Category Archives: Stories

The regular season and conference tournaments are over, and the field is set for the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Tournament beginning Tuesday night, April 29 at Loyola’s Gentile Arena. Besides just serving as a gracious host for the 2014 national championship—which would be remarkable in itself– Loyola also happens to be the top overall seed in the tournament and playing out every extraordinary fantasy of a storybook season.

After compiling a 27-1 season, with a 25-match winning streak, perfect in conference and undefeated on the road, the Ramblers were selected as the top seed in the tournament.

Continue reading →

Loyola’s inaugural men’s basketball season in the Missouri Valley Conference was generally a disappointment, despite some authentic high spots and hope for the near-term future. The Ramblers may have mostly stumbled to a 10-22 season overall and a 4-14 last place finish in the Valley, but not without some impressive wins, a respectable showing at Arch Madness, and a Freshman/Newcomer of the Year award going to Milton Doyle.

Watching the opening game of the season against UW-Milwaukee, it quickly became apparent that the Ramblers had something very special in freshman Milton Doyle. The Chicago native and freshman transfer from the University of Kansas didn’t play in the preseason open scrimmage or the exhibition game against Lewis. And although he didn’t score his first point until the 18:23 mark of the second half, it was obvious to everyone that he was a significant talent.

With the score tied at halftime, Doyle scored all 18 of his points in the second half in helping Loyola to a 76-72 opening night victory over a very good UW-Milwaukee team. The skinny but athletic freshman would go on to score 460 more points in his debut season, leading the Ramblers in points, assists, blocks, steals, and free throws.

Continue reading →

The first time I attended Arch Madness in March 2009, I was blown away by the atmosphere and the professional way one of the best conference championship tournaments in the country is conducted. I went back in 2011 and 2012, and thought: “My God, if only Loyola could somehow find their way into this conference….”

Arch Madness just about takes over downtown St. Louis every March, just as the weather is starting to break towards spring. Fans from every MVC team and local college basketball nuts converge to watch a four-day festival of college hoops. They fill restaurants, party at local watering holes, and poke good-natured fun at fans decked out in the sweatshirts, caps, and colors of opposing teams.

For Loyola fans that have attended the MCC/Horizon Conference Tournaments before HL Commish Jon LeCrone decided to change the rules to make it into a drawn-out coronation of the regular season top seed, it’s like that– only multiplied by three times and held at a predictable, neutral site. At Arch Madness, anything can happen, and often does.

Continue reading →