Thus far, it can be said that Loyola Men’s Basketball Team has not had some of the greatest breaks when it comes to getting wins instead of losses. The Greyhounds, as of today, are now 8-9 overall, having a 4-3 record in our conference, the MAAC. However, it is something that can not be totally looked upon with resentment and disappointment. The Greyhounds have had a very tough schedule since the beginning of the season, taking on #15 Georgetown and division rival, Fairfield.
Despite posting mediocre statistics and playing a little under .500, the Greyhounds have found themselves playing for the third seed in the MAAC Conference. This has been made possible by the same average and mediocre play from St. Peter’s, the somewhat bad play of Canisius, and the horrible and unwatchable play of Manhattan, a team that the Greyhounds will face on Thursday Night. Most likely, that game should be a win that the Greyhounds can add their record to finally be a .500 team; but, the Men’s Basketball Team at this point in the year have to show some more initiative and charisma.
They are playing with heart, but to be a team that can win a MAAC Championship, as I said they have the ability to do, they need more strength on defense and better proficiency in their offense. For example, Shane Walker leads the Greyhounds in points per game with 11.1, an average that is not very good. When looking at the 1st seed team in the MAAC, Fairfield, they have their lead scorer, Derek Needham, with 13.2 points per game. It may not seem like a huge difference at a glance; however, when looking at some of the bigger and more highly ranked teams such as Duke or Pitt, their lead scorer is not two points away from scoring in the single digits. Grant it, Duke and Pitt are teams that have NBA Potentials and All Americans, but when looking at the offensive ferocity of the Greyhounds, they are as intimidating as ants surrounding a Lion in Africa. Let’s take a look at Anthony Winbush, a big man who can easily set himself up in the post. He averages 2.2 points per game and has been almost ineffective when he steps out onto the court. Now, I would think that if he wasn’t able to put up big numbers, he would at least be able to put up some rebounds; however, that leads into another issue entirely.
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