First things first - Merry Christmas (belated) and a Happy New Year Ramblermania.


Loyola Ramblers Preview – https://loyolaramblers.com/news/2025/12 ... sland.aspx

Rhode Island Stats and Intel - https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... /2026.html

Record: 9-4 (A-10 MBB)
Coach: Archie Miller
PS/G: 75.2 (243rd of 365)
PA/G: 67.3 (60th of 365)
SRS: 4.25 (118th of 365)
SOS: -3.60 (291st of 365)
ORtg: 112.3 (143rd of 365)
DRtg: 100.6 (118th of 365)
Preseason Odds: Championship +200000


Loyola Chicago Ramblers (4-9) at Rhode Island Rams (9-4) – 11:00am CST, Ryan Center, Kingston, RI

2025-26 season A-10 Conference play opens league-wide on New Years Eve. The Ramblers take on Rhode Island University for a noon (11am CST) matinee.

The last game was on December 20th, when the Ramblers were victorious over Santa Clara 80-78. Kayde Dotson led the way behind a career-high 26. Despite finishing the non-conference with a lousy 4-9 record, this was the best win of the season and against a quality WCC opponent.

"We had a very simple game plan today, and they executed," said head coach Drew Valentine. "Kayde and Justin used the high-ball screens to see the floor to spray the shooters, touch the paint, and get to the free throw line. We did a good job of staying composed and responding to adversity today."

Loyola heads to Rhode Island to play URI for the 4th time ever, and 2nd ever visit at the Ryan Center. Loyola won the last two contests, including at home 81-77 last January.

The Rams come into conference play at 9-4 overall and won their last two games of the non-conference season over Canisius and Northeastern. Rhode Island also has semi-quality wins over Yale, Vermont, Temple, but losses to McNeese State, Providence, Towson, and Tulsa.

The Rams are 6-1 in home games and are projected to win this one by double digits. Rhode Island plays defense (#60th) and is fourth in the A-10 at limiting opponent scoring, allowing 67.3 points while holding opponents to 42.0% shooting. The Rams force the second most turnovers per game in the league (14.85) and lead the A-10 with 9.6 steals per game, which ranks 29th in the NCAA. This might not be good for the Ramblers, as we should expect sloppy play and mistakes due to the recent 10 days of downtime they’ve had. If URI’s defensive play and wins translate into A10 victories, this might be a good team altogether by the end of conference play.

On the opposite end of defense for the Ramblers, things are still not great despite winning 3 of the past 5 games. Defensively, the Ramblers are forcing an impressively low 8.1 turnovers per game and they draw 18.7 personal fouls. They currently rank 318th in the nation in giving up assists to the opposition with 205 so far this season (16 apg). Opponents shoot a 43.8 FG% and they surrender 34.5 rebounds per contest. Opponents shoot 38.1% from three and they are 265th in college hoops in PPG allowed (76.8).

This year’s Rhode Island squad is almost all newcomers, as only 6.3% of minutes played and 3.6% of scoring returned from 2024-25 roster. Mass exodus and roster turnover has been an annual thing under Archie Miller, who has yet to come up with his own ideal team in three prior tries.

The Rams are led by Chicago native and Naperville Central H.S. alum by way of St. Bonaventure transfer, Jonah Hinton. Hinton leads Rhody with 15.6 points per game, 7th in the A10. He leads the conference in three-pointers per game (3.08) and total three-pointers made (40). Tyler Cochran is averaging 12.2 points and 3.1 steals over the past 10 games. Fordham transfer, 6-6 G Jahmere Tripp is third scoring option, averaging 12.0ppg as starter/sixth man.

Archie Miller is in his fourth season leading the Rams with a 48-59 record.

If the Ramblers take care of the ball, Miles plays like a tall tree against URI’s smaller lineup and becomes involved in the offense again, this could be winnable for the Ramblers regardless of the spread. Assuming ours don’t play like crap, I expect a fun matchup between the guards of both squads nonetheless.


Rhode Island Probable Starters – 6-3 G Jonah Hinton, 6-2 G Tyler Cochran, 6-0 G Myles Corey, 6-9 F Keeyan Itejere, 6-6 G Jahmere Tripp

Loyola Probable Starters - Rubin, Houinsou, Dotson, Moore, Amos


LAST 10 GAMES FOR BOTH SQUADS

Rams: 7-3, averaging 73.9 points, 30.9 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.4 points per game.

Ramblers: 3-7, averaging 68.4 points, 30.4 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.3 points.


Watch / Listen – Wednesday morning’s game will stream on ESPN+ and can be listened to Rambler Sports Network with our friends Sudikoff and CT.

Postgame Show - Tune in to Sudikoff on RSN, followed by TalkinBlers Spaces on the X: https://x.com/blerstalking?s=21


Odds: Rhode Island -10.5

It's a (sloppy) road win in the A10.
But we're in the win column to start league play.

Moore 19 pts with 3 for 4 from the arc.

Loyola to Rhody
FG% 46 TO 34
3% 40 TO 19
FT% 90 TO 71
TO 24 TO 12 (Amazing!)
Pts Off TOs 8 to 19
Reb 35 to 26
DefReb 24 to 13
OffReb 11 to 13
PaintPts 28 to 26
Blocks 4 to 6
Steals 7 to 13
Assts 9 to 7
Lead Time 34 to 4

A couple of made threes by RI today and the outcome would have been different.
I hope we are ready to take on Dayton this Saturday at the Joe?


Go Ramblers!

This team is an enigma. In their last two games, against decent competition on the road, they've looked like a completely different squad. It makes zero sense to me. But hey, it is fun and it is pissing off A10 fans, so I love it.

We might single-handedly make the A10 a one bid league.

It would be funny if we were the one with the bid

Why all the turnovers?

Where was Chuck Love today?

Not looking at the play by play stats, and I only caught the 2nd half. But several times we passed where no one was positioned and/or should have been. It looked like a fair amount of Rambler miscommunications out there. A couple of other times scrambling and dribbling and either losing it outright or having it stolen around the paint or a lazy pass at the pt guard spot.

Maybe someone else can explain better who saw the whole game. But we've all seen the coughing up the ball, unforced and forced, and then eventually losing the game. So I am glad we won this one. We're just damn lucky they (Hinton especially w/3 of 14 from the arc) couldn't hit threes today.

Hurt his knee at practice.

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Good win!

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