slowly started coming off again, and that was frustrating because those three, four games together, they were starting to play and perform over that holiday break and into the new year like a real threat. And uh that that's kind of the last time I really saw that kind of spark.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was tough. It was really tough after those back-to-back wins. It was a quad one and a quad two win, and then we lose to Dayton. Justin Moore goes out, then Xavier Ramis and Kate Dotson go out against uh Davidson. Kamani has been in and out of the lineup after with after his injury during the San Francisco game last year. He had a stress fracture, and that game has not recovered since that, like fully recovered. And you know, yeah, like you said, November appalling is a great word that you used for that one and seven start. But you in December, you saw what was what the game plan was. They had the the couple wins against Central Michigan and Princeton as well. You know, not great wins, they didn't like blow them out of the water, but you know, they were getting back on track after one and seven, you take the wins. Um, and then the injury happen the injuries happen, you're playing against like George Mason with eight guys, and you're just trying to figure out how to get 40 minutes out in a game out of you know, when you're playing Caleb Reese's your starting point guard, which you know, nothing against him, it's just you know, not the plan.
SPEAKER_00Um not the plan, not the way it was drawn up preseason. Yeah, and I think the injuries derailed the A10 season, clearly, and then you know, Xavier almost missed the first five, six weeks of the season. So when we got him in Santa Cruz, it was only like his third or fourth game. And so it's just yeah, how do you how do you really get anything going when a lot of the guys on the floor are your second, third options at those individual positions, and then how many reps did they really get together as a lineup combo? That's something I try to look at. It I don't get as much time to dive into the uh analytics as I would love to if I was just following one team, but I would like if I was following one team, I'd be all about that, or if I was on a coaching staff, just sometimes a certain mix of five guys work really well together and you can get things going, or or you have you know multiple combinations that you can lean on if you're healthy. And I mean, Loyola Chicago hasn't even had a choice in the matter, they just have to go with the guys that are available on any given night. And I know that like majority of the game nights, they have not had any luxuries with lined-up combinations.
SPEAKER_02Shifting over to the 8-10 season as a whole, I know that you know we we obviously focused about Loyola, but let's talk about let's open it up to some positive things. Um, we'd love to hear what has surprised you the most about conference play, both in the positive or you know, a team that really hasn't been like up to snuff that you thought would be a lot better um besides Loyola police. We don't need to kick us while our while we're no doubt.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think in general, St. Louis is the obvious answer. Uh, I got to go to the Arch Baron Cup in St. Louis the the first round, and the place was just on fire, just sold out. I think it was packed like an hour and a half before tip-off uh national TV game. Uh, and it was the game was over in about five minutes. I think they were up like 28 to 6 or something, and it was just a party the rest of the night. Uh, but that was it was fun to watch that team click. Uh, I know the Dunlap's really well, the family, and Brady played for St. John's last year. Now he's St. Louis's like seventh or eighth man. Deadly shooter, still evolving, coming off an injury at St. John's. Uh, and it was a kind of a not that I had any sway in the decision, but at one point I did get a phone call, like, because uh the family go is from LA, go way back with all the staff, especially Lorenzo Romar at Loyal and Marymount, and it came down to Loyal and Marymount or St. Louis, and I was like, I think I would lean St. Louis because this Josh Shirts guy can coach a little bit, and the system is really fun for how your son wants to play in terms of space and shooting, and just you know, basically putting all of his strengths uh in the limelight. And it's been so cool to see it pay off, and even they're even better than I thought they were back in the summer because Ish, um, who came from Virginia, I mean, he didn't get to play a lot at Virginia, but he's just thriving in the billikan system. Uh, we got to watch some of their practices in the summer, and they just do what's called the billikan run, and they do it every day. Instead of doing like I don't know what other teams do for fitness and cardio. Some of them might go on run, some of us, some of them might be on the treadmill or doing other workouts in the gym. Uh, but they do the billican run every every day, and it's just 30 to 45 minutes of nothing but scrimmages and no whistles. So all fouls are allowed, and you just have to keep running non-stop. And I think some other coaches are gonna that want to play fast are gonna start stealing it. But uh, it's pretty entertaining to watch, even on video, because like we get a copy of it and be able to turn it on, and uh, and they just get that's how they're in so much better shape than most of the league. They're just out there moving a step faster, especially early on in league play, because they're doing that even if they get a week off or four days off, they're doing that in between games, and that's their that's their fitness. So all of their movements are natural basketball movements cutting, spacing, passing, moving without the ball, etc. It's um it's all very familiar to once you're part of that for a while, which explains a lot of Indiana State a couple of years ago. Yeah, um, yeah so it's been it's been awesome to just see them just hit the ground running uh right out of the gates from from opening night till now. Now I think they've hit a little bit of the dog days of the A-10, getting beat the way they did at Dayton. That was a little surprising. But Dayton, of course, was pissed and uh had the atmosphere on their side in that game. Um, but I I would say VCU to me, I thought Martelli might need a year or two to really get the guys that fit his system. So I I watched him closely at Bryant. He's become a pretty good friend in the offseason. With uh he's one of the few head coaches that does scheduling all by himself. So calls me all the time and we go over like who who we think is gonna be good or who's who we think is gonna be bad sometimes is important in scheduling too. So yeah, he's just a really good guy to talk to, just total basketball nutcase, as you can imagine with his family. Uh everybody's a basketball nutcase in that family. And uh for them to rip off 10 11 wins in a row in the league, like I could not have envisioned that in year one. I understand that BCU's got top two resources in the league. Uh, you look at the talent across the board, uh Djokovic is like Insane to watch, he's really, really, really good. Barry Evans played for him at Bryant and other really good pieces as well. But I didn't I didn't smell a 10 or an 11 game win streak coming at any time. Uh fortunately, they went 0-5 in their games against tournament level competition. But you know, as of today, because the bubbles kind of exploded, like VCU's the last team in right now, yeah, in my forecast. So that's really exciting. And I I didn't see that coming at all, especially at the start of January when they were 2-2 coming off a loss to George Mason. Um, which is a good segue to teams I'm disappointed by because when George Mason started the way they did, yeah, uh, let's see, at one point they were uh 18 and one or something like that. Yeah, they were 18 and one. 18 and one, but they just hadn't like they had the VCU win. Uh George Washington was a pretty good win that happened on President's Day, the George's game. That was awesome. I almost went to that game. Uh, but for them to hit a total wall in February, you know, that was that was very disappointing. And I think since the start of February, they're now two and six. And did not see that one coming. I'm not sure where it went sideways or why it went sideways. I know Fat Hill's been hurt, um, but the majority of the key pieces are still playing. And it looked like Tony Skim was off to a big time job, and now I'd maybe he'll be George Mason's coach again next year. I don't know. Um, and then I think the other, you know, outside of Loyal Chicago, of course, George Washington, just with the amount of talent and the amount of money they spent to be seven and nine. See, this was like the big thing we talked about all summer was okay, they definitely have a top five roster, like undisputedly. And I understand that um Rafael Castro went down for a little bit, missed six games, I think. But outside of that, they they were so loaded, it was like, can Caputo really coach? Like that was the question. And I think the jury's still out. I'm not saying he can't coach, yeah. I'm just saying to to you know, to be able to get an at large bid in the Atlantic 10, you have to be absolutely consistent. You need to go 14 and 4 or maybe 15 and 3 at least to stay in the conversation. And I I think I looked him up before this year, and I know he's only been in the league a couple of years, but they hadn't they hadn't done better than 10 and 10 and or 9 and 9, you know, whatever 500 is. 9 and 9. And and that's his best case scenario this year. If they beat Bonnie's and you guys, then they'll be 9-9. So it's big disappointment for the amount of money they spent. Uh, but you never know, they could be a live, uh dangerous team in the A-10 tournament, which we'll talk about. But yeah, I think those are the obvious answers. Um, you know, quick shout out to my boy Mikey Megpyle, good friend for a long time. Uh, coached here at San Francisco originally, and uh, you know, finally got Fordham was off to a brutal start as well, but he really got some good wins here in the league, and they're up to seven and nine and a chance to to finish strong. They've won four out of five. You know, they you guys ran into them a week or week or two ago. Um, they just lost to VCU, but beating uh St. Joe's on the rogue. St. Joe's at the top four team right now, uh, taking down Davidson. Those are good wins for Fordham, and I think he's doing a great job so far.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think you you've highlighted some great coaches. I gotta go back to the Josh Shirts really quick because of the that that is an insight that you you kind of go back and you're like, oh, how does a coach just accelerate from D2 winning to D1 winning? And you're like, oh well, I guess it's just he's he has a program system that just works. And I think that's the more you learn more about a coach, you're like, oh, he just did he get lucky, and it's like, no, he just has a system in place, and I think it worked at the D2 level very well. He was a very much a winning coach there, going to their tournaments, and then Indiana State brought it, and then of course just keeps moving. So that that is not surprising that Josh Hurts is uh is a lot more uh technical technical with his work off the court, maybe in the practice room. So that's really cool for sure. And then yeah, no, I think my biggest thing is yeah, I wish I was Fordham. No one no one wants Loyola to see uh the season, and we we talk offline about this. Yeah, our first season A10, we talk about the the roller coasters you might have, but I I don't know if we want to see this every year. So we we would like some consistency. So yeah, to see a team like Fordham, who I would never have thought in the million years if you asked me in August, that we would be behind them. Again, got to respect the coaches who know. So I think this is this season for me in the A-10 really shows that your rosters can do it, but you've got to know how to manage that. So it's really that's really something to see. Josh Shurt seems to have that management tas down, and other guys are trying to find their way. So I hope we can hit the clipboards and readjust some X's and O's in the offseason. That's that's gonna be interesting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we'll see. I mean, obviously, based on the year that Drew had, there's gonna have to be some changes, whether it's uh philosophy, schematics, uh clearly roster construction will be one of them. Uh hopefully no nothing major to the sh to the staff. I've gotten to know a lot of those guys. Uh, but you know, after a season like this, that's just how it is in in big time sports. So college basketball is big. Um and I think as yeah, like you said about Fordham, and uh it's just such a different job there. Fordham's a very low resource program, much like LaSalle. And so you I thought they were very smart to hire Mike because Mike uh had five years at UC Riverside, and out here in the Big West, UC Riverside's by far the lowest resource school. Like they they have peanuts compared to Santa Barbara and Irvine, even though they start with UC like Riverside has literally no money. Um, and he was able to like figure out a way to get dudes in there and get like a little rallying circle to get those guys taken care of at least a little bit. Um, because he had Barrington Hargress and uh Zion Poland and just amazing players that he found. Uh obviously Poland goes on to Florida and all that, but but he's just uh that's why such a smart hire by Fordham to get a guy that is used to scrapping and clawing uh for everything, and he'll work his ass off till he gets there. Um and and I think that's you know, that's what you get a little bit with shirts too, like the division two thing you said, but that Lincoln Memorial system that he ran, that's still being ran today at St. Louis. Like I'm curious if it still works when he gets up to the Big 12 or the SEC or wherever he's going next. Because you got you got to have the right kind of kids too. Like the St. Louis kids are really good kids, right? He's so lucky to have Robbie Avala because he loves playing for Josh and he's just a really good dude. But like when you get up to that level where you're paying 10 million to your roster, chances are pretty high you're gonna have a couple assholes in there, and then then it's gonna be ego versus ego when you got a player or two that might be making as much as the coach. It's a whole different dynamic in power power five basketball right now.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's a that's a great point about that because again, the the kids you have at a D2 level, very different than even at a D1. And I personally think with going to Indiana State, that was just the emergence of NIL, and you wouldn't even think about what the NIL budget would have been at Indiana State versus SLU, and then you might even find yourself tripling five times at whatever the X is, right? Um, who knows what what pocketbooks people have at certain schools. But yeah, that that's yeah, that's something again. I know Kansas State's open right now. There are plenty more that will probably be open uh by the time Josh Shurts' season will come to an end because I kind of hope we'll see him go a little bit longer than some of us regular season. But no, just to call out as we're talking with your uh your boy Mike, he does scrap hard because he did get ejected just a few minutes uh tonight into meeting. Yeah, it's all over Twitter. So he does something. Yeah, go check. I think I saw the A10 talk, but you're absolutely right, because again, I do think it was a smart hire, and that's where it is in this goal. It's like, do you do you have to make those smart hires to compete? Because unless you have the pocket, unless you have the money or a chest of money, you have to be at least smart about where you're going. Because I I feel like some of these guys, I don't know, you get Butler Hunter and Mata, okay, Journeyman has that. I don't know if he's there to take them to the next level, who knows? But it's it is really, especially A10, if we want to compete, you you can't just rely on luck or maybe some past performances. And again, Phil Martelli, do I know no one expected VCU to be bounced back this year, but I don't know if that's just VCU's blood. You see, see where now Virginia's doing well with their former VC with former VCU head coach, so maybe it's just VCU knows how to knows how to spit them out, and I'm a little jealous, but that's just A10. That's what happens sometimes. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they're very basketball-centric. The Siegel Center is always packed, and the AD is all in on basketball. Gotten to know the the program now through three coaches, and uh, you know, they they have to play like nine games at home during non-conference because they have so many fans. I think it's like 14,000 Siegel Center. So they they do really well money-wise. Uh, but yeah, you you have high expectations there, and they're every coach they've had, it seems like delivers. It's like Mike Rhodes and then Odom and obviously Shaka Smart way back before that. So and we'll will we'll wait. Yep. Not bad. Not bad.
SPEAKER_02What a great tree. Um, but you usually go off a coaching tree, but a school tree. I I would yeah, who would have thought?
SPEAKER_00They're kind of like the Utah State of the A10. I mean, it just doesn't matter who the coach is, they're just so well supported. Like they it's just a great place to be a great environment, great culture. It's it's it's a successful place to be for sure, clearly.
SPEAKER_03And again, it's really interesting you say that because the one question I do have just with loyalists moved to A10 in general, there was that whole voting. I know Lee 68, they all posted it of like, oh, asking who would vote. And Loyola was up there. So again, I used to say, oh, VCU is a good benchmark to get to with funding. Do you see Loyalist sticking through the A10 still like we have to still find a way to compete? Is it just money? Is it culture? Then back to the most famous word in college basketball. Because I don't know if Loyola competes money, bank bank account to bank account sometimes, though we do know they they spent a lot this year and it didn't seem to work, right? So I'm not saying this is money ball, but we need to it what it what is it maybe take Loyola to become not always the bottom of the A10 for the second time in what four years? So I don't know where do you see that going?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I I don't know what it'll look like going forward. Probably depends on the source of where the funds come from. If it's a more of a collective pool, then it might might not be as strong. But I I do think like across the board going into next year, from the majority of the the upper leagues that I've heard some early numbers from, there's gonna be more money than than this year. So money seems to be going up everywhere. We'll see if that's true in the A10 or not. I haven't I actually don't have a good gauge of the A10. Uh, but I will say, like, from uh grading it on a curve, it's clear VCU and Dayton are in their own category. Uh Dayton operates like a power five already, they have three years. That's why they schedule differently than everybody. They can get Marquette to come to town, they can get Florida State to come to town, Northwestern. What you know, they they're gonna be able to draw a Power Five series because of their matching budgets and scheduling. But uh even VCU struggles to do that to a degree. They they usually get a couple marquee games, they usually get invited to a really sexy tournament. But uh outside of that, you know, you go down to to the next set of teams and Loyola, George Washington, uh, based just based on what they did last year, spending-wise, maybe Davidson gets there because they do have Steph Curry. I don't know, I don't know what he does, but I I think he does put some money in. Um, and I think you look at Loyola, uh St. Louis, uh, all kind of in that second cut. Uh, and that that might just be George Mason, too, really. Um, and I thought Bonaventure, and that that's a team I probably should have brought up earlier because who would have thought when they were 11 and 2 they'd be this bad in the A-10? Like, I don't think anybody smelled that coming. Uh, I thought they would compete. I thought they had everything going in the right direction. I've always loved Mark Schmidt as a coach, X's and O's wise. Uh, but you know, a lot of people care about the Bonnies and love the Bonnies. So yeah, I think I think that's where it stands. I just think on any given year, that group of like six to seven teams, one team might outspend the other based on retention. Uh, retention is the most important thing in college basketball. I think that's been pretty clear at a lot of places this year, whether you want to look at Miami, Ohio, who somehow was able to bring everybody back from last year. Look at look how that worked out for them. Uh, you look at, you know, even at the highest level, Purdue brought a lot of guys back. Uh, there's tons of examples, right? And you're usually in better shape to do the retention path with your money than going out and trying to find guys that are wild cards. Uh, as I know at Loyola, you guys have learned. So it's just managing that. What's the right balance? If you if you have a core of four to five guys you want to bring back, then you just use the portal to sprinkle in a perfect fit, like in one or two spots. I think that maybe that's the the right balance for most teams. Uh, and you know, we'll we'll see how it shakes out. But I think A10 wise, there's no reason why Loyola can't be tied for third with a bunch of those other teams I listed, uh, because there's no real separation in terms of how they operate. And that they should, and based on what Loyola spent last year, there's no reason why they can't compete with those teams.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, I think that's our hope. Right now, we've kind of had a Ricky Bobby attitude about it where it's if we aren't first, we're last. Um, and you know, I think that as uh as Thomas alluded to, so we're okay with some 500 years. It'd be it'd be okay to be middle of the pack sometimes. We we don't, I mean, I love getting a double buy, but I also don't love being the the first 15 to 1 like 15 seed to champion in A-10, the only one in history, because we're back to 14 teams. Um but looking ahead to um the A-10 tournament, we've talked a lot about SLU, we talked a lot about VCU, we saw teams like um we talked about GW possibly making a run with now that they're healthy with Castro back. Uh looking at Fordham being, you know, you know, a middle of the pack team, surprisingly, based on how they were voted for in the beginning of the year. You also have St. Joe's, who which Steve Donahue has really I don't know if it's Billy Lang couldn't coach a roster. I I I don't I don't care that he he's now the NBA. It is it Billy Lang could assemble a roster that he couldn't get the best out of because Steve Donahue seems to be doing really well with what Billy Lang brought in. Um that and that's after Deuce Jones left, even so yeah, that whole thing. Um with the A-10 tournament that might have that might have helped, but anyway. Addition by subtraction, always there you go. There you go. But with the A10 tournament coming up next week, who do you think punches their ticket in uh who do you think punches their ticket in Pittsburgh? Does the A-10 get multiple bids?
SPEAKER_00Ooh, I like it. I'll I'll go on a limb. I'm gonna answer the the golden question first. I I do think two bids is coming, um, and I hope I'm not wrong. But the I mean there's a clear path. Anybody but St. Louis wins it, we're good to go. So that's the easiest path. But I also think if St. Louis beats VCU in the finals, uh you know, it's gonna depend on a lot of other tournaments going on across the country if VCU still has a spot. But I think VCU's done a lot uh this year with that 11-game winning streak or 10-game winning streak, and then uh some of the other uh teams uh their win over Virginia Tech down in uh Battle for Atlantis. If Virginia Tech can keep winning and it's a big if because they play at Virginia this Saturday, but that's important for the A10 fans to know because if Virginia Tech wins that game, it's gonna be really hard for the committee to take Virginia Tech and leave VCU out when VCU handled Virginia Tech on a neutral court. So that's actually VCU's best asset is hokey success. Um it's funny how bracketology works out that way sometimes, and they're in the same state, makes it even more fun. But uh, yeah, so I think there's a lot, there's a couple paths there, and you know, a lot of a lot of different paths with with St. Louis not winning the A-10 tournament. Um, I think right now Dayton has uh re-emerged. I don't know if I can trust it, but they are 6-0 in their last six. And over that stretch, it you know, I I get it, it's probably not a big enough sample size, but they've had a top 15 defense in the country. They're getting to the foul line relentlessly, top 10 in the country in that. Uh, a little bit of shooter's luck, shooting top 20 from three uh percentage-wise, 42% from deep. But that probably will not last for another two weeks, especially with all the games they'll need to win in Pittsburgh. Uh, but they're the they're the team really uh the hottest team in the league at this moment, uh, especially coming off the St. Louis win. Um, and then if you're looking for a grimy defensive team, you've already been hitting at St. Joe's. You know, St. Joe's over that same period of time, they have the fourth best defense in the country, uh, and third best effective field goal percentage defense and uh really defending the rim well, uh, fourth best in that. And these are national numbers, these aren't A-10 numbers. Um, so it's really impressive what they've done there. But they they do other, they don't do other things well, they don't rebound well, uh, they don't get to the foul line basically ever. And so um we'll see what Donahue can cook up. But it's been impressive that they found a formula for winning and they're in position to be a buy, which I would have never predicted that in a million years. And I I was I was honestly disdained a little bit from Donahue's time at Penn, like never really sniffing Ivy madness. But that I I think that just shows you how amazing the Ivy League is, how competitive it is, and how hard it is. I guess if you're not Yale or Princeton, but Princeton didn't make it this year, uh, to get into that top four. It's really, really difficult. That's a that's a great league. Um, and then you know, George Washington, I guess, like the numbers like George Washington a lot, but it again, I don't trust them late in games. I I just don't feel like they have a propensity to fall apart in the last five minutes of tight games. If they don't blow you out, like I would like my chances against them as an opponent. And that's what makes me nervous because the chances of George Washington just showing up in Pittsburgh and rolling through three or four games. I mean, I could see them doing it for a day or two, but I think once you get to the semis, it's gonna be every possession's magnified. You know how postseason basketball is. Uh, you got to have really, really quality, clutch players, mistake-free uh assignment, accountability, uh, you know, all the all the cliches, right? So you have to play super, super tight with the ball and get stops. It's all about getting stops. And so that's where St. Joe's has a little bit of a chance. Uh, obviously, St. Louis should be highly motivated. Um, and I don't know if there's a true dark horse. Maybe it's Duquesne because they're basically at home. That that could be fun. Duquesne's had some interesting performances this year. They were our team of the week one week on Basket under Review. That was fun when they won at George Mason. Uh, before George Mason had really collapsed. I think that was the first big upset. Um, but and you know, they've got a couple pieces there where they can score uh uh and get hot, but they've been up and down the last month. So I don't I don't I don't really know if I foresee much beyond that. Uh George Mason, if they can refine that that groove, but I think it's gone. I mean, I really think they're they're kind of toast right now. So those are the teams I'm I'm watching closest. I think Dayton VCU, St. Joe's, maybe G-Dub, and then of course St. Louis, and then keep keep your eye on Duquesne.
SPEAKER_02So we have to ask Let's say the Ramblers shock the world and win five games in five days. Yes. What's their seed?
SPEAKER_00That's a great question because it's not as straightforward as you think, maybe.
SPEAKER_03NC State a few years ago. We that's where we're gonna be able to get it. NC State, yes.
SPEAKER_00But NC State, like in their case, played themselves by the time they were close enough to the bubble, like they're getting a 12, right? Like or an 11. I think they got an 11. Yeah, uh, and and Oregon State, right? The COVID year, they came out of nowhere and won the Pac-12 tournament. Uh, they actually got fifth, but they had a terrible record. They had lost all of their yeah. Sorry, Wayne. Uh, it's been a good run, but but uh Oregon State got a 12. Georgetown, Georgetown had a terrible record, same same tournament, got a 12. But those are power conference examples. I think in the A-10, you're looking at Loyal Chicago at 7 and 22. They could lose both games this week, probably supposed to lose both. Yeah, and and they'll go in 7 and 24. So you're talking about a 12 and 24 team that's won one third of their games. Oh, uh, but the win, I mean, they have good, but they'd have a Santa Clara win, and then you know, some of these teams they beat next week. I think they would probably at least have to give them a 15, maybe even a 14 seed. I think the 13, I think a 13, I think a 13 seed would be a slap in the face to like to actual like UNC Wilmington and teams like that that have actually won 25 games, you know.
SPEAKER_03That that had a has a above 500 winning record. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, I now I want it now. I want it to happen so we can see where this landscape. Yeah, it's because it's gonna be very much especially great.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the Oregon State uh throwback gave me PTSD from since of course they beat Little on the Sweet 16, but you know that happens. That happens. But yeah, no, we have to ask. It's one of those dream scenarios, and it we we're we're hoping to dream because it would be a nice little uh little addition to this how this season has gone for sure.
SPEAKER_02It would be such a fun contingency plan because they have the bracket set on Saturday and the gameplay's Sunday, so they'd have to have like it's like okay, it would be it'd be built in somewhere, yeah. Like if people beat Slough, they'll be this.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it'll be wildly different. It'd be I mean wildly different because the one with SLU will have no other A10 team at all. So you're you're kicking somebody out of the tournament by winning it for sure. Probably VCU or if VCU is close enough, it'd be easy to kick them out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. You know who they would kick out, actually, and it's because you were at the game, they would 100% kick out Santa Clara. Oh man. Yeah, I don't want to see that. They would send the Broncos bucking.
SPEAKER_00That would be brutal. That'd be brutal. Need the Broncos to win the WCC tournament now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, I've I've been watching the resume ever since that game because it's the only way Loyola gets mentioned in March Madness this year. Um based on what you've seen, is Loyola going to keep Santa Clara out of the tournament this year?
SPEAKER_00No, I don't think so. I think Santa Clara has been able to go, they went 15 and 3 in the league. So basically it's the top three with Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and then everybody else, the other nine teams. But the other nine teams are like some of them are pretty solid. You got you got Oregon State, Washington State, Seattle, Pacific were both kind of dangerous sleepers for the tournament. San Francisco has a great program, just you know, kind of fell apart late. Um, and uh Santa Clara goes 14-0 against those teams. And I think that they basically did the anti-Loyola Chicago thing where you figured, okay, if they lost a loyal Chicago, they're definitely gonna slip up uh once or twice, maybe three times against these other teams, which is what a normal Santa Clara year has been these last five years, because they've had a lot of good teams, they just have these slip-ups, and then they by the time we get to the end, they're just not considered anymore, and it's really frustrating. Um, but they did the hard part this year, they got all 14 of those teams below them. Uh well, it's not 14 teams, but you know, 14 games against those teams. 14. And then they and then they got the one win against St. Mary's. So if you look at the 2022 San Francisco Dons team that got in that large bid with Todd Golden, um, they went 0-5 against St. Mary's and Gonzaga, and they still got in. So they look their profile looks pretty similar to that, but the Loyola part's the the main difference. So um, I you know, I I think if they can get to the semis, which only requires a Sunday night win, the way the WCC crazy bracket is. I think if Santa Clara wins Wins or Sunday night, they get to Monday semis. Well, when I'm there for that, uh they'll play St. Mary's again. Just play St. Mary's in a good game, even if they lose, I think they'll barely hang on to a Dayton spot. But again, you're like you said, they'll they'll be vulnerable for a repeal if uh teams like Loyola shock the world. Or even like yeah, if someone else or anybody in your league, yeah, anybody else in your league, pretty much.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, pull a Duquesne from a from a year ago.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. The Duquesne run the other a couple years ago was incredible. That that team was fun. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Especially on his last year coaching. So again, you never know some power of that. But yeah, no, it is it is quite amusing every time we see a broadcast uh since the Santa Clara game, especially in February and March. It's like, oh, Lola, what they did, and their only thing is the Santa Clara game. So if to any of those Broncos listening, we're kind of not sorry because we need something this year. But it is it is our topic of conversation this this past month.
SPEAKER_00And I mean and I remind everybody there, and on some of our shows, I don't know if you've seen any of the Field of 68 stuff, but I remind everybody that Loyal of Chicago earned the win that day. I mean, they flat out rolled the balls out 40 minutes and just outplayed Santa Clara most most of the game, and then they made the two big shots to to close the game. It was like a really impressive win. They looked like a very legit team that day for one day.
SPEAKER_02Any given Saturday.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was a little early Christmas gift to my to ourselves. Yeah, that's what it was.
SPEAKER_02Um, but I I do last time Loyal was this bad, we had that win over Clemson on a neutral court, and we were they were a first team out, one of the first four. So part of that makes me think about like with Santa Clara, is it going to be like something that bucks the metrics? Where you get like a North Carolina getting like a you know, an Auburn getting in instead of like last year with North Carolina getting in instead of UC Irvine, people were like, What's happening here? Or two years ago, Indiana State gets left out as a sub 30 net team. Like it just becomes how like are are we just going to like is it are we overlooking the power of high major school power five schools to just like get their team their mediocre teams in?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I hate I hate that after last year. Uh and is for me, it was more the Texas inclusion. Like I felt like Texas had zero business being in for several reasons. Uh, I go off on Texas a lot because it's not that anything about against them personally, of course. It's never about that, it's about the process. And they lost seven home games, they had a 285th ranked schedule. Uh, they didn't beat anybody on the road higher than an eight-seed. I think it was Mississippi State. So all of that was unprecedented for a 15-loss team. Uh, we had seen Colin Sexton's Alabama team and the Vanderbilt team around that time get in with 15 losses, but they had beaten like one seed and two seeds, and it was like, okay, great, these huge wins made up for all those losses. Texas didn't have that last year, so I am very nervous about that with like Auburn this year, because uh if Auburn doesn't win on Sat, not to go off on a tangent, but just to tell you about the bracket math. If Auburn doesn't win the Iron Bowl on Saturday, um, they're basically guaranteed to get 16 losses if is assuming they lose in the SEC tournament. And no team with 16 losses has ever gotten in. So if they include Auburn this year, we'll be at a whole new threshold of power conference, including you know, mulligans. And uh I so so let's let's just hope there's no chance Auburn gets in if they lose this weekend. I think if they win this weekend, they'll get in because then they'll have the 15 losses. Plus, that's a great win to win at Alabama, etc. etc. Uh, but to your example with Clemson a couple of years ago, uh, because Loyola was so bad, and because Clemson played a bunch of other bad teams, uh, they ended up with a 341st ranked schedule, and that's the reason why they got left out. Santa Clara played uh McNeese, um, a bunch of good teams throughout the non-conference, St. Louis, of course, in their tournament, uh, a good list of teams in the non-conference. So they right now, they're not they're top 100, they're 98th in schedule. So uh that that loyalty game did not kill them at all. And I think they're actually like the third or fourth best bubble team in strength of schedule. So they're they're kind of in the opposite position from that standpoint as Clemson, thankfully.
SPEAKER_02Well, that's good. I we, you know, after we're Loyola fans, we are a Jesuit school, we try to look at each other, don't want to do too much Jesuit on Jesuit crime during the season, but you know, sometimes you got to get a win in Santa Clara when your your season looks like it's on the brink just to fool everyone.
SPEAKER_03Especially since as we're recording, I don't think we're gonna do that against St. Louis. So no judgments.
SPEAKER_00So so well, you get to you get to go for the sweep next year, too, because Santa Clara's got to come to Chicago next year on the second half of the uh of the series. So keep that in mind.
SPEAKER_02That'll be really fun. Um I'm glad that you know we we did as a like for our scheduling, we got a lot of home and homes. I think we have to host, we get the we have to go to Colorado State, but we host Wichita State. It's a shame that we built all these home and homes during a really bad year, but at least it helps you for next year. For next year, good schedule, some good schedules built in with some high quality mid-majors that always hang around the top of their conferences. Yeah, absolutely. Well, Rocco, thank you so much for joining us. Um, before we let you go, where can people find your work? Would love uh to make sure that people know that you're, you know, as one of the busiest men in college basketball, where can people find your content?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, appreciate it. Uh brackets here.org, bracketeer.org is the mothership that I created uh about a decade ago. It's it's the foundation of the way I look at college basketball. Uh obviously, bracketology is the main topic there. We're always focused on March Madness, whether it's this year or next year, uh, 365-day effort. Um, so once the season's over, just keep coming back because we do non-conference schedules pages for at least the top 12 leagues. We try to, we actually behind the scenes have pages for all 30-something leagues, uh, but it just takes all summer to put them up. And usually by the time we hit October, there's about 14 of them done. But that's okay because the Atlantic 10 is always a top 10 league, so we're good. Um, so yeah, stay on, stay, stay up with us on the site there. We um I I've got it's been awesome to see the growth. Four or five riders now that are uh from west coast to east coast. They're they all just applied and got approved. They'll be covering each weekend of March Madness. I'll be covering the regionals and the you know, so the Sweet 16 Elite Eight round down in Houston. I go down to the final four for eight days, so I'll be in Indy for eight days because that's where all my scheduling work starts because all the coaches are there. If you're in Indy, please reach out to me. I'd love to uh meet you guys or anybody that listens to the show. Um, so that's that's kind of the foundation all year long. Outside of that, uh, of course, we're still in bracketology like fever pitch season with with about 11 days to go. Uh, Monday and Friday, we have the field of 68. We call it fielding the 68. It's our bracketology show, five o'clock eastern. I also do the Thursday mid-major show with Sean Paul. That's where we talk about basically all the leagues right below the A-10. So basically, starting with the Missouri Valley Conference USA and below. Uh, we call it the other 22, the other 2022 conferences. Uh, we have a great show coming this Thursday because we're doing a two-hour special on all the conference tournaments. So I think if you are curious about how some of those tournaments are going to go or you're gonna be watching these teams for the first time, it'll be a great thing to watch because we're gonna be going pretty deep in the weeds. We'll also do uh mid-major all-america team announcements for first, second, third team that we're doing ourselves. So I'll be I'm a I won't be sleeping much soon, but uh outside of that, I'm part of Basket Under Review. It's the truly Donovan website. Uh, it's been pretty cool. Uh doing just special interest stuff throughout the year. I've done Teams of the Week awards for every league. So I do an A10 award every week and write about it, about a couple paragraphs, and then uh off season we'll look to do like really creative stuff with uh covering the business end of the sport more. That's kind of what I want to get into. I did like six or seven different commissioner interviews this summer. You can always go back and find those under my name. It's tagged under Rocco. Uh, and so yeah, just all of those places are awesome because uh basket on a review for me, like half the benefit. I know guys like Will Warren and the three-man weave and uh Eamon Brennan and all those dudes, like they're on their way more than me, and I'm just kind of along for the ride, just happy to be a part of it. So um, all that stuff is good stuff, and I appreciate all the support. Um, and and look forward to keeping in touch with everybody here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, yeah, thank you so much for joining. Make sure to check out Rocco on bracketer.org and all the other yeah, like I said, he's one of the busiest for a reason. He he's everywhere. Um, yeah, Rocco, thank you so much for joining our show, especially during such a disappointing year for Loyola. It it means a lot to take some time out of your busy schedule to be with us.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's a special place, it's a special program, and I've really enjoyed uh the Loyola run of the last decade or more. I I should actually finish with end on this. Uh, before Loyola went on the big run, uh the year before that, they were in eight-seat in the Missouri Valley, and they gave Wichita, they scared the daylights out of Wichita during like my lunch break uh when I was working full-time in San Francisco. And I didn't come back to work that day because I was so hyped up for the Ramblers upset. And I think Wichita came back and pulled it out. But I mean, I I was literally uh not not nearly as involved as you guys for as many years, but I was all in on the Ramblers um from that going into the next season because of that performance. There's nothing like Arch Madness. I know you guys left the league, but that starts tomorrow, and uh just a shout out to Arch Madness. Shout out to how Loyola uh got to this level and and built off that league, and it was all very special.
SPEAKER_02Well, thank you so much, Rocco. Thank you. Thank you so much, Rocco. It was great to have him on the show, um, especially for someone who's been so busy during this time in March. That's all we have for you this week. Tune in next week when hopefully we're talking about Loyola punching their ticket. Can't even get through it with a straight face. Um, no, but where we'll react to how Loyola does in the A10 tournament and do our salute to seniors episode. Um, so yeah, thank you for listening all season. We'll have a couple more for you before the season's end, but as always, onward LU