Loyola Chicago got back to doing what it does best last season: Making life difficult for opposing offenses.
And that might just be the start of things.

The Ramblers finished second nationally in KenPom.com’s adjusted defensive efficiency in 2020-21, their final year under Porter Moser. They were still a stout 18^th the following year when Drew Valentine succeeded him. Loyola cratered to 262^nd in its Atlantic 10 debut, but promptly bounced back to 28^th last year.

“I think we have a chance to be one of the best defensive teams I’ve ever had here --- a shot,” Valentine says. “Now, we have to be more consistent and maybe foul a little less. But as far as rim protection, as far as size and physicality, intensity, competitiveness, dawg mentality -- last year we finished as the No. 1 defense in the A-10 and 28^th in the country. This group should be better.”

Valentine considers defensive excellence to be the program’s identity. He was the defensive coordinator for the Ramblers before taking over for Moser, and he makes clear in the recruiting process that he values two-way players.
And if it doesn’t sink in then, it does once players arrive in the Windy City.

“It’s a standard,” senior guard Des Watson says. “You come here, and you’re either in or you’re out.”

Another standard is growing up, and Valentine’s offseason mantra was “a race to maturity.” For the Ramblers’ holdovers, that meant becoming more consistent. For freshmen, it was growing physically and mentally to help on the court immediately. And for the transfers, it involved quickly understanding and executing Loyola’s standard of play.

If that happens, the Ramblers could surpass their preseason fifth-place projection ---  something that caught Valentine’s attention after his team shared the Atlantic 10 regular season title last season.

“I think it better incentivize them,” Valentine says. “Those five guys who are all coming back, this offseason they haven’t prepared like a team that has arrived. They’ve prepared like guys who want to grow and feel like they want to accomplish more.”
 
A look at the Ramblers:

Coach: Drew Valentine, fourth season at Loyola Chicago, 58-39 with the Ramblers and overall.

Last year: The Ramblers closed the regular season with 10 victories in their last 11 games, eventually reeling in Richmond to claim a share of first place at 15-3. The No. 2 seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship lost in double overtime to St. Bonaventure in the quarterfinals before a first-round exit in the NIT. But Loyola still finished at 23-10 to more than double its victory total from its first season in the A-10.

They’ll miss: Three of last season’s top four scorers have departed, including Philip Alston (12.6 ppg) and Braden Norris (9.2 ppg, 4.8 apg), who both earned third team all-Atlantic 10 plaudits. 

Impact returners: Despite those exits, Loyola returns five of its top eight scorers --- a veritable plethora of continuity in modern college basketball.

The top option a year ago was Des Watson, who went from shooting 27.2 percent from 3-point range as a part-time starter for Davidson to averaging 12.6 points, shooting 38.6 percent from the outside and securing a Second Team All-Conference nod from the A-10.

Three other players who made at least 10 starts --- guards Jayden Dawson and Sheldon Edwards Jr. and center Miles Rubin --- are also back for another run.

Newcomers of note: Positional size was a priority for Valentine in his approach to the transfer market. The Ramblers picked up Drexel guard Justin Moore and UC San Diego forward Francis Nwaokorie, a pair of players who also averaged double figures in scoring last season.

Junior Kymany Houinsou, a 6-7 guard from Washington State, also provides some noteworthy size. Then there’s 6-9 senior Jalen DeLoach, who was a Third Team All-Atlantic 10 pick at VCU two years ago when he averaged 9.7 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Rams. He spent last year as a reserve at Georgia, but his familiarity with the conference should make him a fine bounceback candidate at Loyola.

Reasons to be optimistic: The 6-foot-10, 205-pound Rubin was a lauded addition last season, and he instantly set the school record for blocked shots in a season (76). Named to the A-10’s All-Rookie and All-Defensive team, Rubin averaged 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in just 17.8 minutes.

Fouls were admittedly an issue at times, but it’s easy to see why. Rubin will benefit from having spent a full year in the Ramblers’ strength program. And as a result, so will Loyola --- especially if it leads to an ability to remain on the floor longer. 

“Some of them were because he was physically weak and grabbing and holding because of that. Hopefully that will help him --- the physicality aspect and conditioning,” Valentine says. “The thing everybody’s going to point to is perimeter shooting, but I think improving as a ballhandler and a decision-maker is more important in a big’s progression.”

X factor: Dawson isn’t going to hit five 3-pointers in every game, but the fact he could do it --- and maybe even make eight, like he did against Tulsa last season --- suggests there will be a handful of times he simply carries the Ramblers this season.

Yet oddly it feels like Dawson, a junior who averaged 7.9 points, can get overlooked.

“It’s insane to me,” Valentine says. “Jayden, before he rolled his ankle, he was averaging 10 a game in play in the first seven, eight games in league play --- and he was doing that as a guy who was the fifth option. … I nominated him to be a preseason all-league guy, but it’ll be good for him to have a chip on his shoulder and show everybody what he can do. I think he’s an amazing talent.”

Circle the date: Just aim for a four-game stretch around the holidays. Loyola will represent the Atlantic 10 in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii, playing defending Horizon League champ Oakland in the first round on Dec. 22. After two more games in Honolulu, the Ramblers return home and will play host to VCU on Jan. 4 in their A-10 opener.

Bottom line: Loyola Chicago spent most of its final five seasons in the Missouri Valley at or near the top of the league. And after a bracing adjustment to the Atlantic 10, the Ramblers did just fine in Year 2 in their new league.
With a strong defensive identity and a superb core in Watson, Rubin and Dawson, expect Loyola to have a say in who wins the A-10 this season.