Rambling wreck: Loyola trying to figure out where this season went wrong

Two years ago, Loyola finished the season by cutting down the nets at the Gentile Center, having clinched a share of the Atlantic-10 title.

Last year ended with a trip to the NIT semifinals. The program isn't far removed from three NCAA Tournament trips and the magical 2018 Final Four run.

This season, the Ramblers stepped into a sinkhole they never saw coming. They've fallen to last in the A-10 standings, with a 6-20 overall record and just 2-11 in league play.

Friday's nationally televised game against No. 18 Saint Louis felt like a “Twilight Zone” episode. Watching a mid-major powerhouse excel, with their fired-up fan base filling half the arena, Loyola could say, “That used to be us.”

“It's just been bizarre,” is how coach Drew Valentine described the season. “Like, incredibly bizarre.”

The Ramblers had a rough year in 2022-23, but that was the start of a transition. It was their first trip through the A10 and a number of players from the NCAA Tournament run had departed. By now, the giant step backward wasn’t supposed to happen.

Asked if there's a simple way to explain what went wrong, Valentine pointed to last summer. Several of their key players missed time with injuries, so they weren't able to build much chemistry. Then third-leading scorer Xavier Amos missed the first half of the season with an injury, and three other regulars were sidelined for at least five games.

“Obviously, there's no excuses and I know there's a lot of great teams that figure it out,” Valentine said. “I do think if you watch that (Saint Louis) game, it's very apparent that our guys are good enough to compete with some of the best and most elite teams in the country.”

The battle against the Billikens showed plenty of flaws, too. In the past, Valentine's teams liked to play inside-out. Establish a low-post scoring presence and then kick it out to 3-point shooters.

This year, the Ramblers don't have a post-up threat. They rely more on guards driving the ball into the paint. And long-distance shooting has been a problem. Loyola ranks No. 327 in Division I in 3-point percentage at .308.

Against Saint Louis, the Ramblers hit their first 3-point attempt of the game, missed the next 12, then hit a hot streak. Late in the first half, Loyola trailed by 2 and had possession. But the half ended with 4 straight turnovers, an 8-0 Saint Louis run and 10-point halftime deficit.

The Ramblers lost by 27. They took 64% of their shot attempts from 3-point range, not a great formula for a team that doesn't shoot it well.

Conference tournaments give every team a chance to finish on a high note. For Loyola, the most important task is figuring out what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again. With all his experience, Valentine, 34, is still one of the youngest head coaches in Division I.

“I'm learning so much,” he said. “I'm as confident as ever with our ability to be a championship-level program and continue to win at a high level.

“I'm in my fifth year now. We've elevated the program since I've taken over. So I'm young, but experienced in that way.”

The challenge keeps changing, too. In the NIL and transfer portal era, most college basketball teams experience heavy turnover every season. Latching onto a winning core that lasts a few years is a thing of the past.

“There's just a new reality that we're dealing with,” Valentine said. “This is pro sports now. This is not college. The Detroit Lions were the No. 1 seed (and then missed the playoffs). Or the Vikings, Sam Darnold leaves (and the team stumbles).

“In pro sports, there's less consistency. That's more of what we're dealing with, but I'm learning.”

In this era, winning makeovers can also happen quickly. So stay tuned.