Unproven Ramblers remain optimistic

Posted November 11, 2009 10:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

Jim Whitesell knows the drill.

When a team loses four of its top five scorers to graduation - particularly at a program with consecutive eighth-place finishes on its permanent record - it's not going to impress the preseason pollsters.

Loyola heads into Friday's opener at Kansas State as the 10-team Horizon League's consensus pick for 10th place.

"People look at it and, 'Gee, all your scoring's gone,' " Whitesell said. "I totally understand that. It is what it is. But it's what you do at the end of the year.

"I think our group is a little bit like our first year at Loyola. We've got to get these guys on the same page. Stay patient with them. Make them tougher. Make them better."

Whitesell and his staff can't make the Ramblers much younger.

Loyola's 13 scholarships are concentrated among four freshmen, four sophomores and a junior college transfer.

With sophomore swingman Jordan Hicks just returning to the practice floor due to an Achilles problem, the Ramblers feature one of the nation's more inexperienced starting lineups.

Fourth-year forward Andy Polka, who played just 11 games last year thanks to a shredded ankle, serves as the old man of a group that features junior guard Geoff McCammon (Conant), sophomore point guard Courtney Stanley, junior-college transfer guard Terrance Hill and freshman forward Ben Averkamp.

This quintet combined for a grand total of 145 points at the Division I level last year.

While that's not a good sign for a team that intends to contend, it's an invitation for Loyola to paint a blank canvas.

Take Averkamp, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound Germantown, Wis., native who turned down offers from Saint Louis, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Wisconsin's Gatorade Player of the Year showed up in Rogers Park with an advanced game - perhaps influenced by having older cousins Jason (a senior at Milwaukee) and Charlie (a graduate of Div. III Edgewood College) against whom to lean and learn.

In Loyola's lone exhibition, a 30-point win over Robert Morris, Averkamp led the team with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. He won't be leading in ego any time soon.

"I hit a few mid-range shots and I made one 3-pointer," said Averkamp, who willingly admitted he doesn't play above the rim. "But also, my teammates got me the ball right around the basket. When you're catching it 2 feet from the hoop, it's a lot easier to score."

Whitesell credited Polka, who'll also split his time between the post and the perimeter, for feeding Averkamp all he could handle inside.

"It's nice to have Andy back," Whitesell said. "It's funny: I had about four people come up to me after the game and said, 'Geez, I haven't seen someone pass the ball that way or play that way in awhile.'

"Andy took two charges, he had 5 assists and I don't know how many rebounds (4). It was really great to see because those were areas where we were really up and down last year."

Speaking of up and down, remember a few paragraphs ago when Whitesell said this team reminded him of his first Loyola group?

That 2004-05 team lost 13 of its first 17 games as it figured out things, but wound up winning 9 of its last 13 and getting to the Horizon League semifinals.

"I think we all realize it's going to be a team effort," Averkamp said. "We're all going to have to fight and scrap and work as hard as we can. We don't have one guy who's a big-time scorer."

Ramblers at a glance Coach: Jim Whitesell (79-76, sixth year at Loyola; 357-270, 23rd year overall) 2008-09 record: 14-18 (6-12 Horizon, eighth); Lost at Milwaukee in Horizon League tournament first-round game Starters returning/lost: 2/3 Projected starters F Ben Averkamp 6-8 230 Fr. Not a leaper, but boasts terrific footwork and solid shot out to the 3-point arc. F Andy Polka 6-7 240 Jr. Ready to be the team leader after off-season surgery to repair torn ankle ligaments. PG Courtney Stanley 6-1 165 So. Blurry-quick Philly product came on late last year and rode that momentum into off-season and fall. SG Geoff McCammon 6-4 200 Jr. Conant graduate won Midnight Madness dunk contest, but he's still unproven with 10 guys on floor. SG Terrance Hill 6-4 190 Jr. Tenacious Coffeyville (Kan.) JC transfer brings toughness and versatility. * denotes returning starter Reserves G/F Jordan Hicks 6-6 205 So. Averaged 13 points over final 7 games last year; he'll move into lineup when Achilles heals. PF Walt Gibler* 6-7 230 So. Started 17 games last year and showed nice touch from 3 (.393) and FT line (.833) SG Marcus Thomas 6-2 190 Sr. Long-range specialist led Loyola in 3-pointers (44) and attempts (137) last season PG Aric Van Weelden* 6-3 190 Sr. Former walk-on returns to reserve role-the Ramblers need his defense C John Benkoske 6-9 220 So. Pure post player from Oshkosh should be in the frontcourt rotation PG Gabe Kindred 6-1 165 Fr. Whitesell wants to pair Oakland native with Stanley occasionally for ultra-quick backcourt SF Shaun Adams 6-6 190 Fr. Leaper from Missouri left Liberty HS as school's all-time leader in points, assists and blocks SG Charles Winborne 6-1 165 Fr. Louisiana product one of just 67 documented players to score 3,000-plus points in HS career G Ryan Sterling 6-4 205 Jr. Sharpshooting walk-on poured in 28 points in 65 minutes last season F Tom Neary 6-7 195 So. Walk-on appeared in 10 games last season PG Kevin Muldowney 5-10 160 Fr. Walk-on was Lyons Township's MVP and an all-West Suburban Silver pick 2009-10 schedule Fri. at Kansas State 7 p.m. Nov. 17 CANISIUS 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at Holy Cross 8 p.m. Nov. 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN 7 p.m. Nov. 28 ST. AMBROSE 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at Green Bay 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at Milwaukee 7 p.m. Dec. 12 SAN FRANCISCO 3 p.m. Dec. 16 at Bradley 7:05 p.m. Dec. 20 at SIU Edwardsville 2 p.m. Dec. 22 ALBANY 7 p.m. Dec. 28 ST. FRANCIS (IL) 7 p.m. Dec. 31 WRIGHT STATE 3 p.m. Jan. 2 DETROIT 3 p.m. Jan. 7 at Cleveland State 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at Youngstown St. 6:05 p.m. Jan. 15 at UIC 8 p.m. Jan. 21 BUTLER 7 p.m. Jan. 23 VALPARAISO 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at Detroit 3 p.m. Jan. 30 at Wright State 1 p.m. Feb. 4 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 7 p.m. Feb. 6 CLEVELAND STATE 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at Butler 6 p.m. Feb. 13 UIC 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at Valparaiso 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at BracketBusters TBA Feb. 25 MILWAUKEE 7 p.m. Feb. 27 GREEN BAY 3 p.m. March 2-9 Horizon League tournament

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