With McCammon's leap, Loyola bids to climb ranks
There weren't many Horizon League players who showed more improvement than Geoff McCammon last year.
After contributing a total of 46 points in his first two seasons, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 10.8 points per game and led the Horizon League in 3-point marksmanship.
If you thought McCammon made a huge leap last season, then wait until you see the 2007 Conant High School grad in his final year at Loyola.
His confidence took another jump after a summer spent working with Evolution Athletics' Jeff Pagliocca in Buffalo Grove.
Pagliocca divides his prep and college and pro clients by ability. McCammon, who claimed he wore his Loyola gear to the gym every day, didn't start the summer competing with the big names.
“I started off in the lower division and I worked my way up,” McCammon said. “The next thing you know, I was training with Evan Turner, Jon Scheyer, John Shurna. These are names you hear in the NBA. So I'm training with pros and it just helped a ton. All skill development.”
The thing is, when McCammon worked his way up, he didn't stop working with the other guys, either.
After doing 90 minutes with the big boys, he'd work another 90 with his original group.
“When I first got there, it was like, ‘These guys don't know me, but I know every one of them,' ” McCammon said. “I walked in, you see Evan and I'm like, ‘Whoa!' He was just in Sports Illustrated magazine.
“But I was friends with Evan in high school, so he kind of took me under his wing so I didn't feel so left out. By the end, I felt like I fit in perfectly. I felt like I was helping. There were times I won most of the drills.”
Loyola coach Jim Whitesell couldn't help but notice when the Ramblers started individual work in the fall.
“He had a fantastic summer,” Whitesell said. “I'm really happy with his progress. We think Geoff can make another jump.”
Loyola's cold, hard facts are that everyone needs to make another jump.
While the Ramblers welcome back five starters as well as the Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year in post man Walt Gibler, they've finished eighth in the league each of the last three seasons.
Though the Horizon has risen to a point where it has ranked as one of the nation's top 12 conferences each of the last four years, the Ramblers haven't made the same climb.
Could this be the year?
Though the season begins Friday night with the Nick Kladis Classic the first tournament Loyola has hosted since 1981 injuries already have been a factor.
Several players either have been limited in practice or missed the exhibition win over Robert Morris.
On the plus side, junior swingman Jordan Hicks has shed the Achilles tendon problems and the broken foot that essentially made his sophomore year a lost cause.
The leaper played so well in the preseason, he earned a spot in the lineup at the expense of senior Terrance Hill (last year's leading scorer).
“He's one of the guys that can be an X-factor for us,” Whitesell said. “Jordan has the ability to be a double-figure scorer in the Horizon League.”
Not only does Loyola have the depth to bring last year's leading scorer off the bench, Gibler has supplanted senior Andy Polka in the frontcourt.
All Polka did last year was share the Horizon League's rebounding title and serve as the conference's only player who finished among the top 12 in boards and assists.
And if the veteran Ramblers don't make sufficient progress, Whitesell has four freshmen he believes deserve floor time.
“I'd like to see our returning guys be a little more solid,” Whitesell said.
Projected starters
PF Ben Averkamp* 6-8 235 So.: Stronger this year, which will help on boards; already good shooter and shot-blocker
G/F Jordan Hicks 6-6 210 Jr.: Achilles problem and broken foot slowed him for most of a year, but he's back to his freshman form
C Walt Gibler 6-7 230 Jr.: Horizon League's Sixth Man of Year a wizard at getting to line (5.3 FTA per game)
PG Courtney Stanley* 6-1 175 Jr.: Horizon's No. 2 assist man (4.7 apg) OK after dealing with foot issue
SG Geoff McCammon* 6-4 200 Sr.: Conant grad was team's most-improved player last year and thinks he can be that again
*-denotes returning starter
Reserves
PF Andy Polka* 6-7 240 Sr.: Shared Horizon rebounding title last year (8.9 rpg); needs 298 more to break LaRue Martin's record
SG Terrance Hill* 6-4 190 Sr.: Last year's leading scorer (11.4 ppg) better-casted as a fierce defender
G Chim Kadima 6-4 192 Fr.: Committed to Iowa State before he tore up his knee, so potential is there
PG Gabe Kindred 6-1 176 r-Fr.: Redshirted last year with broken foot, he'll help now as Stanley's backup
PF Jonathan Gac 6-8 220 Fr.: Mobile big man from Mount Carmel should fit in the rotation right away
PG Denzel Brito 6-1 185 Fr.: Some Big East schools recruited Massachusetts product for football
C John Benkoske 6-9 220 Jr. Played just 85 minutes last year; still waiting to make his mark
SF Shaun Adams 6-6 190 So.: Looks great at Midnight Madness dunk contest, but needs to shoot better to get on the floor
G Ryan Sterling 6-4 190 Sr.: Lefty walk-on could get into rotation if his rainbow 3-pointers are falling
F Tom Neary 6-7 212 Jr.: Walk-on played in 17 games during first two years; he added 17 lbs. in offseason
Ramblers at a glance
<p><b>Coach: Jim Whitesell (93-92, seventh year at Loyola; 371-286, 24th year overall)</p></b>
<p><b>2009-10 record: 14-16 (5-13 Horizon, eighth); Lost at Cleveland State in Horizon League tournament first-round game</p></b>
<p><b>Starters returning/lost: 5/0</p></b>