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Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
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Author:  JCT [ Tue Nov 29, 2022 7:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 8:00 p.m.
Gentile Arena, Chicago, Ill.


Loyola returns from a difficult five-game streak away from home seeking to work out some serious game execution issues in friendly confines at Gentile Arena. On the recent road trip, Loyola was favored in four of the five games played but come home with a 1-4 record to show for it. More concerning are the basic ball-handling problems that place the Ramblers worst among 363 Division I teams in turnovers.

The Ramblers’ opponent will be the Central Arkansas Bears, who enter the contest at 4-3 with a KenPom rank of 327. This will be the first time Loyola has ever played Central Arkansas in men’s basketball, though the UCA Bears used to be a fellow Missouri Valley Conference member in men’s soccer. Probably every basketball fan in Chicago knows that Central Arkansas is where Scottie Pippen played ball—the home floor has his autograph prominently on the hardwood. They moved to Division I in 2006-07.

Third-year head coach Anthony Boone will likely start 6’5” junior guard Masai Olowokere, 6’2” freshman guard Johannes Kirsipuu, 6’3” sophomore point guard Camren Hunter, 6’7” senior forward Eddy Kayouloud, and 6’10” sophomore center Churchill Bounds. Hunter leads the team in scoring (16.9 ppg) and assists (4.1 per), and pulls in 4.9 rebounds on average; he has good speed and length, and is a floor leader who leads the team in minutes played. Kayouloud is a 6'7" forward who looks too chunky for basketball but has deceptive quickness. He can drive to the basket from outside the arc and finishes with a nice touch. He looks like a power forward but plays more like a small forward or shooting guard. Olowokere is a long guard who leads the team in rebounds (8.1) and shooting percentage (56.1%), while averaging 12.4 points per game.

One impressive player is Kirsipuu, the freshman guard from Estonia, who has a high basketball IQ (he played on the Estonian under 20 team), and makes a lot of hustle and opportunity plays. He might remind you of Drake’s Garret Sturtz. Cooper averages 11.1 ppg and leads the team in three-point shooting at 44.7%. Coach Boone generally goes eight deep, and the bench players are serviceable. In watching their game Sunday against Idaho State, my impression was they’re very streaky.

The Ramblers really need to take care of the ball. Despite being #1 in the nation in the dubious category of average turnovers per game (20.5) and not shooting well from deep (25.9%, 354th among 363 teams in Division I), there are a few bright spots that could be built on. Loyola is 27th in the country in the important stat of two-point field goal percentage, at 58.0%. That’s great, but the problem is the Ramblers are 346th in two-point shots taken. The team needs to manufacture more shots close to the basket, because they’re good at finishing. Loyola is doing well at defending the three, but they need to keep opponents off the free throw line and take care of the ball on offense.

Playing a team like Central Arkansas should help to figure out how to improve. UCA is 340th in KenPom defensive efficiency and likes to focus on their offense. There shouldn’t be too many forced turnovers, so the Ramblers should focus on taking care of the ball and limiting unforced turnovers. If Loyola can limit turnovers to 14 or fewer, they should win by double digits.


Loyola game notes: https://loyolaramblers.com/documents/20 ... _Notes.pdf

Central Arkansas game notes: https://ucasports.com/news/2022/11/29/m ... -time.aspx

TV/Streaming video: NBC Sports Chicago / ESPN+ https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eve ... /401485323

Radio/Streaming audio: https://loyolaramblers.com/watch/?Live=125&type=Live

Live stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=426259

Vegas odds: Pending
Author:  Ramblin Ray [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
14 point favorite- very hard to believe,the way we have been playing.
Cut down the turnovers!!!!!!
Author:  Dansen [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
Saint coming off the bench again
Author:  01grad [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
Encouraging to see some threes go down early.

And especially encouraging to see a full student section. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried about student interest falling off a bit.
Author:  zha_blers_mafia_17 [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
We need more out of Saint Thomas...he's too athletic to be so soft through contact on offense and a borderline liability guarding his man 1-on-1 on defense.
Author:  01grad [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
The bad stretches are getting shorter…but they’re still there. Need to put together a complete half.
Author:  Dansen [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
I like Schwieger more and more every game. He might be what we though Saint would be this year
Author:  Rambling0101 [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
Well... we did beat a 1 win team tonight, so that’s good I guess? Hard to take much positive other than Schweiger and the late run.

Demons aren’t special, so let’s hope we can show this weekend. Right now, this looks a lot like an overwhelmed assistant now in charge with key pieces being retired. We talk about the team needing to get better, but I think our coaching staff needs to get better in a hurry or it’ll be an ugly entrance into the A 10.
Author:  Rambling0101 [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022
Mistake ! I meant to write that we beat a team coming off a tight win vs a 1 win team (Idaho State).
Author:  Dansen [ Wed Nov 30, 2022 11:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Central Arkansas Preview and Game Thread -- 11/30/2022


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