With the Ramblers and Drake tied at 5 and 8 for sixth place, I decided to review the remaining schedule to assess each teams chances.
Each has five games to go.

The Ramblers have the following games: Bradley road, No Iowa home, Missouri State home, Illinois State road, Drake road.
Excluding the Drake game and assuming the Ramblers lose to Bradley and Illinois State on the road and Northern Iowa at home and beat Missouri State at home that would be one win and three losses for a 6-11 conference record.
Drake has the following games: Indiana State road, Evansville road, Missouri State home and Southern Illinois road and Loyola home.
Excluding the Loyola games and assuming Drake loses to Indiana State, Evansville and Southern Illinois and beats Missouri State that would also be one win and three losses. Drake also would be 6-11.

That makes the Drake home game the crucial game. Now that game is not the last game so going into that game if my projections held to form the Ramblers would be 5-11 with the Missouri State home game in hand whereas the Bulldogs would have likely been one and two and 6 and 10 going into the Loyola game with the SIU road game in hand. A Rambler win at Drake evens the records at 6-11. At that point a Loyola win against Missouri State moves the Ramblers to 7-11 and the Bulldogs to 6-12 if they loss at SIU. In addition a Bulldog win at SIU would also make them 7-11 after that last game but Loyola would get the 6th seed by the virtue of the two game sweep.

An additional factor in the Ramblers favor is that they probably have a better chance of beating Bradley on the road (but not ISU or No Iowa at home) than Drake does of beating Indiana State or Evansville or SIU on the road.

So barring the unforeseen (which always occurs) the Ramblers can control their own destiny even with three losses out of the next five games if they win one more (with Missouri State the most likely) and beat Drake in Des Moines on the 25th.

The Ramblers have been in the Valley only two years now but have provided more excitement than any year in the Horizon League. A part of that is the structure of the Archmadness tourney where the also rans have meaning to the ends of the season.

Just some food for thought.

I agree with your probable predictions for Loyola with the big X factor being Doyle. If Doyle can come back and contribute a game or two before the drake game, I really like our chances of finishing 6th.

I am not a trainer and don't even play one on TV, but it seems to me that they must be expecting Doyle to come back at least for the tournament. Otherwise, he would be having shoulder surgery to give him more time to get ready for next season. But the apparent slow progress is worrisome. And he will be rusty. Still, I like a cautious approach. You don't want any kind of permanent ankle problem. Even favoring the ankle can be dangerous, making things like knee injuries more likely.

My fantasy is that Milt comes back for the Missouri State game the way Vic Rouse came back after a dislocated shoulder in January 1964. It's one of my fondest Loyola basketball memories. Rouse was out for five games, two of which we lost. Alumni Gym was packed. When the LU starting line-up was introduced, he was the first or second guy to come out to center court. The crowd went wild. The place was as loud as I'd ever seen it. And it didn't stop. The announcer kept waiting to introduce the next players and the noise just got louder until finally the rest of the team just ran out on he court without being introduced.

Now there goes SCREAMY !! Memories !! Love it !!
You see. even injuries happen to the great winners ! There never was talk of "Collapse"--It was what it was. a star gets hurt , a few losses ensue. We overcame and won some.
PM has done the best he can--in fact, better, I feel. He has kept this bunch together--and these players have kept their eyes on the ball--NOT like previous teams. It has taken him three plus years to get this team started after years of poor teams prior to his time--YEARS !! We now have a team and a coach who have NOT packed it in--have not collapsed--but have played better than expected--at least better than I expected.
The way I see it , is that it takes TALENT, Coaching, Belief in self and some good fortune along the way. We , this year (one year early) have an abundance of the first three--and precious little of the last what with those injuries to three of our best plus Kiki. With this situation , as it exists, I see no 'Collapse" whatsoever --I do see an abundance of "heart".
One more item--LUC has been so poor for so many years, it would be hard for most athletes to choose LUC--THIS is a tribute to Porter that he has overcome this and has started to build a winner. We shall see how it turns out--

GO RAMBLERS !!

Speaking of "Down the stretch", Brot, when are you going to do one of your horse racing-type handicap posts of the MVC title chase like you used to do when we were in the Horizon League? You know: "And coming up strong from back in the pack Drake is surging into contention for a Bye".

I liked those!

Well. Swella Trackman has been truly ill FOR A STUPID MONTH --Since New Years Eve until 2/2 or so I have been at half speed--Diagnosis--SEVERE sinus infection--NOT pneumonia anyway---On top of that the tote board absolutely quit--Bought new computer--Getting used to Windows 8 !!
SO--Watch for the call of the stretch run due tomorrow !!

In any case Ramblers got a small break as horses just behind them faltered today !!

Thanks for nice words ! Longshot Lor sends her blessings from above !!!

Hope you're better now, Brot!

Thanks a ton Graddy Dad !! Am better for sure--
Trackman's call from the Grandstand will air shortly after 7:ooPM ET--Panther and Shockers running wild !!!!