Loyola Chicago Men’s Basketball: A Statistical History

Loyola Chicago Men’s Basketball: A Statistical History is a new blog that will take a look at the program’s storied past through the numbers.

The Early Years: A Statistical History

Loyola University Chicago’s men’s basketball team has a long and storied history. The team has been to the NCAA tournament eighteen times, including three Final Fours (1957, 1963, and 1985), and has won one National Championship (1963). In this article, we’ll take a look at the team’s early years, starting with their first season in 1907-08 up through their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1932-33. We’ll examine the team’s overall record, conference record, conference finishes, and postseason appearances during this time period.

The Dominant Decade: A Statistical History

Loyola Chicago Men’s Basketball: A Statistical History looks back at the team’s most dominant decade. From 1963 to 1973, the team won 10 conference championships and made seven NCAA tournament appearances, including a Final Four run in 1963. During this decade, the team had a combined record of 251-63 (.801), an average of 25.1 wins per season.

In terms of individual statistical accomplishments, this decade was led by center Jerry Harkness, who was a two-time All-American and the Most Outstanding Player of the 1963 Final Four. Harkness averaged 19.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game during his career, both of which are still school records. He also holds the single-game scoring record with 49 points against Bradley in 1962.

Other standout players from this era include forward Les Hunter, who averaged a double-double (19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds) during his senior season in 1972-73, and guard Vic Rouse, who is the school’s all-time leader in assists (604) and steals (260).

The Post-Dominance Era: A Statistical History

Since the early 2000s, Loyola Chicago Men’s Basketball has been in a period of decline. The team has not made the NCAA tournament since their last appearance in 1985, and has only had two winning seasons since then. In this article, we will take a look at the team’s statistical history during this period, in order to gain a better understanding of what has led to their decline.

The Resurgence: A Statistical History

In the late 1980s, Loyola Chicago men’s basketball was one of the most dominant Division I programs in the country. The Ramblers won the NCAA tournament in 1963 and made it back to the Final Four in 1985. They also won 14 Missouri Valley Conference titles between 1952 and 1985. But after a scandal involving Head Coach Gene Sullivan, the program fell on hard times. Sullivan was caught up in a betting scandal and was banned from coaching for life by the NCAA. The program was placed on probation and forced to vacate its 1985 Final Four appearance.

The following years were tough for Loyola Chicago basketball. The Ramblers had 10 losing seasons in a row from 1986 to 1996. During that time, they had only one winning season and no postseason appearances. But things began to turn around in 1997, when head coach Larry Farmer took over the program. In his first season, Farmer led the Ramblers to their first winning season in 11 years. He also led them to their first postseason appearance since 1985, when they lost in the first round of the NIT.

The Ramblers have made steady progress under Farmer’s leadership. They have had winning seasons in each of the last 20 years, including 17 consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins. They have made the NCAA Tournament six times since 1997, including four straight appearances from 2015 to 2018. They have also won four Missouri Valley Conference titles since 2010.

The Final Four Run: A Statistical History

In 1963, Loyola University Chicago made history by winning the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament As a result, they became the first and only team to date to win the tournament as a #4 seed. This underdog story has been retold many times, most recently in the 2018 movie “Final Four.” Below is a statistical history of that season as well as a comparison to other Final Four teams seeded #4 or lower.

Loyola Chicago entered the 1962-1963 season with a 20-4 overall record and a 12-2 conference record. They were led by Head Coach George Ireland and star player Jerry Harkness. The team went on to win their conference tournament and received a #4 seed in the NCAA Tournament

In the NCAA tournament LoyolaChicago defeated Tennessee Tech Illinois, Wake Forest and Arizona State to advance to the Final Four. In the final game they defeated heavily favored #1 seed UCLA 71-59. In the final game, they defeated #2 seed Cincinnati 60-58 in overtime to become National Champions

Loyola Chicago’s run to the title was truly historic. They became the first and only team to date to win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament as a #4 seed. Their path to the title was also very difficult. They had to win five games against teams that were all ranked in the Top 25 at the time of their meeting. Compare thatto other recent Final Four teams seeded #4 or lower:

VCU (2011): Won 5 games against teams that were unranked at time of meeting
Kentucky (2014): Won 6 games against teams that were unranked at time of meeting
Syracuse (2016): Won 4 games against teams that were unranked at time of meeting

The Legacy: A Statistical History

Loyola Chicago boasts a long and successful history in men’s basketball. The program has produced 3 Final Four appearances, 1 National Championship and 5 NCAA Division I tournament wins. Statistically, the program ranks in the top 10 in several major categories.

The team’s first appearance in the Final Four came in 1963, led by Future Hall of Famer Jerry Harkness. The team upset 2-time defending champion Ohio State in the Elite Eight before losing to eventual champion Cincinnati. Harkness averaged a team-leading 21 points per game during the season.

The Ramblers made it back to the Final Four in 1985, led by coaches Kevin Loughery and John MacLeod. The team had a forgettable first season under Loughery, going just 10-18 overall and 4-14 in conference play But the team rebounded to win 25 games and the NCAA Midwest Regional under MacLeod. They eventually lost to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown in the national semifinals.

Loyola’s most recent Final Four appearance came in 2018 under Head coach Porter Moser. The team entered the tournament as an 11 seed, but upset 6 seed Miami, 3 seed Tennessee, and 7 seed Nevada en route to the Final Four. They eventually lost to Michigan in the national semifinals.

Throughout its history, Loyola Chicago has been led by some of the most successful coaches in college basketball history. Loughery went on to have a long NBA Career as a head coach while MacLeod coached at Notre Dame and Arizona State before becoming head coach of the New York Knicks