25-26' Senior Send-Off

Dave, Bryan, and Thomas go over the Blers performance in Pittsburgh, and talk about the graduating seniors.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome to another edition of Talk and Blurs. I'm your host, Dave. As always, I'm joined by Brian and Thomas. This week, sadly, we talk about likely the end of Loyola's men's basketball season. Um, but before we get into that, we're gonna talk about some of the other things going around uh going on around Loyola. And also, you know, happy March Madness to everyone. This is the best time of year, even if Loyola's not playing. It's you know, the first four games that that four-day weekend is action-packed with basketball. And I I don't know about you guys, but I just cannot wait to like watch what team upsets of like a three-seed. It's always the best.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Yeah. I'm I'm really hoping that um we get some good upsets. I've had too many, too many friends and cousins win uh win pools by doing all chalk recently. So I'm ready to ready to make some dreams get crushed.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Yeah. And you know, if you want to put your bracket making skills to the test, we're doing our annual bracket challenge on the ESPN Tournament Challenge app. Um, it is the Talk and Blurs Tournament Challenge 2026, is the name of it. Please make sure to follow us on Twitter, like the recent post that we do about it, um, and either comment or DM us, and we will send you the password for that. Um just for a hint. The password has to do with a beloved center uh for Loyola, either past or present. So you'll have to figure that out by either following us. If you're not following us and listening to this episode, why? But you know, that's beside the point. Bryce Golden, 1999. Yeah, I think that's the year his brother debuted at Richmond. But anyway, um, the women's team, women's basketball, their season is not over. They have accepted an at-large bid to the WNIT. It is their second ever postseason appearance. Congratulations to Coach Gooth and Company. I don't know if you can hear the golf clap through the through the mic, but awesome to see that they're able to keep playing, especially with uh players like Kier Chivers and Mobley uh leaving this year. And it's a great experience for uh this young roster to get some postseason play. Their game, they open up against Norfolk State on Saturday, March 21st at 1 p.m. Central. The winner goes on to face uh Florida Gulf Coast University at FGCU. So, you know, winner gets a free trip to Florida. That's yeah, that's a plot as well. Yeah, that'd be that'll be great, especially when it it can't decide in Chicago if it wants to stay winter or not. Um yeah, moving on to men's volleyball over the over the past week, they swept Queens in six sets, uh, two separate matches against them. This week they go on the road against Ohio State and northern Kentucky and Miva play. Um only six more matches before uh Miva, the Miva tournament starts, and yeah, only two more home games associated with the regular season for the Ramblers. So they have only have two losses in conference play. Hopefully they can finish out strong and really make a race for that one seed in uh in the Miva. Now let's get to men's basketball. Um, before we talk about the games, let's talk about the awards. Miles is the only Rambler to get an award, but it's not for what you think. He got it for all academic team. I know he takes his academics very seriously, and it's great to have that honor. But notably, the leader in block shots for the conference is left off the defensive team. Um, what do you guys think about that?

SPEAKER_02 3:55

I'm frustrated. I I think I'm like less clued into the conference as you know you guys are. So I don't know. I I I think Miles has shown like a lot of strides in his gameplay this year, like big leaps. I guess a lot of that is more on the offensive side. So maybe when you have a team that isn't performing well offensively, you have reason to not include him. But uh yeah, it just felt like you know, salt in the wound when we already had such a down year.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Yeah, it just leaves a bad taste. And again, last year we already had some issues and Drew vocalized them in, I believe it was the post-game conference about uh all just all conference teams in general, right? So again, I I'm just intrigued. I'd like to just see the voting groups. For those who didn't know, I think there was a three-way tie for A10 Coach of the Year. So it's like, how are we voting? Uh, granted, I do laugh that we have again the classic six players on first team, um, and again, six players on second team and six players on third team. So again, it maybe just needs to be maybe I I'm gonna go back actually. I was thinking about this. Like, when did the sixteen thing happen? Was it always or are the voters just having a tough time making decisions? Because if you're allowing this many people and stuff like that, I don't understand how you don't put your block leader in there. So, and again, there doesn't, it's so tough. Not everyone can be on the same the first team, all defense or whatever. Not everyone can be in a spot, and then it just becomes if we come crazy, we put 10 people, right? It's just one of those things, it's like blocks are the key defensive stat. It wasn't like his only thing as well. He's also a very big presence in the paint. So I don't think this is fair if it was like, oh, Loyola had a bad year, so we just don't put a Loyola player on the defensive team. I don't think George Washington had a fantastic year, and also kind of crazy. Nothing Cast was really good. He didn't play that that all the A10 games. So, like, are we doing it on a small scale? So again, I was very bitter about it, and I'm sound bitter about it. Um, I I think I don't think guys look for their awards. I don't think it's a solo thing, but I do like giving someone recognition after a hard fought year and a very tough year. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Yeah, I think part of it um for me is that you know, I I'm looking at the the all-defensive team. You have Rafael Castro, Tyler Cochran, um Justice Audrebo, which Cochran and Audgebo co-defensive player of the year this year, which honestly I get justice Audgebo is a big reason why St. Joe's got to got to the three seed because their interior defense, especially in their their defense and conference play, was impeccable. Um, Deion Brown, really strong perimeter defender for a very talented St. Louis defense. And then you have Brandon Jennings. I I think I would personally I know him, I know I have the Homer like background and bias, but I don't get how Miles Rubin doesn't make it instead of Brandon Jennings. And it's nothing against Brandon Jennings, it's just like VCU's defense was okay. It wasn't it's not their best defense. They're I mean they're known for their Havoc defense, it wasn't that same level this year. Um, he's tied for you know fourth in the league with Rafael Castro and steals per game. Um, he finished with 57 steals on on the year, which is tied for fourth with uh DeJor Reeves. Um I I just don't get how Miles has 76 blocks to 2.3 a game, second highest average behind uh Sean Logan, who had 2.4 a game, but only played 25 games. So you you have you leave Ruben off for Aju like for Brandon Jennings, and you're rewarding Ojabo basically for the same stat, but also like all defensive team, is it about the team or is it about the individual? Because if it's about the individual, why are you leaving a guy off who has such a like impressive statistic like that? I know that team defense plays into it. I guess what I struggle with is is all defensive team about the team that they play on, or is it about the individual playing the defense?

SPEAKER_02 8:24

Right. Yeah, I think that's what it comes down to for me, too. It's like, what are we really rewarding here? Do you just want to give more people on, you know, the teams that are already winning more awards? I know, I mean, like we we had a bad year and I'm I'm salty, but uh I don't know. I I think that that's a sound argument for you know why we should spread some of that out a little bit more.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Yeah, it feels kind of like Brandon Jennings didn't make an all-conference team, so they stuck him on all defense, which I don't know. I maybe I wouldn't have done that. I would have tried to figure out a get way to get him on the third team, but I know that it's a composite voting based on, I believe it's the coaches or maybe coaching staffs, so you know it it becomes an amalgamation of what's out there. Um I will say yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Well, no, my thing is I think uh if anyone knows, I just want to read it. I've been bitter about a conference award since uh MVC times. Uh so again, I've struggled with immensely, and Dave brings up the exact point. Is it about is it the team who won? You have to put a player who won it all as the player of the year, right? And and again, I you I kind of appreciate Slew technically, right? They tied, but they they you get the player of the year, right? And Robbie. So yeah, I'm I've been very intrigued about how we give out awards. Um, and it's just going to be rooted since the MVC with the whole Lucas potentially got robbed, and I will live on that uh that hill for a while.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

So and I know this is probably the worst year to bring this up, but what did Steve Donahue do this year that Drew didn't do two years ago but better? Ooh, like Steve Donahue got an award, got coach of the year for finishing third. Drew went from 15th to tied for first. I don't know. I might be on the other side of that argument. I I I don't like how many times can Drew get snubbed for coach of the year? Because it's been twice in five years. He should have won it in the last year of the Valley. Both him and Lucas lost that award because of the last game at Northern Iowa. And like Drew Valentine like does what Phil Martelli, I mean, different scale, totally different scale. Phil Martelli Jr. I think highs it up in the last in the last game, like for a share of the regular season title. I don't get how Steve Donahue gets the like I'm all for him getting the award. Don't get it's not about that. It's more of Did Chris Mooney really like deserve it more than Drew, where it couldn't be a co? Because I mean that was the same year where it was Jordan King and Daron Holmes shit like co-players of the year, which in hindsight feels ridiculous. But you know, um, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

I mean Oscar's tie nowadays, so exactly the only thing that maybe a tie, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

I I do think, yeah. I think the real question is we're gonna be interviewing uh a voter in the summer and we're gonna really put them under the pressure. Um we think Drew didn't deserve it two years ago. What's your do but like what's going on? Yeah, I think we could we could cover that. That's it's so deep, but the Oscars did have a tie, and that's happened before, so maybe we need it. We'll see.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

But you know, it's just my my thought process of like okay, Steve Donahue turned his team around with a very disappointing December. They were they looked dead in the water after Deuce Jones gets dismissed from the program, and you know, does very well on conference play and does well enough to get coach of the year. That year withdrew, very disappointing non-conference play. I think we were around like 500 or something like that, and then we go 15 and 3 and you know, tie Richmond for for the top spot in the league.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

Like yeah, I don't think it's worth derailing the entire podcast, but I do think like the Billy Lang of it all has to has a big deal when it comes to that sort of stuff. I mean, like he was with the team up until what however many weeks before October. Yeah, right, yeah. Um, but I I get where you're coming from with that.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Yeah, don't worry. We'll we'll create a separate Twitter account that will just be the Drew Valentine uh what 2023 to 2024 uh uh A10 Coach the Year account. Don't worry.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

We're gonna we're gonna hang a yeah, uh hypothetical banner about it. But yeah, anyway, I'll I'll I'll put my axe away and stop grinding it. Um in the A-10 tournament, Loyola makes it out of the pillow fight but loses in overtime in the second round. VCU ends up winning the A-10 tournament with an extremely impressive three-game stretch, which included beating the hometown fate, like hometown uh Darling Duquesne, routing St. Joe's, and then really controlling that game against Dayton for probably like the final 30 minutes of that um to win that game and clinch their third A10 tournament title in four years with three different coaches. Um talk about uh it's crazy. Yeah. Talk about a uh yeah, just uh turnkey operation. Um it is a two-bit A10. Slew got the ninth seed and will play Georgia on the 19th in Buffalo, and then VCU, the 11th seed, will play North Carolina, the sixth seed in Greenville, South Carolina. Um, one thing that the committee uh head did say is that VCU would not have gotten in if not for the auto bid, which another axe to grind. How? Um I I don't see how they would have been left out compared to an SMU or a Texas. I know that they have the head-to-head loss to North Carolina, that makes sense or North Carolina State, so that makes sense, but to to say that like it would have just been Dayton in the in the 11 seed if VCU didn't win it, I feel like it's kind of disrespectful to what VCU did this year that you would have just slotted in. Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:42

It's interchangeable with whoever the the champion is.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Yeah, exactly. Like that that's just incorrect in my opinion.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

But like I I don't want it to take away from Miami, Ohio and stuff like that, but if it it if it did come to it, I think there are other teams that if you really had to pick, it it's so I don't think VCU should have kicked out Miami, Ohio necessarily, but I don't think that you also give VCU the kick to the curb just because they played a team who beat the number one team in the conference, who also you were gonna give a nine seed to because they saw Slew lose on Saturday and they still gave him a nine seed. So maybe this means Slew would have gotten a higher seed, maybe that's seven, who knows. But uh yeah, that again, we all know we all have voices on how the committee does what they do and how they vote.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

But and I think it's worth mentioning that Miami of Ohio lost to a former A10 coach. So it's pretty much like losing to an A10 team. That's true, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

They they oh how fitting is it that UMass eliminated the three-bid possibility for the A10? Because VCU would have been the first team out, and it's because the Mac was two bids thanks to Frank Martin and company and the and the Minutemen giving Miami of Ohio their first loss of the year.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

Yeah, incredible work.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Yeah, just an all-time troll on on UMass's part. Um yeah. And apologies to Tyler uh and Matt. Your name of three-bid league will continue to not be vintage.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

2018. 2018 was the last time I checked it.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

And that's the year they started their podcast.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

And next year we're gonna get a four-bid league. Yeah, yeah, we will, we will with NIL. But yeah, no, I just have to say VCU, my one thing of watching it. I didn't feel like they were necessarily the most dominant offensive team, or personally the most dominant defensive team, but I felt like they were some of the smartest play, like their IQ controlling the tempo, the championship game. I think I saw they only had like five turnovers. And they that, of course, you look at field gold first, you look at like the opponent's field gold. I think those are things that just like, in my opinion, go unwatched or unnoticed. And it's just like I never felt once that VCU, like, yeah, the leads got cut shorter. I think Dayton might have gotten within five at one point, um, or tied it, maybe I think I forget. But again, like once the game, once that spread it, VCU felt like they controlled the game. So I think that's just IQ. Hats off to Phil Martelli Jr. Really weird watching his dad just sit behind him 10 feet away. I was like, why aren't you coaching in St. Joe's? Um, and that's a loaded that's a loaded answer. Oh, that's a very loaded answer. Why isn't any Martelli Jr. coaching? Why isn't any Phil Martell uh coaching a St. Joe's team, right? But yeah, again, I think it was a great tournament. I have to just ask if we don't mind shouting out that Dayton Slew game. What an ending. Oh uh what a craziness. I I'm not saying I want technical calls, I just want what happens on the court to be called. Now, granted, it might have been called dead, so who knows? And the ball was taking it out of bounds. So if we technicalities of all of it, but still, what a what a crazy, what a crazy ending, I have to say, to that game.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

It was wild. Um, yeah, the craziest 20 seconds of basketball from Jacob Connor, the local Dayton kid, hitting that three, then Robbie hitting his signature trailing three-pointer to take the lead again. Uh Dirkak trying to get fouled in uh the one time he was unsuccessful in drawing a foul in the entire A-tent tournament. Um, but then Amel Latong tips in the the rebound, something that we're all familiar with, his soft touch at the rim. Uh and Deshayn Montgomery runs onto the court celebrating, thinking the game's over. Um, in my mind, that's a a makeup for the phantom inadvertent whistle that took away a Dayton fast break. Yeah, where it was like a back. They were like, is it a back court? And it's like, no, he was like 10 feet away from the line.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

It wasn't even remotely close.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

So I guess the whistle, the whistle and non-wistle evened out there is like both egregious. Um, yeah, maybe if both aren't, maybe if both are called correctly, it's you know a different result, but um, you know, you gotta play with the cards you're dealt. Um definitely sucks that it felt like oh, I will say that like the Shay Montgomery running out on the court kind of felt like a a cop out for Slough to potentially win that.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Like if he didn't run out, it's not how you want, yeah, yeah, yeah. And well, I know we'll talk about earlier. It's it would be the same thing about that Davidson game. I would want it to be played to the fullest, though the like the last buzzer, like not a free throw necessarily. I I just want good ball to be played, so no, a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

Yeah. Um, but yeah, and besides that, the A-10 did did send five teams to the NIT this year. Where we are a multi-bid league and both comedy's so excited, yeah. But uh the crown has yet to announce their field, so loyal to the qu loyal, are they gonna go to they gotta go to Vegas? Who knows? Fingers crossed. I mean, if they can't fill out a field, I'm sure that Drew will take the team to to Vegas for fun. Um, and for the team.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Do you get money just for showing up?

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Or do you have to I think you have to win the game to get a little bit of NIL money, but you know okay, so it's out of the question. It hey, we we said that against we said that in Pittsburgh, and we almost won two. So um, but yeah. Let's look at let's look back to Loyalist, two games they played in um in Pittsburgh, starting with Loyalist, come from behind victory against Richmond. The headline of this game, basically the only headline, Josh Ola Joseph, career high, 26 points, did not miss a shot in the second half. Um, seven of eight from the field, four of five from deep, eight of eight from the free throw line, also led the team in rebounds and tied for assists with four, also chipped in a steal, no turnovers. I mean, he he had the game of his life against Richmond. Um, I would love to hear your guys' thoughts on this one.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

I mean, he just looked unreal out there. Um I I've been uh I've been skeptical skeptical of his three-point shooting all year, and he really just proved me wrong. I mean, like he went what four for five from three?

SPEAKER_01 21:47

It was just it was his first one. Like Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Shoot or shoot, and he uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah, he shot. I mean, it was also, you know, a pretty good game. Um Uh you had a pretty good game from K Dotson. He finished with 16 points, four of nine from deep. Um he did have three turnovers, so not the greatest, only one assist, but Miles Rubin, 14 points, 5 of 6 shooting, not the greatest from the free throw line, 4 of 8, but he did finish with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Um, and then the only other double jet score, Davo Tavares, um 11 points on three of seven from deep, uh four of eight from the field, only one rebound, but he did have three assists and a steal. So, yeah, we got you know pretty solid contributions from this team. We also on defense really locked into AJ Lopez. He burnt us for like 23 points in the first matchup, finishes this game with six. Um, Aiden Argybright leads the Spiders with 12 points. Then you had three players with 10. Um, Will Johnston, 10 points on four of 12 shooting, Mike Walls, 10 points on four of eight, and then uh Colin Tanner, 10 points on three of five. So pretty good defensive effort in this one, um, holding the spiders overall to under 40% shooting and under 30% from the three-point line.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Yeah, I think it was a different second half team, and that's just what it was. And I think really uh our offense was actually I yeah, I'm pretty sure it was just we're really good in the second half, and our defense just so like yeah, I've been looking at it here. We had a nearly a 60% field gold in the second half, uh, which brought us to way over 50% of the game. So well-oiled machine the entire night. Uh, I I was really impressed with AJ Lopez defense. Uh for a guy who lit you up for 23 or even plus 20 in college basketball, you're like, well, what's going on? Um, and and again, the other thing was we would normally be the team to lose when you're being when you're out turnovering them. What I mean by that is we had 13 to their five. So they weren't necessarily giving us the ball. We weren't we were playing enough defense to make them struggle from from field goal. And I think just second half, that's what happened. I think they were I think Richmond was just taking shots they didn't need to take. Um, also the classic when you lose the lead, you kind of hit the panic. I've seen it both sides, right? Um, so again, they were they were still, I think, up by 12 with under 10 left, right? Um, and we just went on a run. We just said, hey, lock in. So even you could argue it's really a second half, second half team, however you want to slice it. So really impressed. I do think this game, and I will I will bring it up again in the next game because I kind of saw it, this team did not want to give up. Like it just didn't. It didn't want to take, and I don't know where Dave said this in the beginning of the episode, it didn't want to take a loss being the end of the season. The the end of the season. Um, and and again, I loved being there for the two last home games as wins, and that's great. And so to see that fight and to see the like shock of my wife sitting next to me watching this in the background of like, oh, they're they're coming back, it was just great. Uh absolutely great. So I think that that was a great thing to see, and just I I think a momentum that just kept going in the second half.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

Yeah, I you know, this team usually in pillow fight games, when you're down by double digits, it it's usually pack it in time. Uh, we saw it in the previous game with LaSalle. I mean LaSalle is very similar similarly situated to Loyola, where they have so many injuries that you're you're running out of bodies that can actually like finish a game out. So we had every reason in an eight-win season to this point to you're down 15 at with like 14 minutes left in the second half, and you could just be like, Well, it's done. Like, we had fun. I'll like maybe I'll see you all next year. And they said, No, we're gonna, you know, battle back, like uh, like what you said, Thomas. It was um a 12-point game at the under 12. Miles hits two free throws, hits a like makes a dunk, and they just keep chipping away. And I'd like for all the struggles we've seen Daywoke have from the three-point line this year, and you know, we'll also say Joshua Joseph, too, because he he's under 30% on the year, even with this game. Um, both of them just hitting clutch three-point shots late in a game to real to like catapult us into the lead and to sustain the lead and build it late down the stretch was really great to see. And, you know, for a team, 75% from the free throw line, you take that every day. Um, anytime you can get above 70 is is solid in college basketball. Um, and you know, you also held Richmond to two of 16 from the three-point line in the second half when they shot seven of sixteen in the first half, so really, really uh improved defense in the second half, even though you know they you still allowed them to get on total 16 more shots off than you did. It's still something that the adjustment was definitely made, and on offense, you scored almost 60% from the field. So, yeah, just really happy that they basically said Goonies never say die. Like any final thoughts on this Richmond game?

SPEAKER_00 27:39

I think really just it was another one of those things that we'll really highlight it in the next one. Do with what you can, the roster still of eight, and that was a thing we had questioned about. So um, I really think we'll I'll highlight it next. But again, being able to do what you can with a roster of such a limited size.

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Yeah, yeah. I I think I heard on um the Ramble On podcast that they mentioned um Sheldon Edwards came to like one of the most recent practices and was sort of giving them like a hype up speech, and it seemed to really change things for the team. So um I just thought that that was really interesting to see this complete dynamic shift from you know, like people looking so dejected night after night to like actually taking pride in what they're doing out on the court.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Yeah, and Drew postgame from the after the Richmond game talked a lot about um pride in the Loyola jersey. That is something that he really wanted to it's a cool jersey. No, but like, you know, you had Sheldon popping the Loyola, you had Braden Norris, that like eternal gif of his senior night where he's like popping the Loyola or the blurs, I forget which one it was, but like getting back to that, getting back to taking pride in being a rambler. Um, I think that was something that we we definitely did not see start at definitely at the start of this year, but we we started to see at the end. Um being able to start next year with that intensity and that pride is something that um we definitely need to see. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah, I think it goes without saying at this point, but it's gonna be really interesting to see what we're what we're left with after everything, uh everything goes down, or what we'll we'll come into next season with, I should say.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Well, yeah, we're gonna do at the end of this episode, we're gonna definitely do a little bit of a senior send-off for our five seniors, and then also do um a little bit of an off-season checklist um for what needs what we what kind of needs to happen, um, in our opinion. But before we get to that, let's talk about the Davidson loss. Loyola in overtime loses to Davidson in a very low-scoring game, but it was not without its dramatics, um starting basically in cr chronological order. Alexander Richardson go has 14 points on seven of seven shooting, which I think that he he's only scored double figures this year, I think, against Davidson. Like I might have to be tracked on that, but like I I was talking to uh uh Luke, a member of the the Belk report, and they were saying that like why does Alexander Richardson only go off against us? And I thought it was really funny that yeah, he yeah, his only two double-digit performances were at home against Davidson, where he scored 10, and then his best game as a Rambler with 14 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, um, going seven to seven, including a fall away buzzer beating shot within my god, yeah. It was just like a course like um Miles, almost a 20-10 game, but 20 points, nine rebounds, um, eight of eighteen shootings, so not the most efficient night, but four for four from the line, um, three assists and a block. Um, K Dotson 11 points, including probably the the clutch, the the second clutchest three all year. Maybe the clutchest just because of when it happened. Uh shout out you gotta, you know, Daewok having the the seven points at the end of the the Cleveland State game. Definitely like since you won that game, that kind of probably takes precedent. Um, but when Kate Dotson hit it to potentially extend the season in the tournament, um after dribbling around for 20 seconds, I was just sitting there like, what are you doing? Please pass the ball. Exact same thought. And he pump fakes, defender goes by him, they don't foul up three, and he ties it with 0.6 seconds left. Um, really great to see from that. Uh, yeah, from him. And yeah, would love to hear your thoughts on this game.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

Thank God for uh Alexander Richardson to start that game because we were not hitting anything. Every single three-point shot was not just off or amiss, it was ugly. So um, yeah, he was a breath of fresh air seeing him score with such grace that I I felt like I I did not know he had in him. I was like, did he does he have a twin that he switched out, you know, onto the court or something? But um, yeah, I I going into the game was kind of I had resigned myself to, you know, thinking we were just gonna bow out and that was gonna be it. But they they really put up a fight and um you know, it given the season that we've had, I'm just happy that we we showed up and put in so much effort and were able to hold our own.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

Yeah, uh I struggle with these games. My wife is always when she watched this with me, she was like, Oh, that's a great, great, oh, what a what a great game. And I go, I I don't know, I don't know. Um, I I think this was a fantastic fight from this team. I really did think the only way we could change the way we beat Davidson, which we haven't this year, would be to stop them from scoring. I think we we are never able to contain them as um as a team who can shoot. Um now, granted, I'm not saying they put up a 100 ball on us, but I think they nearly averaged like 80 each game they played us, right? Or whatever. So uh again, I've said this, I loved watching the tempo just be shrunk down. And again, it was you gotta play your best to beat us. Now, again, the last five minutes of the first half, I don't know if that was basketball from either team, but uh it was a little ugly. Um, but again, you you find a way. So um, yeah, I I think this team just kind of just ran out of gas. I I talked about this the last game. Uh you only have three guys on the bench. I I don't know what more you really could ask for. Yeah, clean it up a little bit. The threes in the beginning of the game were atrocious. Xavier Amos, I would say don't need to always chuck the three. Uh again, wasn't a great field goal night. But again, when five of your shots are three, uh, you would have gone two for five from field world, right?

SPEAKER_02 34:28

So there I mean, like given the games he was having at the end of the conference season, though, I'm like, you know, go and shoot. But he just did not it didn't translate travel with them.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

No, I think it didn't travel, but also like when you see, I'm pretty sure it's one of his was didn't even hit the rim um in the beginning. So I would say, like, maybe make sure you see a ball fall in the basket. Like, I don't know. It's one of those tough things where it's like, I want you to shoot. Daywalk said it in the postgame. Uh, was it game one? Um, or I forget who, but he they said coaches like, take your shot, Jay. Like, take your shot. So it's like, pardon? Okay, Dotson said, okay. So it's like, absolutely take your shot. I would just say after one doesn't look like you've got this figured out, maybe go get a bucket. And Xavier's a very I'm looking at Xavier because let's be honest, the box score just isn't great, right? And also he's six foot tall. Maybe go put it in the post. So I think this team though, as much as I was upset that we kind of blew the lead at the end, uh, overtime was a very bad field goal. It's like, you know what? I don't know what more we had left in the tank. I really don't. Um I I would have been it would have been worse to watch a St. Joe's game of St. Joe's potentially blowing us out of the water. We we did see some of that in the in the A-10 tournament where teams just got blown out of the water. And so, you know what? Hey, we saw Buzzer Beater. I do think this one, I will say, is more important than the last one. Uh, as much as I love the start of the season to like still show fight at the end of the season as how the season went, I appreciated it. Um, so yeah, I I really hope, especially for the guys who have time left, that this is like uh you you you play two hard games, two win games, and you start on Friday, you're in Sunday, right? And so I I really do think a lot of these guys have a lot of momentum. And uh Cade said it, right? I think someone asked, what are you gonna do? And Cade's like, I want to be in the gym every single day. Um, every single day. So to hear that gets me excited. Uh, I this is the worst time of the year for me because loyal to basketball is done, Dave. Sorry, I have to say it.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

Um, I don't know where you said that in the beginning of the episode, but there's always a chance we can get invited to the crown if they can't find like eight distributions.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

If they can't find money, well, you know what? We'll start our own CBI, maybe. So you're telling me there's a chance. Uh but yeah, we have to wait until November. And I'm not invited to the practices, but this game just got me excited of like, uh, we don't have Alexander Richardson. So who could go up for seven for seven on a given night, right? I I don't know, but uh I I tip my cap. As much as it hurts that we kind of blew it, I'm like, hey, we can't stay in there. We didn't give up again the classic, like you you could just say, hey, screw it. I'm I can't compete. It like no to the final buzzer, they were like trying. So there you go.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

Yeah. I mean, the thing to me that really underlines your point about us just like running out of gas and having a a short bench is just look at our bench points. I mean, like, we had one to their 25. That's you know, that's completely game-changing. So it's they they put as much as they could into that game, and um it definitely makes the season as a whole go down a little bit easier when you have these these sorts of games to finish it off.

SPEAKER_01 37:51

Yeah, one stat that I also look at for tired legs is you know, you come off a 75% free throw shooting night against Richmond, and you follow it up with a 7 of 15 clunker at the line. Um, I know that we we have had our struggles, but that to me just shows how tired we are. Like we were, especially at the end, like I mean, I mean, three for six in the first half wasn't great, four of nine isn't better. But it just made me think like, if we could just have hit one more free throw, Kate hits a game.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

I'd like to also ask what the refs were looking at that game, but that's a separate subject. I felt like we were getting called too many times. But even the three, even the threes, like again, you're absolutely right. I think your energy dictates what type of shot you're gonna take. And I think that's the struggle where you're like, oh, you gotta go battle for 20 seconds underneath the hoop and then put up a shot. Might be easier just to try to take a three. I don't know, right? I I don't want to question there's nothing question about the conditioning, it's just like this is what they did. They give the toughest battles to the worst teams because you gotta play every night. There's no quest, there's no second guessing it. So, yeah, I think that's so tough. It really is.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Yeah, and you know, it's a game also where like Daewok has a very quiet triple nickel, six points, six assists, to one turnover, which that would that actually jumped off the page a little bit at the end of the game, and five rebounds. Um, fouls out though, with like I think four minutes left in the game, makes me think, like, you know, he has a knack for hitting some of those clutch three-pointers. He did it against Richmond. If he were in the game for overtime, could it have gone differently? And you know, that that's something that if you had if I had been asking that question in January, both of you would have been like, what are you talking about? Um, where I I think that it has shown like player buy-in has gone up and like uh understanding people's roles. I think that Drew spoke to it a little bit where now that we know guys aren't coming coming back this like for this season, you kind of understand what you have, and you're not like holding on to a game plan in case like Justin Moore, Kamani are available to play. Um and I think that that really allowed us to simplify it on defense what our game plan was, and then it made it forced kind of Drew's hand to say, okay, here's here are the sets we're gonna run, and like have because usually if you're running through your point guard, the point guard just has the feel of the game and is running stuff, but you know, it to finish the season three and two in your last five with the the second loss being an overtime loss, I think does show it's definitely too little too late for any type of like consolation prize on the season, but it does show growth on the on the part of the coaching staff, but also the available roster.

SPEAKER_02 41:01

Yeah, I can't remember where I heard it, but um I I remember someone mentioning that Drew was talking about you know, this is like the first time all season where we've had any sort of consistency in terms of like like you were saying, who we know is going to be available to play. So having more of a positive result to end the season um with those last few games gives me a little bit of hope. I I pray that you know we don't get the injury bug again. And I'm not I'm not trying to chalk it up entirely to injuries because I think that there were a lot of problems outside of that. Um but I do think you know you can't change your fate when it's like so fundamentally messed up, you know.

SPEAKER_01 41:50

Yeah, yeah, I agree. And it has been announced that Drew will be coming back for next year, which I was surprised that there were some people who um were kind of like, why would they do this? Like that it's not a serious program, shouldn't they be like wanting more? And I just keep going back to like you can both want more, but retain your young coach. Like, he's also shown that he can have a bad year, he can have a disastrous year, like like he did three years ago. Unfortunately, there is precedent in his career, and I do understand that like the fact that there's precedent gives concern, but he turned it around, he turned it around the next two years. It's like he had the the tied for first place finish in regular season play, and then he had the the final four NIT run, which I guess is like in my mind is like almost the same as getting a March Madness bid and losing in the first round. Um, just in terms of like, you know, if if you're looking for a weird comp, I would say making it to Indianapolis in the NIT is kind of like getting your name called on selection Sunday with like the auto bid. Our mentions are gonna be going crazy for now. You know, whatever. Who cares?

SPEAKER_00 43:11

Um let's start making up comparisons. Yeah, it's no, I I I I think uh to the Drew thing, I I my struggle is we've already had a season like this, an exact 14 4-14 in the conference. Now, granted, we we found an ex I found an excuse, and I think it was also understandable. First time in the A10, how do you adjust the roster, all that? I think one contractually, we have to be smart with like money. I don't want to leave any money on the table and also owe someone. He also has what correct me, two more seasons contractually under him, I believe, because of the NIT run. Like he got added time. So yeah, next year's last year. Yeah, I think either this year's last year. Yeah, exactly, right? Like he has it. Also, what do you expect with a brand new? Coach, is it rare that a brand new coach automatically jumps you, jumps, starts you to the A10 tournament championship? I I I would find that hard to believe that a coach with the turmoil or turnover that roster go through could immediately just do that. Um, that would be fantastic if you found the right one. Um, again, people are gonna come after me for Phil Martelli Jr.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

I was gonna say not everyone can be VCU.

SPEAKER_00 44:22

I was like, not everyone be VCU. So then that's the thing. If we're gonna take, you need buy-in from this level, buy-in from this level. So I I would like to see it. Also, Drew's a young coach. Uh if he does it great, I like seeing, especially in just the day and age of like a guy who also had played college basketball can talk things. So, yeah, why not? He's taken to NCA tournament once, he's brought you to a deep NIT run, he's gotten a share of the A10 title. I do think though, we all know like why not take the chance and be like, this is the make or break here, right? Yeah, so why why go through because here's the thing there's no doubt in my mind, if you were to do anything, the roster gets blown up. I don't see how the roster doesn't, so I just don't think you're in that right mentality as a program to do that right now. Uh especially with some of the pieces. If everyone returns, there's a lot of senior pieces that just why do that.

SPEAKER_01 45:17

So yeah, yeah, yeah. And I I like he has a lot to prove next year. And that that was true with either if it was Drew coming back or the next coach, because the net like who if they were to fire him and replace him, his replacement would have a very high expectation as well to get this team back to I I would say I I think I've said this before, but like in the bubble conversation, whether that be because you're winning the eight like first place in the 8-10 during the regular season, or you had a really good non-conference and you're towards the top in like that double buy category. Um I think that that is a reasonable goal for Loyola, where you know they're not the top two, they're not VCU or Dayton in terms of resources and NIL um money, but or even what Slew and could end up being uh this year based on what uh the reports are with uh the shirts extension and the assumed NIL increase. But you know, I think that it's reasonable to say that like you can still be in the bubble conversation without that high of resources, because you you're still are for the A10 a well-resourced program. You're it you're around the top third, not like not in the bottom, um as as loyal as Chicago. So yeah, I do think that next year the expectation is that come like February, we're talking about Loyal as like bubble chances is the goal. And if not, you know, then we're talking about a coaching search. Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:02

I know it's it's probably way too early to even ask this, but what what do you think is like the acceptable floor for Drew for next year? Like, what is the worst result he can get away with?

SPEAKER_00 47:17

I don't know if I would I would I'm ready to answer that because I have thought about this a little bit. Bar, like remove injuries and remove any type of like North Texas games. If you have like a handful of that, I'd be like, like, let's let's maybe like come on, dude. Yeah. I would like like look at again what's what slews was it Slew's loss, was it Stanford at the buzzer, right? Yeah. Um I would say one NX has to be the low end for sure. I would expect we have to be considered top two to four. Four is a lot. I like three because three bid league, KA10. You you have to you have to have over fifty, you have to have over 14 conference wins. Unless the conference is just dynamic, you have to just have 20 plus wins. I'd say even 23.

SPEAKER_01 48:13

So yeah, I I think that like 23 to 25 wins is is a good place for him to be before you're talking, like before like NIT play. I don't like you know, and if we're a team that gets left out of March Madness, where you know we lose in like the semis or the conference championship next year in Brooklyn, and we're on the outside looking in, we we gotta be at least a top two seed in the NIT where we're hosting a bunch of games. Um, no, no more of this like unseeded traveling thing um that we've been in the past two times that we've been in the NIT because of a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 48:54

I don't want that again.

SPEAKER_01 48:55

But like no more of this lackluster non-conference play that even if we have a strong conference play, we're just like sunk into a poor net ranking so that we can't host games unless crazy upsets happen where like we then get to host Kent State because it's a chaos bracket. Like, um, so that's what I think the goal is for next year, is that you need to be definitely at single-digit losses by by the time like the conference tournament's over.

SPEAKER_00 49:28

And what quality losses too, if we're gonna have to. I think the other thing though, I was thinking about this because I think it's not only just as Brian's point, right? It what's the say it's like, does Drew have the resources? Because we've talked about this, right? If we are going to be a top three, top top end of A10 spending, we gotta have the top end results, then I guess, right? Because then it's it's like any business. If you're spending high and your results are low, I would I would say something needs to change. So maybe even that perspective, that's a whole new ballgame, then, right? If we just make up the difference of what we're investing in the team, I'm not saying I want spreadsheets of ROI, like this kid costs us this much, so he better average out to like 500 points for the season, but that might be also something we have to take into consideration after such a lackluster NIL pref return. Yeah, what does that look like? And again, we've talked about this offline and we could say this for another, but it's like, what is the goal on that return? What is it? It's right. There's some programs like I don't know, is it Kentucky that's spending X amount of money, and people are like, How are they not a top 10 team, right? Well, loyal isn't a very different bucket of spending, but we still want the results based off that. And and again, before it used to just be like, oh, you have scholarships, give the kid the right scholarship. Now it's money. So I'm even lost on that conversation.

SPEAKER_01 50:47

I did like this is my this is definitely tangential, but like I did see online that like Indiana spent upwards of like 30 million dollars this year and missed out.

SPEAKER_00 50:56

So like 30 on like but your son is the second scoring player. Well, how much you spending on your school? He's gotta get paid, dude. No, it doesn't. He goes to school for free. And it's not about school. Like, that's what scholarship is. No, it's not about school, and that's the thing, that's the new thing. So those who can't watch because we're looking at each other, Brian has put Dave and I's heads in like a uh a blender right now because my head is like, what is the value? What of return? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:21

Um what is money at that point?

SPEAKER_00 51:23

Like, yeah, because again, like if this is Drew's contract year, right? Is he gonna be like, I want this amount? And we're like, actually, you're valued at this right now, right? Uh who knows? Uh you sometimes Porter came back to the table after getting offered the St. John's job, right? And then said no to that. Uh, he came back and was like, this is what I got offered, right? Uh, I know Drew's had those conversations, so it's really just the program as a whole, I guess. What are what are we trying to invest? Um, again, they built the practice facility, so it's kind of now that next step of like we the the on court results need to turn out the same way.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

And from what I understand, sorry, um, from what I understand, the resources NIL-wise and uh and otherwise are going to be similar, if not slightly more next year. Um, there is that continued commitment to investing in the program. So like this year doesn't seem to have really changed the the um like the dollar figure that we're going into with NIL or um our ability to like like schedule better um for for our non-conference to have a competitive resume. So I think that you know obviously if you have another clunker this year or like next year, the money's not gonna be there for this coach, you gotta make a change, and but I do think that you know if the money is still confident in Drew and he's still and if he's able to you know adjust his roster construction, because uh after that loss to Davidson, I asked him what lessons he learned from this past year, and he said need to do better with roster construction, basically um talking about getting tougher on the defensive end and getting more of that buy-in early that we discussed. Um, so yeah, I mean he he has a lot to prove, and I'm glad that Steve Watson and the powers that be, I guess like the amalgamation of the purse strings, um, are giving him that chance, um, and not you know tying one hand behind his back and saying, do better but with less. Right.

SPEAKER_02 53:45

Yeah, they're they're seeing the investment through their exactly making sure that they're giving him a full opportunity before taking that away.

SPEAKER_00 53:54

Um yeah, I think that I just this just I know this is a little tangent, but I think we as just diehard blurs will compare and look at it year to year because we know the numbers, but it's gonna have to be a thing across college basketball if like and college sports in general now, with college football being way more spending, but college basketball, it's like the right buy-in game, the right game, this, like all this. Look at a team like us. We lost money this year because we paid people to play us and we lost those games, right? So, like though those are classic things as well. So it's it's all of that, and I think I don't think, and this is why I wanted to say this because you brought up Drew with the roster management. I don't want to hear personally right now any of them be like, oh, that's why we need a more experienced coach. This is a different, in my opinion, I'm not covering for everyone here, it's a different landscape when it comes to coaching, how to manage rosters. And I'm not Coach K, very great coach. I do think the NIL will be another level for him. And I think that's why also at his age, maybe there are just coaches who have to learn and adapt. And we see that in college football. So I don't think it's a oh Drew's an experience. I think everyone's an experience of how to utilize NIL for a roster because it's no longer, hey, can this guy play in my system? It's like, can I afford this guy to play in my system? Or at this budget, I have to get this type of player, maybe.

SPEAKER_02 55:12

So yeah, I mean, like you've seen so many seasoned coaches leave the sport entirely because the the culture behind it is just completely changing. And I I really don't envy the people that have to make decisions around this stuff. I love that we can just talk shit about what the decisions they did make, you know, and say they they should have made the right one.

SPEAKER_01 55:31

But uh we could be armchair GMs, it's so nice.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

Right, right. It's it's crazy to think like how much is changing on like a day-to-day basis for them. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:43

I will say one thing that Drew does have going for him that he didn't really have last year um while playing in the NIT into April. Um, the portal opened like March 18th last year, and you know, he it it I would imagine that it's difficult to continually game plan while also trying to build next year's roster when you one don't know what roster spots are going to be available because your team's still playing and people aren't in the portal, and two, you like aren't able to fully commit your energy into that that player you want that you're like this person needs to be a rambler, like I need this person to be a rambler next year, and I need to show them that by doing this like all out like blitz for him. And now with this year, the portal opening the day after the championship game on Tuesday, April 7th, everyone gets the same starting point. So I know that that also creates more competition for players. However, I do think that you're with a guy who has shown that he can recruit pretty well out of the portal when he when he has the full length of time, his his record speaks for itself.

SPEAKER_02 56:58

He I like this year is I don't know. I mean, it's it's hard to make judgments on this sort of stuff. It's like what you were talking about before with his coaching career in general, where it's like he has these high highs and then these it absurdly low lows. So um, but I I think that you're you're right in saying that like generally he's he's been better about getting transfers out of the portal. Yeah, he can crater that makes dinosaurs worry.

SPEAKER_00 57:23

No, and I and I think that's the crazy thing. It's like I I actually trust Drew with more time and more quantity in the pool to go get guys because I I do think like I we're not a program, and maybe we will. This is a separate thing. But with the NIT run, I wouldn't want Drew to have to think about filling a roster next year. I want to give Sheldon, I wanted to give those guys that run, and it was a great run. And it would have been nice to have seen them all the way through Indianapolis, right? So, like, that's where I'm not necessarily saying a GM, but maybe that is where you have the your Dobo or even assistant Dobo. If we have 20 guys on the bench, whatever, they can start those conversations like, hey, here's some tape. If you have time, can you look at it? If not, I'll get someone else who knows you as a coach. And maybe that's the resources we need, right? And we've talked about staff, and I haven't we haven't said on this episode. I really do think the right staff would hopefully will be uh uh talked about and looked at this offseason because I I'm not gonna call I'm gonna call Sean Dwyer. I don't know how much, but I know him and Chris Huey are huge impacts to the program the last three years, and you lose, in my opinion, Drew's right-hand man in just the resources, right? Drew can't do everything. So um I think it goes to that extent of just you gotta make sure everything's ready. And again, then it's then it's go pro you gotta show us. If you we if we can line up everything, you gotta show.

SPEAKER_01 58:50

Yeah, and also talking about the portal opening later this year, it also gives Drew time to finalize that coaching staff because I I don't I think it's an open secret at this point. Some someone like there will be changes on this staff next for next year. Um, you go nine in whatever it was. You have nine wins in a year. People people are not coming back on on the staff next year. That's just that has to happen. You pray that that happens. I mean, it it's not even pray.

SPEAKER_00 59:19

So hoping he gets the tap on the shoulder to hop in. Okay, that's that's what's really happening, ladies and gentlemen.

SPEAKER_01 59:24

I've already sent my C V in, so like whatever. But I'll no, but it it becomes like it it's almost expected that you know, I mean, Memphis just like fired all of their assistants under Penny Hardaway. Like, um after their penny, though, yeah. No, of course, no, he he's fine, but like um also complete side note, like bringing this we can cut this if you want, but like bringing Porter back, I think, would put us in like a less dramatic Memphis scenario, like less dramatic of like he gets the ultimate leash where like you like but like less drama where you know if you just pump out mediocre seasons, people are gonna be like ambivalent, like ambivalent and uh like enough to be like sure, why not? Like um we can cut that, but I just wanted to to get that.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:16

I'm putting it front and center. That's gonna start the pod.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:19

So yeah, but anyway, uh yeah, that's the the blurb that like just gets cut out of the rest of the games. Um but yeah, so finalizing the coaching staff, I think, really um will matter because then you get the the people in who have the connections that you want to build for your roster because next year I think Drew is gonna get back to his his roots, really go after defensive guys, some length on the wings, get some toughness, some grit um to add to whoever returns. Um but first and foremost, you gotta do whatever you can to bring back Miles Rubin. Um absolute tone setter on the defensive end. We he showed it the past three years, how much he means to this program. I mean, you look at our Ken Palm numbers, I know you're gonna see a lot of red, but two-point percentage and block rate for the team are both in green because of this guy. And like, how how awesome would it be for a Chicago kid to stay at Loyola for four years and like finish out his career in a in a in an environment where he could have left after year one to get money, he could have left after year two to get paid. And now, you know, after year three, worst year of his college career in terms of team record, um it's definitely a crossroads for him. I know that it's not an easy decision, but I will I will say with like he if he returns, he automatically puts himself in elite rambler company like a Braden Norris, like uh Lucas Williamson and Cameron Crutwig. I know that like I'm not talking tournament appearances, I'm just talking like impact on the Rambler program in terms of like like yeah, mainstays. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:18

Yeah, no, if he comes back, I will get a tattoo. I don't know of what. It'll say like Miles Rubin on my forehead or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:27

You you can make it his block number, like his career block number, just get it like edited out every every game, like it's tallies.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:36

Yeah, I take off my shirt and it's just lines all over.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:41

Yeah, your back is just like, oh, you have 300 tally marks on your back. Why?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:47

Instead of uh it's like the Cleveland Browns quarterback uh jersey, it's just ink of every single thing that we that Miles does um in next season. So every block, every basket, just yeah, just Miles.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:02

If you're listening, that's what's on the table.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:04

But I mean, if he comes back next year, you're talking about a guy who like will be the front runner for a defensive player of the year, will be like on the first, like I would imagine would be on the first team all A10 team. And if he basically ends the seat, like has last next year is like how he ended this year, he will be on that first team as long as the team around him is is better. And I will like if if Miles does come back, Drew is Drew's back's against the wall. He has to, you know, put together a better team, and and he's shown that he can put together better teams around Miles. And yeah, I think that once like if you can get Miles to come back, everything else goes around how to get the most out of him and uh his defensive prowess, but also to highlight his offense because I think in his last game going 20 and 9, it shows that he has a a pretty good offensive uh offensive repertoire. Any other final thoughts on what you're looking for this offseason?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:16

Um rest, relaxation, um, not being stressed about what 18 to 24 year olds, 22, 22 year olds. 24. So old.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:28

Yeah, it just depends on what program you are. I feel like you can find an an old and a little bit older.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:32

Yeah, I mean, we're two years removed from having like a 25-year-old and Patrick Mwamba on our team. So like that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:38

He was 25. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:40

Yeah, it was his sixth year of college basketball because he had COVID and a red shirt. Wow. Wow. Okay. The more you wonder if I can still swing something. No, I I mean, I still have all my eligibility.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:52

So oh well, yeah. We we were all wondering that. Um, no, I I think I will be glued to the movement. Um, I'm not gonna be, it's more just like we have you you get more time, you you you don't have to worry about a run, right? All those things, how that helps. Right? Are we the first ones in because we didn't have time? Who knows? So I will be glued to that. Um, I'm gonna be very glued to, as Dave has alluded to multiple times, shake up within the program. Not only not talking about players, we're talking about other uh kind of staff, but that's going to be really interesting for me of uh how that goes, because you you want not just what's on the court but what's off the court to be structured in a way that helps everyone get a W at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:42

So yeah, I mean everyone wants this program to do well. Drew does, the players do.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:48

Not Bradley fans, though. Not Bradley fans. Sorry, let me just say that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:52

Yeah, I meant like people who matter, but my high school doesn't want not people who huff motorcycle fumes every game, but. Like but anyway, uh if any of them still listen to the show, that'll be like, oh man, they're still talking about us. Great. Um but yeah, I just a lot of expectations going into this offseason, and I know that Swan, friend of the show, is gonna be tweeting out DV like crazy. I think he already has. All right, yeah. As people have stated their intention to enter the portal, even though they can't yet, and somehow teams are like reaching out already, even though they're not actually in the portal. It's just like I intend to enter, but like here's 18 schools that have already like reached out to, I guess, my agent. Um, yeah, so that's that's always hypothetically. If I were to enter the portal, yeah, what would it mean for me? Right. Um, but yeah, I will say I hope we get another like a couple Ivy League guys this year. I think that our teams show a lot of grit and intensity when we have at least two Ivy League players of two different teams on our roster. Um, you know, uh Dama Delican and Greg Dolan two years ago. And then uh that first year when we made the NCAA tournament, it was Chris Knight and Ryan Schwieger. So those teams did pretty well, I will say. Both championship level teams. So maybe that's the key. Is two Ivy League players, no more, no less, as the profits foretold. Um uh alright, before yeah, before I uh go on too long, let's do our senior send-off. Um, five seniors that we have to talk about, and we're yeah, it's uh it's a lot of them, but you know, all of them left a pretty positive impact on on this program. Starting with Zach Royster, the walk-on, uh Gold Squad guy, member of Maroon and Gold Society, if if any of you listeners are familiar with that on campus group, um gave his career to Loyola, and we we really appreciate all he's done for us. I'm glad that he finally got his name on the back of his jersey at the end. Um I I I will say there were like last year when he was just like 31. I'm like, come on, that's so right, like that's like insulting. It's so disrespectful. Come on, like give him a name. I wonder if it's like a uh um roster size thing where you can't give every walk-on their name. Interesting. Like I like to do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:38

Earn your stripes or like I think he earns his name. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:43

I will say Braden Smith wore a four like a number 41 jersey with no name for Purdue uh on Sunday. So I I guess, yeah, maybe maybe you don't need a name to have an impact because Zach definitely left his his impact on this program.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:58

No, definitely. I mean, like any any player that is sticking out sticking out more than one year with the team, I I really appreciate. And you know, beyond just that, I mean, like, even though he didn't see the court as much as a lot of other players, he still contributed to winning basketball in years past. So I'm happy that he was able to uh to be a rambler.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:22

Yeah, definitely. Um, next on our list is Alexander Richardson. He was only here for one year, but definitely left an impact in the long line of senior backup bigs that we've had. Um, you know, you go from in the past, like in Drew's tenure, he's always had that one year of eligibility left big that he's brought on a roster. Um, some better than others, notably, you know, like Chris Knight and Dama Delican. Um, Jalen DeLoch also was very good in that role. Um, and this dude, like I mentioned before, absolutely loved playing the Wildcats. Um he scored double digits twice in his Rambler career, 10 points against Davidson at home, and then his best game as a Rambler in this last game as a Rambler with a perfect seven for seven, 14 point outing against the Wildcats in the overtime loss um in Pittsburgh. Um what are your guys' thoughts on Alexander Richardson this past year?

SPEAKER_00 1:10:26

Yeah, I think this is one of the this is a tough one to see lose eligibility. I really think this chalks up to a classic like JUCO first year player of like you saw spurts, you really do think understanding uh a program, understanding the coach, and then development could have easily been even a start at the end of the season, but I would have potentially had him as six man of the year potential, right? It's just I you saw so many, like it's kind of raw talent necessarily, and it's like it was there. Um, I love the combination of him safer and miles on some points because it just really made an emphasis that, like, oh, we we're big. Uh again, appreciate it, wish it could have happened earlier, but we didn't have maybe the same summer and previous years, right? No, no tournament to go to or sorry, travel to go to. So yeah, really uh really appreciate his time. Love that we got to see a consistent role he got to play at the end for sure. I just it's bittersweet for me. It's tough. Um, I also want to call him the Flying Scotsman so much, uh, but didn't get to, and then I got to say it when he went off against Davidson. So yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:40

Yeah, it was it was really good getting to see um you know some progression throughout the year because obviously it's when you're in a a season like we had, it's it's easy to just you know wrap things up and decide that you're not gonna put in your full effort, and he certainly was doing what he needed to be doing down the stretch, and um you know, all that culminated in his best performance as a rambler in the last game. So I think like Tom said, if it would have been great to have him for for longer, um, but we're happy with what he was able to put out on the court.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:18

Yeah, I the one thing that I think definitely made me appreciate him a lot more than even a month ago is when he got inserted into the starting lineup, this team really started to turn things around. So uh having his impact on the court, even though he might not have he still didn't wasn't really putting up stats, his rebounding definitely improved as the year went on. Um, and you know, him him playing more minutes led to us winning. So I I think that you know, sometimes it's that simple when a guy gets more minutes and we start winning games. I think that um that impact kind of speaks for itself. So I would have loved to have gotten another year of him. Like, even though he's he's only a one-year player. I I'm surprised with uh you know, being being a player from Europe, he only gets one year.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:06

But um Yeah, I maybe give him one of your years of eligibility, Dave.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:12

I wish could you imagine if they were transferable and you just have like that would be that'd be chaos. There'd be NIL deals for you to give up your yeah, uh Trinidad Chambliss wouldn't be suing for eligibility if he could just like Oh, there you go. Yeah, take some take some old miss, like some old miss lawyer, like alumni's eligibility. Um yeah, but anyway, um yeah, if we could have gotten another year of him, I uh it makes me just wonder how good the tandem of Miles and Alexander Richardson would have been with a year under their belt together. Um, but yeah. Next, the Rambler that got the I guess the technically the prodigal son, Josh Ola Joseph, recruited out of high school, um went to Minnesota, went to Cal, finally joins the Ramblers in his senior year. Sadly, it was only for one year. Um it was an up and down year for him. Definitely some highs, like the GW game and obviously the ri the Richmond game in in Pittsburgh, some lows. Um, but you know, for what it's worth, he averaged his highest points per game. 7.5 in his career. 7.6.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:32

Oh, actually, oh my god. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:36

We we talked about that at the beginning of the year when he signed on. He was Mr. 7 point something, and he got the 7.6 on the year. Um, eight points shy of his uh season high total in points and 220 as a rambler. Um, yeah, just really had a you know a very solid season off the bench. Um, best year as a free throw shooter, 75%. Always something I really like. Um, his best rebounding year uh as a Rambler off the bench, so really happy to see that. Um yeah, uh really it's a shame that we only got one year of him. Drew talked about it in the postgame after the Richmond game of like he was basically saying, Imagine if we got four years to work together, but you know, I'm glad that we got the one.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:30

Yeah, it is really wild to think back to you know the time when we were recruiting him. I I remember distinctly like reading in an interview with him where he was talking about the the teams that he was like most into, and you know, um I was I was so excited for him, and it was great that he was able to, you know, end up as a rambler. And um yeah, I I'm I'm happy with what he was able to do. I I thought it was interesting that you know he he he seemed to like transition his game from out more outside shooting to be like more physical as time went on. And I would have liked to see a little bit more of that, but um again, it's just one of those situations where it's like you play with the hand, you're dealt, and um unfortunately we don't have more time with him.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:22

He's also like you know, for auditioning to play professionally, you gotta show off a little bit of a three-point shot. Um sadly, you know, shooting under 30% for the year kind of hurts that, but I think the the games where he was on, he it felt like he couldn't miss. So for that, Joshua Joseph, thank you for you know coming, finishing your finishing your college career as a rambler. Um, yeah, it was it was great to watch you play. Um next one on the list. This one's definitely a little bit tough for uh for me. Uh Kamani Winsu. Played two years as a Rambler, but basically, yeah, just mired by injuries both years. Hurt against uh had the stress fracture against San Francisco and missed those seven games, then comes back last year and essentially saves our season, gets us a double bye in the 8-10 tournament, um, went gets us our first win against Slough. And also, you know, even though he couldn't really play in the NIT, big reason why we made it that far in the NIT is because of his impact um off the court. Him and Justin Moore really like empowered got like empowered guys like Jalen Quinn and Jaden Dawson to take on the ball handling responsibilities. And um, yeah. It it's a shame that we really missed his defense this this year. Um obviously he wasn't 100%. He did when he was playing have his biggest points per game output. Um he shot what uh he shot 40 42 percent from three on five of 12 shooting from deep. I I know that you know sample size alert, but um would have been nice to to see him expand that a little bit over a year. Um he's just an ultimate like what if he didn't get hurt guy for me. And you know, that really does does stink to to have to have that thought um of what if he didn't, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:34

Yeah, I mean, like to start the season, I remember talking specifically about him and Justin Moore and saying, like, imagine the versatility that we're gonna have with both of them being able to play. And you know, the the season didn't turn out that way, unfortunately. And um, it it can't be stressed enough how much Kamani made an impact on last year's team. I mean, like essentially like changing his position and having to adopt this like extremely impactful role for a team um is no small feat. And he did it like as gracefully as just about anyone could. So um it's it's a shame that his season this year ended up the way that it did. Um, but he he definitely like sticks out to me as one that I'll I'll remember for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:25

Yeah, this uh one is even not even just bittersweet for like Alexander Richardson comparison. This one's just sour because it just like nothing, it's nothing him he did, right? To be clear. It's just like the expectation I had after sitting, and I'll be fair, like he did sit behind Sheldon and Dez and uh Dawson, right? Like just the idea of kind of athletic wing play or whatever, just again, just being athletic guards, right? Um, and so my thing was though, like, hey, I think he absolutely the way he ended last season absolutely was like, okay, go get fully like prepared for the next season. Go out there and be a starter for us because that's what we're gonna probably want from you, right? We're gonna want the starter mentality and the minutes. And it just it's it's so tough. You you you wish it wasn't like that. Again, absolutely starting at the beginning of the season for sure. Um, and then it just it just led to some just wish what could what could have been right. Um, and even with the last year, they missed a few games there. This one you nearly missed what a third or more of the season, right? So it's like I I think it's a not clear picture of like what could have happened, right? Um, and even there, toward the like before it was official in January and conference play, he was putting up numbers. So it's like, oh, like again, what what would have been? And and I know we're not trying to say the season would have been, but I I do think if like uh Kamani was at a hundred percent healthy, um, or even ninety-five, I think it would have been a very interesting kind of player out there for the team. And so again, I appreciate what he did. I I really do love when players want to take the chance on coming down from again the pac-12 at the time. It's really it it really is, I think, something to show of like why would you leave like the pac 12? And it's like, well, hey, wanted something different, more playing time, and I absolutely think we we we did that. And again, Drew talked nothing but highly of him. So um again, which things ended differently. I hope personally, I hope he gets healthy and goes try somewhere professionally. Go go out there. I think again, the wing, like alone the 6'7, but the athletic size he's got, I I think he's uh he's there.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:46

Yeah, I do think that um he did have surgery at the end of this year, so he had some sort of corrective surgery to address the stress fracture, something he did not do last offseason because it would have hindered his ability to start this year. And looking at some of the stat lines he put up this year, especially the four-game stretch uh between the Davidson game on January 7th and the George Mason uh the um the Dayton game on January uh 16th, you look at the stat lines he did in that four-game stretch, and you're like, how did he do that while have like basically on one healthy leg? Where yeah, he was like five of six for 13 points against uh Davidson, he had eight points, six rebounds, and seven assists against George Washington, uh season high 15 points on six of six shooting against George Mason, and then ten points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal against Dayton. Like he uh he was the ultimate like grinded out player, but eventually it just became that uh it it ground him out of the season. Like that he couldn't keep fighting through, and that I think that's the shame that like yeah, like we keep saying, uh the ultimate, like bitter. It is more bitter than sweet because you're just talking about like a guy that obviously had a great impact on the program, but you just never got to see the full thing after that San Francisco game last December. But last but not least, the person that Drew calls on the Mount Rushmore of Gold Squad, Caleb Reese. I know there's some debate there, but he's he clarified that it was gold squad under his leadership. So, like, yeah. Um I he said it was uh Will Alcock, Caleb Reese, Will Smythe, and um Nick Denardi were his gold squad, not Rushmore. Um Caleb Reese, ultimate do-it-all guy, he especially this year, he stepped up when honestly no one else could. Um where we were down Kamani, down Cade Dotson, down Justin Moore, and he's starting games after a week ago he wasn't getting minutes, and just really, you know, the ultimate do-it-all guy, do whatever it takes for uh like do whatever the Ramblers need guy. And I I really appreciated watching him, even though there were times where you knew he was just you know doing his best. It you never questioned whether or not he was giving it as all, and that's something I really appreciate from him.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:43

Yeah, no, I mean I I I think I've said this on a previous podcast, but um it's it sucks that he had to be put into all of these awful situations that he did, but he certainly made the most of it, you know. Um when we had when we were down so many people because of injuries, he he put us all into those games, and um while he didn't, you know, necessarily like have the results that maybe he wanted, it was it was still great having him with the team.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:20

Yeah, I I think this is an ultimate, especially just this day and age of now the more than 13 scholarships. Uh, I think this is a great just determination of a guy of like, hey, you keep doing your thing and you helping out where you can on Gold Squad. I I will never forget Diamond Head Invitation or whatever the hell that thing was called, because it was one a horrible result for all of us. But I really felt Drew was like, this guy wants to play. Now, granted, came after Andrew, whatever, and I'm gonna put him in. And yeah, thank you. Because they just it never felt like there was parts of like that tournament of like who's showing up, who's not. All I could tell you is that uh Caleb Reese showed up uh and he tried to do as much as he could. Um, and again, I I tip my cap to anyone who wants to do that because uh it is it is very hard to then go in there very raw and not playing uh the position of I'm gonna pick up the ball all the time. So yeah, that will I will never forget. And then yeah, this year. Uh every commentator said it in every game. I think they meant well. I don't know. They I don't think they ever said it well, though, um, of like, well, he's not what you expect. Yeah, I expect him to just be the guy who can help whatever he needs. He wasn't he's he's like, I want to help win. I don't want to lose. So what can I do? I look back at the GW game this past year, literally a few months ago. I know he got smacked, or whatever you want to say in the box score. Um, but again, he found a way to put five rebounds and six assists. So just again, found ways. Wish it was maybe a little bit more gradual, that it wasn't just, hey, trial by fire on some situations. Uh, but hey, uh that's that's what sometimes you and I hope this sets a tone for some of the gold squad guys, to be quite frank, or any of the walk-ons, future walk-ons slash returns in the scholarship players are like, hey, there will be a time, there might be a point in the season where we need a guy to not only just cover minutes, but like know how to run this play. Um and again, I I will I I don't know of many guys in loyals since I've been following, since I've been going, right, that have turned from walk-on to scholarship. And again, it's it's a great feeling that we can provide that for some guys, um, but also a well deserving guy makes it even better.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:42

So yeah, I the I think it it's a huge testament to who he is as a player and as a person that he was able to get that scholarship spot his his senior year. Um, I think it shows what he meant to Drew, it shows what he meant to Loyal as a school. Um That he was able to, you know, to be that guy, to become a scholarship athlete. Um, it's also another guy who ended his loyal career injury, which just he broke his hand during that second slew game, which is just you know, in a year of that could be summed up by injury of like availability and consistency, we'll we'll call it. Um mostly by injury, but yeah, it um I hope he wishes that cast like a badge of pride, though.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:34

You know, like that he he really embodied that role wholeheartedly and just like threw his all into these again awful situations that we we put him in.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:44

So I will say I wish he got gold tape, like right, right.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:49

Missed opportunity. I know.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:50

Come on, Loyola, pick it up. Maroon and gold, like tape. There you go. I I don't know if he gets the choose still, but yeah. I was surprised that he still had a hard cast. Like, I thought that they just do like like in like aircast now, like uh something that's more removable than the actual like uh I don't know what it's made of, but like yeah, the old-fashioned like casts.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:27

To our five seniors, Zach Royster, Alexander Richardson, Josh Ola Joseph, Kamani Winsu, and Caleb Reese. Even though for some of you the time was short, uh we spanned either one year or your whole careers as Ramblers. Thank you so much for what you gave uh to this program. That's all we have for you this episode. Um I guess our next episodes are going to be off-season focused. Over a hundred episodes down, five seasons now in the books with Talk and Blurs. Um, yeah, I know it's crazy. Who would have thought? Um, but yeah, tune in sporadically between now and probably September, which is crazy to think about that it's gonna be that long. Um, we'll be doing our our off-season spaces when we get portal commits and other breaking news like that. So be on the lookout for for those opportunities. But yeah, we'll we'll hope to be able to fill the off-season with some interviews, um, some analysis of the new team, some analysis of the A10 as a whole, and let's hope for let's well, I guess expect, but let's all pray to God that we have a much better year than than this year. Thank you as always for listening, and as always, onward LU