Sure, you can dazzle us with your exhaustive recitation of facts, figures and statistics, but may I humbly suggest that you lack Swella's gift of being able to synthesize this mountain of information into a coherent pattern and, using deductive reasoning, find in that pattern the solution to the mystery of the Ramblers' second half collapses.

By such intellectual process, Swella has concluded that the only rational explanation for our continuing second half collapses is....ZOMBIE DOPPELGANGERS.

Simply put, the team the Ramblers put on the floor in the first half are human, while the second half squad are their Zombie counterparts.

Just look at the facts: In the first half, the Ramblers play with confidence, shoot with accuracy, move the ball around, limit turnovers, and rebound. Most tellingly, THEY MOVE LATERALLY ON DEFENSE.

Come the second half, the Ramblers play scared, shoot poorly, turn the ball over, get killed on the boards, and DON'T MOVE LATERALLY ON DEFENSE.

Ask yourself this: Have you ever seen a Zombie movie where the zombies seem capable of moving laterally on defense? Of course not. Zombies are not athletic. That's why you can usually escape from a zombie when being chased, and why you can pour a whole can of gasoline on their heads without a problem. They can't move laterally.

I think what happens is that at halftime the human players congratulate themselves for a job well done, shower up, and leave the gym, while their zombie doppelgangers listen to Porter's halftime adjustments and chalk talk, then take the court to play the second half. Given that they're Zombies (and walk-ons to boot), I think they do a credible job.

I haven't figured out all the whys and wherefores about the Zombies Substitution System yet, but I am still working on it.

As frustrating as these losses have been it is really difficult to quantify their cause. We always want to blame someone or something. So here is how I see it.
1. watching this team I believe it is fundamentally well coached compared to past teams.
2. Strategically I do not know....hard to say what is the best system but I do think Coach Moser is a one trick pony
3. There is talent......The one missing piece would have been a true center and hopefully the Development of Cody Johnson in the Fordham game puts an end to that.
4. Bench is short at two important positions Point guard and Center
5. Even though we have talent some of it is incomplete. Some of our guys while talented in one area are weak in others,
6. We are still very, very young and in clutch situations do not as of yet have a take control guy.
7. Plus last year when we lost those close games we started to develop a habit and expectations of not doing well in close games. If I am not mistaken werent a lot of those close losses when Averkamp and Payne out with injuries? Not all but some.? Some of these guys are feeling snake bitten . I am guessing that those losses last year delivered a hit on the psyche of the young players
8.The loss of some excellent assistant coaches to some good programs. I think this has also had an affect on the young players.
Final thought. This group is like a first time chilli. We have the right ingredients but haven't come up with just the right amount of spices and like any good chilli it needs to simmer awhile. I think we really cant judge Coach and this group until this time next year. They are still developing..They are still pups.....great bursts of energy but lots of nap time also

I agree Smokey. This is still as very young team. The average age of the starting team is that of sophomore.
I noticed that Armon Gates was at the NIU game. So, when I saw him a few days later, I asked his opinion of why the Ramblers were folding in the second half. He said that it was simply a matter of them playing tight and that they had to just loosen up and have fun playing the second half.

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Let's go Braden!

As much as I like smokey's mixed metaphor explanation for Loyola's second half collapses (i.e., Loyola's team is like a first-time chili made with puppies.), the fact is Zombie Doppelgangers is the true answer.

Want more proof? A reliable source from inside the Athletic Department has provided me with the official team roster for the second half Zombie Ramblers:


NAME ...........................................................DEPTH

JOE CRYPTSMAN............................................6'4" Under

BURYME KING................................................6'10" Under

MATT O'BIERY................................................6'8" Under

NICK OSDIED.................................................6'8" Under

GONER WILLIAMS............................................6'7" Under

CHRISTIAN BURIAL THOMAS.............................6'5" Under

MOLDY JOHNSON.............................................6'10" Under

MILTON SPOILED.............................................6'4" Under

DEADON TURK.................................................6'4" Under

LONDON SEPPUKU............................................6'0" Under

BONY NIXON....................................................6'4" Under

JORDAN EXIT....................................................6'0" Under

BILL DARK.........................................................6'3" Under