loyola university chicago - · pdf fileloyola university chicago ... 18000 von karman avenue...

Loyola University Chicago2005-2006 Loyola R

amblers B

asketball

1www.loyolaramblers.com

Quick Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22005-06 Travel Itinerary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22005-06 Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Loyola University Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 Loyola University Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 City of Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Weight Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Joseph J. Gentile Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Training Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Rambler Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Developing the Complete Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Athletics Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Horizon League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Coaching Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-23 Head Coach Jim Whitesell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18-19 Assistant Coach Mark Lovelace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Assistant Coach Patrick Baldwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Assistant Coach Shay Boyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Coordinator of Basketball Operations Scott Riley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Team Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Season Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-27Meet the Ramblers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-54 2005-06 Rosters and Pronunciation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Team Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Chris Logan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32-33 David Gale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34-35 Majak Kou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-37 Blake Schilb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38-39 Tom Levin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-41 Pierre Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42-43 Bryan Piironen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44-45 Tracy Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46-47 Dave Telander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48-49 Darrin Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50-51 Matt Adler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 J.R. Blount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Kye Pattrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Brandon Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Leon Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Spirit Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Season in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57-71 2004-05 Season Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 2004-05 Season Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 2004-05 Season Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 2004-05 Boxscores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61-682004-05 Horizon League Standings/Honors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692004-05 Horizon League Individual Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .702004-05 Horizon League Team Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Opponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73-93 2005-06 Composite Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Record vs. Opponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Series Record vs. Opponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85-93Loyola History and Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95-109 1963 National Champions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96-97 Postseason Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98-100 Honor Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Ramblers in the Pros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Loyola in the Polls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Associated Press Ranked Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Loyola in Postseason Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Retired Jerseys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106-107 Loyola Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Alumni Gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Rambler Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111-143 1,000-Point Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112-115 500-Rebound Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116-118 Individual/Team Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119-124 Gentile Center Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 All-Time Jersey Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 All-Time Coaching Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Year-by-Year Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128-140 All-Time Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141-143Media Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145-152 Media Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Media Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Media Travel Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Staff Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149-151 Radio/TV Spotter Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

CreditsThe 2005-06 Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball guide is a production of the Rambler Sports Information Of-fi ce. Written and edited by Bill Behrns with assistance from Leo Krause, Jennifer Schiller, Becky Schmid and Corey Miggins. Layout and design by University Sports Publica-tions. Printing by Multi-Ad Services. Photography by Steve Woltmann, Pete Wagner, Bud Bertog and Sandy Bertog.

University Sports Publication s Co., Inc.570 Elmont Road • Elmont, NY 11003(516) 327-9500

Executive V.P. - Operations .............................................Jeff BotwinickExecutive V.P. - Business Development ............................ Martin LewisExecutive V.P. - Sales ........................................................Steven FarkasExecutive V.P. - Team Relations .................................David GerschwerExecutive Administrative Director ....................................... Julie Wong Production Manager .........................................................Lucy Nersesian

©2005 University Sports Publications Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Follow Loyola Athletics at www.loyolaramblers.com

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball

2 www.loyolaramblers.com

Quick FactsHotel Headquarters

IPFW (Nov. 18-19)Hilton Garden Inn Fort Wayne8615 US 24 WestFort Wayne, IN 46804(260) 435-1777

Northern Iowa (Dec. 2-3)Holiday Inn University Plaza5826 University AvenueCedar Falls, IA 50613(319) 277-2230

San Diego (Dec. 18-21)Hilton San Diego Mission Valley901 Camino Del Rio SouthSan Diego, CA 92108(619) 767-5563

UC Irvine (Dec. 21-23)Marriott Irvine18000 Von Karman AvenueIrvine, CA 92613(949) 553-0100

Cleveland State (Dec. 28-30)Cleveland Airport Marriott4277 West 150th StreetCleveland, OH 44135(216) 252-5333

Detroit (Jan. 4-5)Marriott Detroit Renaissance CenterDetroit, MI 48243(313) 568-8289

Wright State (Jan. 6-7)Dayton Marriott1414 S. Patterson Blvd.Dayton, OH 45409(937) 927-0470

UW-Milwaukee (Jan. 10-11)Hilton Milwaukee City Center509 W. Wisconsin Ave.Milwaukee, WI 53203(414) 271-7250

UW-Green Bay (Feb. 7-8)Hilton Garden Inn1015 Lombardi Ave.Green Bay, WI 54304(920) 405-0400

Butler (Feb. 15-16)Sheraton Keystone Crossing8787 Keystone CrossingIndianapolis, IN 46240(317) 574-6731

Youngstown State (Feb. 24-26)Holiday Inn Boardman7410 South Ave.Boardman, OH 44512(330) 726-1611

University InformationLocation ...................................................Chicago, Ill.President .............................Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J.Founded .............................................................1870Enrollment ......................................................13,352Athletics Director .................................... John PlanekSenior Woman Administrator ........ Carolyn O’ConnellFaculty Representative ......................Dr. Brian StankoNickname .................................................... RamblersColors .............................................Maroon and GoldAffi liation ..........................................NCAA Division IConference ........................................ Horizon LeagueHome Court (capacity) ............Gentile Center (5,200)Athletics Department Phone ............. (773) 508-2560

Coaching StaffHead Coach (Alma Mater) .. Jim Whitesell (Luther, 1982)Record at Loyola (years) .......................13-17 (1 year)Overall Record (years) .................. 291-211 (18 years)Assistant Coach ..................................Mark LovelaceAssistant Coach ................................ Patrick BaldwinAssistant Coach ........................................Shay BoyleCoordinator of Basketball Operations ....... Scott RileyMen’s Basketball Offi ce Phone .......... (773) 508-8813

Team Information2004-05 Record ................................................13-172004-05 Conference Record/Finish. .............8-8/ T-4thLetterwinners Returning/Lost ................................9/5Starters Returning/Lost .........................................3/2

Sports InformationSports Information Director/MBB SID ........ Bill BehrnsSports Information Offi ce Phone ....... (773) 508-2575E-mail Address ............................... [email protected] Sports Information Director .......Leo KrauseE-mail Address [email protected] Information Intern .................... Corey MigginsPress Row Phone .............................. (773) 274-3550 Fax ............................................... (773) 508-3855Athletics Website ...............www.loyolaramblers.com

2005-06 Team ChaplainsMen’s Basketball

Sr. Jean Dolores Schmidt, B.V.M.Men’s Basketball Fr. Donal Godfrey, S.J.

Women’s Basketball Todd Keough, S.J.Men’s Soccer

Raul Navarro, S.J.Women’s Soccer

Joe Hoover, S.J.Softball

Brad Hamrlik, S.J.Cross Country/Track & Field

Casey Metcalf, S.J. and Eric Sundrup, S.J.Men’s Volleyball

Eric Ramirez, S.J.Women’s Volleyball

P.J. Shelton, S.J.Men’s and Women’s Golf

Steve Surovick, S.J.

Loyoola Men’s Basketball Plans Trip To Italy

The Loyola men’s basketball team plans to make its fi rst trip over-seas next summer when it heads to Italy for a period of player de-velopment, sight-seeing and edu-cational opportunities.

2005-2006 Loyola Ram

blers Basketball


Date Day Opponent Site TimeNov. 12 Sat. ROBERT MORRIS (Exhibition) Gentile Center 7:00 pmNov. 19 Sat. at IPFW Ft. Wayne, Ind. 7:00 pmNov. 21 Mon. EVANSVILLE Gentile Center 7:00 pmNov. 26 Sat. LUTHER Gentile Center 2:00 pmNov. 30 Wed. BRADLEY Gentile Center 7:00 pmDec. 3 Sat. at Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:05 pmDec. 6 Tue. WESTERN ILLINOIS Gentile Center 7:00 pmDec. 11 Sun. PURDUE Gentile Center 7:00 pmDec. 17 Sat. LAKE FOREST Gentile Center 2:00 pmDec. 20 Tue. at San Diego San Diego, Calif. 9:00 pmDec. 22 Thurs. at UC Irvine Irvine, Calif. 9:00 pmDec. 29 Thurs. at Cleveland State * Cleveland, Ohio 6:00 pmJan. 2 Mon. YOUNGSTOWN STATE * Gentile Center 1:00 pmJan. 5 Thurs. at Detroit * Detroit, Mich. 6:05 pmJan. 7 Sat. at Wright State * Dayton, Ohio 6:00 pmJan. 11 Wed. at UW-Milwaukee * Milwaukee, Wis. 7:00 pmJan. 15 Sun. ILLINOIS-CHICAGO * Gentile Center 3:00 pmJan. 19 Thurs. BUTLER * Gentile Center 7:00 pmJan. 26 Thurs. UW-GREEN BAY *% Gentile Center 7:00 pmJan. 28 Sat. DETROIT * Gentile Center 2:00 pmJan. 30 Mon. UW-MILWAUKEE * Gentile Center 7:00 pmFeb. 4 Sat. CLEVELAND STATE *# Gentile Center 4:00 pmFeb. 8 Wed. at UW-Green Bay * Green Bay, Wis. 7:05 pmFeb. 11 Sat. at Illinois-Chicago * Chicago, Ill. 3:00 pmFeb. 16 Thurs. at Butler * Indianapolis, Ind. 6:00 pmFeb. 18 Sat. BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY Gentile Center TBAFeb. 22 Wed. WRIGHT STATE * Gentile Center 7:00 pmFeb. 25 Sat. at Youngstown State * Youngstown, Ohio 6:05 pmFeb. 28 Tue. at Horizon League Championship TBA TBAMarch 3 Fri. at Horizon League Championship TBA TBAMarch 4 Sat. at Horizon League Championship TBA TBAMarch 7 Tue. at Horizon League Championship TBA TBA

All Times Central and subject to changeHome matches in CAPS* Horizon League game% Jesuit Jam# Homecoming/Hall of Fame Day

2005-06 Men’s Basketball

Autobarn Volkswagen/Mazda of Evanston

Located at 1012 Chicago Ave.(847) 866-7600

A proud sponsor of Loyola University Chicago Basketball

Tony Scala

Shawn Kohli (Loyola Academy – class of 2000)

Volkswagen Sales Guild – Top 50 in the country

Richard Fisher

John O’Brien (Loyola Academy – class of 1955; Loyola University Chicago class of 1959)

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University ChicagoAthletics Mission

StatementLoyola University Chicago is a Jesuit, Catholic university, which encourages all students, both to participate in their own religious heritage and to develop personally their religious commitment. Part of the Catholic tradition is a great reverence for all transcendent religions, not just those that have Christian origins. As a result, placing one’s experience within a religious framework is a feature of the student-athlete’s life at Loyola. The department seeks to fulfi ll this mission by providing opportunities for its student-athletes to:

• Acquire a strong sense of pride, sportsmanship and personal integrity.

• Experience the positive effects of teamwork, an appreciation of diversity and a strong sense of loyalty.

• Recognize the benefi ts of hard work, patience and perseverance in both winning and losing.

• Carry forth into the community the values gained from the competitive experience and the academic opportunity provided by the university.

Consistent with the mission to foster physical, intellectual and moral development of its student-athletes, the department directs its activities to:

1. Inspire all members of its community to strive for academic and athletic excellence.

2. Recruit student-athletes with high moral character and academic competency and provide them academic and personal support through graduation.

3. Encourage student-athletes to develop all dimensions of themselves.

4. Help students to integrate their athletic, academic and social experience with their religious commitment.

5. Provide support to enable all programs to compete at the highest level possible.

6. Assist student-athletes in achieving their academic and career goals through the use of support services.

7. Select and retain staff members with a strong sense of integrity, who support the department’s mission and goals, and serve as role models for the student-athletes.

8. Affi rm Loyola’s commitment to justice by supporting and upholding principles of gender equity, minority opportunity and racial and ethnic diversity among staff and student-athletes.

9. Establish and enforce standards of conduct for all student-athletes and staff, which will project a positive image for the university.

10. Provide athletic entertainment and generate enthusiasm for students, faculty, alumni and friends of the university, and produce revenue from their support to help defray the cost of programs.

11. Increase public awareness of Loyola’s athletic and academic achievements and affi rm the values and goals of the university.

12. Comply with the rules and regulations set forth by the Horizon League and the NCAA.20

05-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Loyola University Chicago, founded in 1870 as St. Ig-natius College, is a national, Jesuit, Catholic institution that focuses on developing the whole student intellectu-ally, socially and spiritually. Dedicated to higher educa-tion and health care, Loyola emphasizes excellence in teaching, research and community service.

In 1908, then St. Ignatius College incorporated the School of Law, located at Water Tower Campus in downtown Chicago, and in 1909, incorporated the School of Medicine. The university was renamed Loyola University Chicago in 1909 when it began granting pro-fessional and graduate degrees.

A private university, Loyola University Chicago is com-prised of three Chicago-area campuses– Lake Shore (LSC), Water Tower (WTC) and Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) – as well as the Rome Center in Italy. The Lake Shore Campus on Chicago’s far north side was acquired in 1906. It has more than 40 buildings, including the 5,200-seat, 44,500 square-foot Joseph J. Gentile Event Center for athletics, recreation and special events; the Edward Crown Center for the Humanities; and the Simpson Living-Learning Center residence hall. Lake Shore Campus, Loyola’s main campus, is home to the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest of the uni-versity’s nine schools and colleges; the Graduate School, offering master and doctoral degree programs in a va-riety of areas; the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, the fi rst accredited collegiate nursing school in Illinois; the Institute of Pastoral Studies, which provides training for future church administrators and religious lay lead-ers throughout the world; the Parmly Hearing Research Institute, one of the best-equipped behavioral neuro-science laboratories in the world for hearing research and measurement; Mundelein College, which offers the Midwest’s largest selection of education programs for adults; Cudahy Library, the main university library that includes extensive research tools; and the Martin D’Arcy Museum of Art, a museum of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art, which ranks among the top collegiate mu-seums in the world.

Loyola’s multi-campus library system, with more than 1.7 million volumes, 10,000 periodical subscriptions and a variety of electronic resources, ranks in the top six percent of all U.S. college and university libraries. The library facilities also include some of the most technologi-cally advanced computer systems in use today, including an Internet system that offers student access to resources and networks locally, nationally and internationally.

Water Tower Campus, located along Chicago’s “Magnif-icent Mile” off North Michigan Avenue, was established in 1946. Comprised of nine buildings on approximately three acres, it includes Lewis Towers, site of the School of Education, which grants degrees to the doctoral level; the 25 E. Pearson Street building, home to the School of Business Administration, which offers both bachelor and master degree programs; the Institute of Human Re-sources and Industrial Relations, one of the largest pro-fessional programs for management of human resources and labor relations in the United States; the Family Business Center, an internationally recognized leader in family business program development and research; the six-fl oor Lewis Library; the School of Law’s pioneer-ing Child and Family Law program and the Institute for Health Law; and the School of Social Work, renowned for its two-and four-year clinical programs.

The Loyola University Medical Center campus, located on a 73-acre campus in west suburban Maywood, Illi-nois, is a leading academic medical center. The campus includes 523-bed Foster G. McGaw Hospital, Mulcahy Outpatient Center, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital of Loyola Uni-versity Medical Center and the Stritch School of Medi-cine. The center is also a designated and nationally ac-credited Level I Trauma center that serves 2.5 million people in western Cook and DuPage counties. Opened in 1968, LUMC has grown to become a major refer-ral center for the Chicago metropolitan area. Through Loyola University Health System, some of the most criti-cally ill patients in the state and country are cared for at LUMC. Loyola University Health System also includes an extensive network of outpatient facilities throughout the western suburbs and provides an array of specialty programs and services. The Rome Center of Liberal Arts, founded in 1962, is a division of the College of Arts and Sciences. During the academic year, the Rome Center provides some 200 stu-dents with the cultural advantages of study abroad, mak-ing it one of the largest centers in Western Europe for in-ternational education in the arts and sciences. Students live and study on a fi ve-acre campus on Via Massimi in Monte Mario, only four miles from downtown Rome.

In 1995, Loyola established its Phi Beta Kappa honor society chapter, a distinguished honor held by only eight percent of colleges and universities in America. The Loyola Freshman Experience, recognized as a national model in undergraduate student programming, was es-tablished to provide new students with a comprehensive

learning and living environ-ment, and to involve them with their peers, faculty and university life, as well as the unlimited offerings of the city of Chicago. The Loyola Experience is designed for upperclass students to deep-en the Jesuit philosophy of educating the whole person through academic, social and service opportunities.

The Loyola University Chi-cago Website is located at http://www.luc.edu.


blers Basketball


The City of ChicagoFrom professional franchises like the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Rush, to minor league franchises like the Chicago Wolves and Kane County Cougars, Chicago continues to prove itself a sports-minded town.

But sporting events and sports celebrities aren’t the only draw to this great Midwestern metropolis. Chicago and its environs offer endless series of adventures for students who want to explore its culture, his-tory and recreation.

Chicago is a world-class city of unsurpassed beauty, attracting visitors from around the nation and the world. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the heart of the Midwest, Chicago is home to the Blues, an internationally renowned symphony orchestra, spectacular live theater, celebrated architecture, thousands of restaurants, and world-class museums and shops.

In the heart of downtown Chicago, the El trains trace a circle around the section known as The Loop, a major business hub and the fi nancial center of the Midwest. While there, students can also get a glimpse of the action in the trading pit at the Chicago Board of Trade.

From the observation decks of the Sears Tower and the John Han-cock Building, sightseers can look down on the world’s architectural treasures in the city where the modern skyscraper was invented.

Grant Park separates downtown from the Lake Michigan shore and is the site of the famous Buckingham Fountain and free outdoor con-certs all summer long, including the annual Blues, Jazz and Gospel Festivals.

Bikers, joggers and roller bladers enjoy 18 miles of paved paths along the city’s lakefront, whizzing by sun worshippers on the many beach-es. The third-largest city in the United States, Chicago is sometimes likened to a collection of small towns, since, as you travel inland from the lake, you’ll fi nd a patchwork of ethnic neighborhoods where Pol-ish, Chinese, Spanish, Italian and many more of the world’s languages are spoken on the streets. Ethiopian, Vietnamese and any ethnic cui-sine imaginable awaits the adventurous eater.

Chicago is the birthplace of the electrifi ed blues, famous for its jazz and reggae scenes, and home to the Lyric Opera and one of the world’s greatest orchestras, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among others. As a result, there is no shortage of live music every night, all night long.

More than 100 theaters stage plays from major Broadway hits to the

experimental shows. Students can catch a comedy act at Second City, where many “Saturday Night Live” comedians got their start.

Art lovers can see one of the world’s best collections of Impressionist paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago, and science and nature buffs can check out the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Indus-try, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.

A great city like Chicago should stand out from its counterparts, and it does. The city boasts the world’s largest aquarium (Shedd Aquarium), free public zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo), food festival (Taste of Chicago) and convention facility (McCormick Place), among others.

The city is like a giant classroom just waiting to be explored.

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Weight Room Under the direction and supervi-sion of head strength and conditioning coach Dave Vitel, the Loyola Univer-sity training program is a comprehen-sive system incorporating all aspects of athletic performance. The main goal of the program is to improve sport performance by improving the fundamental physical qualities and skills that are necessary to compete on the fi eld or court. The program is systematic in its approach in that all aspects of the pro-gram are interrelated. The program is not designed as a quick fi x but rather a continuous process of stress and ad-aptation that will yield solid long-term results. In the fall of 2005, Loyola added all new weight equipment including treadmills, free weights and dumb-bells for use by all of the Ramblers’ student-athletes.

TRAINING GOALS• Injury prevention• Improved conditioning• Strength, power and speed develop-ment

PHILOSOPHY• To design programs which meet the individual needs of the student-ath-letes in relation to the demands of Division I athletics and to provide for the progressive physical development of the student-athlete resulting in the enhancement of the physical qualities necessary to compete and win.


blers Basketball


In a short period of time, the Joseph J. Gentile Center went from being one of the newest basketball facilities in the Midwest to being one of the toughest places for opponents to play.

This will be the 10th season Loyola has called the Gentile Center home. Since 1996, the Ramblers have compiled a 75-41 (.647) record at Gentile, including a 10-2 mark in 2002-03. On Dec. 9, 2000, a Gentile Center re-cord 5,513 fans packed the gym to see Loyola face defending NCAA Na-tional Champion Michigan State. In 2002-03, the Ramblers posted a 10-2 ledger at home, marking the fourth time in nine seasons they have won at least ten contests at the Gentile Center.

On November 23, 1996, the Loyola men’s basketball team played its fi rst-ever game in its new home. The 5,200-seat arena was rocking as the team christened the building with a win over Eastern Kentucky.

One of the top practice facilities around, with three full-size courts and 18 baskets, the Gentile Center is tailor-made for the individual attention that student-athletes need.

The man with the vision was former Loyola President John J. Piderit, S.J., who made the decision to build a new multi-purpose facility that would be the men’s and women’s basketball teams’ new home. Then Jo-seph Gentile, a 1946 Loyola graduate, helped make the building a reality. Gentile graciously made a commitment with a total value of $3.5 million to cover nearly half the cost of the new facility that bears his name. He is the former owner of Joe Gentile Chrysler Plymouth in suburban Barrington, Ill. — the “Baron of Barrington” and the pride of Loyola.

“Loyola has a basketball tradition and this facility can help continue that,” said Piderit. “Joe Gentile is a man who sees the future by looking at those who follow in his footsteps. His vision, linked with ours, is that this build-ing will be the site where our basketball programs regain the championship status we once enjoyed in Alumni Gym.”

“This center will become to this generation what Alumni Gym was to gen-erations of the past: the home for not only great basketball, but great men and women whose excellence on the court is only surpassed by their excel-lence as students and as contributors to our great society,” Gentile said.

Gentile has been a long-time fan and supporter of the athletics department at Loyola. For many years, he sponsored the television and radio broad-casts of Ramblers basketball games and has donated cars for raffl es held by the Loyola Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

The Chicago native, along with Gerry Nagel and John Rosich, was the main benefactor for the construction of the Gentile Center. Gentile, who is

known in the area as the “Baron of Barrington”, was named the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame Man of the Year in 1990 and earned the Founders Award one year later.

The facility is easily the most visible symbol in the current rise of the Ram-bler men and women’s basketball teams. The Joseph J. Gentile Center replaced tradition-rich Alumni Gym, the legendary “Big Brown Box that Rocks,” as the Ramblers’ basketball home. The new structure, located on the Lake Shore Campus, just east of Alumni Gym, is used for athletics, recreation and special events.

While the most visible tenants of this building are the Rambler basketball teams, an equally important group uses the building — the Loyola student body. Whether for graduation, intramural activities or entertainment pur-poses such as concerts and speakers, the facility allows the Department of Student Affairs to greatly expand its offerings. For the past four seasons, the Gentile Center has been the site of the Illinois High School Association boys and girls basketball supersectional rounds.

For the coming years, the 45,000-square-foot facility will be used not only for men’s and women’s basketball, but also for Loyola special events, as well as by the community in the Rogers Park-Edgewater neighborhood. Graduation, which used to be held downtown in Medinah Temple, also is held in the Gentile Center.

The architecture fi rm of Solomon, Cordwell, Buenz and Associates Inc., is responsible for the facility’s design. The same fi rm also designed the Simpson Living-Learning Center as well as the Lake Shore Campus park-ing facility.

Joseph J. Gentile Center

Top Crowds at the Joseph J. Gentile Center

1. 5.513 vs. Michigan State (Dec. 2, 2000)2. 5,392 vs. Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 27, 2003)3. 4,705 vs. Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 20, 1999)4. 4,623 vs. Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 23, 1996)5. 4,572 vs. Illinois-Chicago (Jan. 24, 1998)6. 4,539 vs. Illinois-Chicago (Jan. 17, 2002)7. 4,221 vs. Butler (Jan. 31, 1998)8. 4,130 vs. Bradley (Nov. 27, 1999)9. 4,125 vs. Butler (Jan. 20, 2002)10. 4,109 vs. Illinois-Chicago (Jan. 22, 2000)

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Loyola makes a total commit-ment to protecting the health and well-being of its student-athletes and has three certifi ed athletic trainers available in addition to one student-trainer. At least one trainer is present at every prac-tice and competition to ensure a prompt response in the event that medical attention is required.

Loyola’s training facilities are lo-cated in Alumni Gym, the same building which houses both home and visiting locker rooms, and are fully equipped with tap-ing and fi rst-aid tables, therapeu-tic whirlpools and rehabilitation equipment. In addition, physicians are available around the clock in accor-dance with the Loyola University Medical Health Systems. They provide specialized medical care and also preside over preseason physicals, required for all student-athletes.

Training Room

Community ServiceMembers of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team are visible in the Rogers Park community and take very seriously their status as role models for children. Throughout the course of the school year,

Loyola student-ath-letes and coaches will pay visits to schools, hospitals and work closely with Misericordia, which is located just one mile west of campus. Miseri-cordia is a service provider that cares for over 550 chil-dren and adults challenged by men-tal and physical dis-abilities.


blers Basketball


With a strong support base from the student body, the local com-munity and faithful alums, Loyola basketball generates plenty of ex-citement as fans await the start of the year. There is little doubt that Rambler fans have a love not only for their university but for their basketball team as well. Over 2,000 Loyola students have signed up to be part of the Rambler Rowdies, the student cheering section and support group.

This season, Loyola will play host to Purdue, in-state rival Bradley, city foe Illinois-Chicago and UW-Milwaukee, a Sweet Sixteen fi nalist from a year ago.

Rambler Spirit

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Developing Each Individual PlayerThe backbone of the Loyola basketball program is the coaching staff’s commitment to player development. Individual workouts include drills to improve shooting, ball-handling, post moves, footwork, agility, strength and stamina. Each individual workout is developed by the Loyola coaching staff and is tailored to fi t the needs of each student-athlete.


blers Basketball


John PlanekDirector of Intercol-legiate Athletics In six years under the direc-tion of John Planek, the Loyola University Chicago athletics de-partment has enjoyed unprec-edented success as the Ram-blers have captured a total of

16 regular-season or tournament championships, with the women’s volleyball squad earning three trips to the NCAA Tournament and the women’s soccer program capturing its fi rst-ever NCAA appearance in 2004. Planek was named Loyola’s Director of Intercolle-giate Athletics on Sept. 15, 1999, after serving 13 years at DePaul University before becoming Director of Athletics at St. Ignatius College Prep in 1997. At Loyola, Planek has overseen the construction of a new locker room facility at the soccer and softball fi elds, the installation of Field Turf at the soccer/softball complex, the renovation of the weight room in Alumni Gym and the completion of a new outdoor track on Halas Field. He was also instrumental in the move for the new athletics logo that was unveiled in July 2000. Planek was also a driving force behind the creation of a Sports Management degree program at the undergrad-uate level, following the creation of a Sports Management Certifi cate Program. Furthermore, under Planek’s leader-ship, Loyola is working to formulate a partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance to house an offi ce on campus. He was a catalyst for Loyola becoming a host site of state high school playoff games in both soccer and basketball and was instrumental in helping add several full-time staff positions with the athletics department. In 2002-03, Loyola earned regular-season titles in both women’s volleyball and softball and the volleyball squad fi nished No. 28 in the RPI, the highest mark in school history. The women weren’t the only volleyball players to experience success as the men’s team came within a match of the NCAA Final Four for the second consecutive year as well. For the second straight year, the Ramblers fi nished in fourth-place, matching the best mark in school annals, in the McCafferty Trophy standings, an award given to the Horizon League’s all-sports champion. Loyola fi nished a mere half-point out of third place in 2002-03. In 2003-04, for the second straight year, the Ramblers placed second in the women’s standings for the McCafferty Trophy. The 2001-02 season was one of the best in Loyola history as the Ramblers tallied their highest-ever point to-tal in the Horizon League’s McCafferty Trophy standings and were just one point shy of third place. Both the men’s and women’s cross country squads claimed fi rst place at the Horizon League Championships and the women’s vol-leyball, men’s volleyball and softball teams each captured at least a share of the regular-season league title. In four years as associate athletics director at De-Paul University, Planek served as the department’s chief fi nancial offi cer and oversaw the marketing, promotions, advertising and corporate sponsorship programs as well as the day-to-day operations of the ticket offi ce. There he was also responsible for the solicitation of new advertisers and sponsors as well as developing and controlling the annual budget and assisting in contract negotiation. Prior to serv-ing as associate athletics director, Planek was DePaul’s as-sistant business manager. Planek also has extensive championship experience at the Division I level. In 1997, he was the Conference USA Women’s Basketball Tournament Manager and he was also a NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tourna-ment Manager in 1993. In 1992, he served as the Tour-nament Manager for the Great Midwest Men’s Basketball Tournament. At St. Ignatius, Planek was responsible for the administration of 19 interscholastic sports, including 60 coaches and more than 600 student-athletes on 46 teams. His responsibilities also included the oversight of facilities, intramurals and scheduling of all athletics contests. Planek has a M.S. in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, a B.S. in accounting from Illinois Institute of Technology, and is a graduate of Fen-wick High School. He and his wife, Mary Alice, reside in Oak Park with their fi ve children, Elizabeth (16), Mary Kate (14), John (12), Thomas (10) and Margaret (5).

Carolyn O’ConnellSenior Associate Athletics Direc-tor/Senior Woman Administrator

In her 26th year with Loyola University Chicago Athletics, Carolyn Vel-los O’Connell is vital to the day-to-day operations of the Loyola Department of Intercollegiate Athlet-ics. Her responsibilities as senior associate athletics director include those of senior woman administra-tor, a position she has held since 1984. As senior associate athletics director, O’Connell is responsible for supervising various men’s and women’s sports programs, as well as the spirit program. Her other responsibilities include serving as the departmental liaison to the offi ces of admissions, residence life, student fi nancial as-sistance and learning assistance, while also serving as the NCAA compliance offi cer for Loyola. A well-respected administrator, O’Connell serves on numerous committees. She is a member of the Horizon League Finance Committee and is the liaison for the Horizon League Women’s Basketball Committee. O’Connell was chosen by the NCAA Public Affairs Staff to serve as a NCAA Champion, a pub-lic affairs initiative created to provide important viewpoints that can provide added perspective to issues in higher education which present a more balanced image of the NCAA and collegiate sports. The goal of the program is to help the public and media better understand the commitment to sup-port the academic, athletics and personal goals of student-athletes as well as reaffi rm the mission and role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Skokie Little League Baseball and the St. Athana-sius School Board. A former member of the NCAA Initial Eligi-bility Waiver Committee, O’Connell was recently appointed by the Division I Academic/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet as a member of the NCAA Di-vision I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstate-ment until 2006. Prior to 1984, O’Connell also held the assis-tant athletics director position, the coordinator for women’s athletics and the head women’s volleyball coach titles. As volleyball coach at Loyola from 1979-83, she compiled an overall record of 173-87 and was named North Star Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1983, leading her team to the league championship. She was an assistant coach for the Midwest men’s volleyball team at the National Sports Festival in Syracuse, N.Y. Before joining the Loyola staff in 1979, O’Connell spent fi ve years teaching and coaching at Resurrection High School in Chicago. A 1974 graduate of DePaul University, she received her bachelor’s degree in education. A standout on the women’s volleyball team, she was inducted into DePaul’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993. O’Connell and her husband Ray and two sons, Raymond and Peter, reside in Chicago.

Tom HitchoSenior Associate Athletics Director

Tom Hitcho is enter-ing his 29th year with the Loyola Athletics Department and is the

longest-running staff member in the de-partment, making him synonymous with Loyola athletics. He has been an associ-ate athletics director since 1986, and was named senior associate athletics director in 2000. Hitcho also holds the head ath-letics trainer position. “I enjoy working with the people in my department,” said Hitcho. “Through-out the years, the staff members and the coaches have been very good to me. I es-pecially enjoy working with the student-athletes because they keep me young, and the Jesuit administration has always been cooperative with and supportive of athletics.” Hitcho’s primary responsibilities include the purchasing of athletic equip-ment, making all travel arrangements, and fulfi lling the fi nancial obligations for the athletics department. As head athletics trainer, a position he has held since he came to Loyola in 1977, Hitcho is in charge of the care and prevention of injuries for student-ath-letes, as well as overseeing the rehabilita-tion of athletes. Hitcho was the last employee hired by former head men’s basketball coach and athletics director George Ireland, before his retirement. Before coming to Loyola, Hitcho was a graduate assistant in the physical education program at In-diana State University and received his M.S. in Sports Medicine from that uni-versity in 1977. He went on to earn a Ph.D. from Loyola in 1996. A graduate of Youngstown State University with a B.S. in education, Hi-tcho entered the U.S. Navy and served as a member of a Flight Crew from 1971-1975. He resides in Chicago.

Athletics Administration

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


The Horizon League, entering its 27th year, is continually raising its sights in an effort to become one of the nation’s leading athletic con-ferences, one that is building upon the success of its citizen-athletes both on the playing fi eld and in the classroom. An organization that regards athletics as an integral part of the educational process, the Horizon League features a strong foundation of both public and private institu-tions that have a storied tradition of broad-based athletic programs. The impressive list includes: Butler University, Cleveland State University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wright State University, and Youngstown State University. These institutions are led by administrators and coaches who place a constant emphasis on academic integrity, sportsmanship, and personal involvement in the community. On June 4, 2001, the Horizon League changed its name from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. The Horizon League name and in-novative logo have ushered in a new dynamic image, one whose pri-mary focus remains on its student-athletes, particularly with regard to its four platforms: athletic per-formance, academic achievement, community outreach, and personal responsibility and accountability. It is the Horizon League’s belief that athletics is a powerful and visible resource through which public trust in higher education can be restored and the challenges facing the nation can be addressed. It is the plainly stated goal of the Horizon League to enhance the holistic university expe-rience for the student-athlete, to cre-ate an affi liation of institutions with similar athletic goals, and to adhere to the principles of integrity, diver-sity, excellence, and growth. The Horizon League, whose of-fi ce is located at the Pan American Plaza in Indianapolis, also has established specifi c goals that look to up-grade the league’s market and competitive position with an eye toward continually enhancing the student-athlete experience. The League is committed to engage both its staff and member-institution administra-tors and students to serve on national-level committees. As an example, Horizon League Commissioner Jonathan LeCrone has recently com-pleted his second year on the prestigious NCAA Division I Men’s Bas-ketball Committee. One of only 10 members to sit on the committee, he has been appointed to a fi ve-year term. This appointment has served as a wonderful opportunity to raise the visibility of the Horizon League and that of its member schools. The Horizon League is well equipped to handle its heightened vis-ibility. Horizon League media markets, including fi ve of the nation’s top 35 in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee, cover more than nine million television households and encompass nine per-cent of the country’s television audience. The member institutions are generally located in vibrant major metropolitan areas and benefi t from the business, cultural, educational, and entertainment resources avail-able to the university community. In 2004-05, the Horizon League enjoyed one of its best years ever on the national stage, highlighted by UW-Milwaukee’s advancement to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament with victories over Boston College and Alabama before falling to then-No. 1 and even-tual national runner-up Illinois. The Panthers’ run came just two years

after Butler advanced to the Sweet 16, making the Horizon League the only non-BCS conference with two regional semifi nalists in the past three years. In other NCAA action that fall, UW-Milwaukee defeated No. 20 San Francisco in men’s soccer and Detroit upset Michigan in women’s soccer in their respective tournaments while Butler’s men’s cross coun-try team fi nished fourth in the nation. In the spring, UW-Green Bay knocked off No. 6 Oregon State in the opening round of the NCAA softball championship and Butler’s Victoria Mitchell became the fi rst Horizon League athlete to be crowned a national champion when she won the steeplechase at the NCAA outdoor track and fi eld meet. Originally founded in 1979 as the Midwestern City Conference, the League was a men’s-only sports conference until the 1986-87 aca-demic year when it added women’s athletics. The Horizon League offers a total of 19 championships (nine men’s sports and 10 women’s sports).

The League enjoys NCAA automatic qualifi cation in baseball, men’s bas-ketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, women’s ten-nis and women’s volleyball. In addition to individual team success in the NCAA Tournament, the Horizon League also has a rich tradition of hosting the men’s NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis. As a co-host with Butler University, the League’s re-sume includes hosting the Men’s Final Four in 1991, 1997 and 2000. In addition, it has hosted the First- and Second-Rounds in 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2005 and the Women’s Final Four for the fi rst time in 2005. The Men’s Final Four returns to Indianapolis in 2006 and 2010. Cleveland State will host the Women’s Final Four in 2007 and Detroit will host the Men’s Final Four in 2009. In other sports, UW-

Green Bay hosted one of four NCAA Volleyball Regionals at the Resch Center in 2004, while Cleveland State will welcome one of three NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals to Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon, Ohio, in the spring of 2006. In addition to its on-fi eld and on-court success, the Horizon League has secured a well-earned reputation for its community service initia-tives. The Horizon League expects its student-athletes to serve fellow students, respective institutions, and their communities. In 2004, several member schools of the Horizon League chose Special Olympics as a partner for the League’s “National Day of Service.” On each partici-pating Horizon League campus, student-athletes managed and partici-pated in various events, clinics, and competitions to benefi t local Special Olympic athletes. In addition, the League will host its third annual Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in January 2006 by coordinating arts contests with local elementary schools in several institutions’ cit-ies with the winners being recognized at men’s and women’s basketball games on MLK weekend. The Horizon League is proud of its heritage, its direction, its insti-tutions, and most of all, its student-athletes. It believes these young men and women will continue to play a signifi cant role in articulating “what’s right” about intercollegiate athletics.

Horizon League - Raise Your Sights

The Coaching Staff

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Success and Jim Whitesell go hand in hand.

In 18 seasons as a head coach, White-sell has accumulated a 291-211 (.580) record, helping six of his teams reach the NCAA Tournament. A proven winner, he has produced a winning record in 12 of those 18 campaigns, four times claiming at least 20 games. In nearly two decades as a head coach, he has demonstrated an un-

canny ability to rebuild programs and he quickly got to work at restoring the tradition at Loyola in 2004-05. Whitesell and his staff helped generate plenty of excitement and interest in the Loyola program immediately and student support has reached unprec-edented heights.

Last season, Whitesell guided Loyola to a 13-win season, a four-game improvement from 2003-04, as the Ramblers earned the No. 4 seed and advanced to the semifi nal round at the Horizon League Championship. Turning in arguably the fi nest coaching job in the conference, he captained Loyola to an 8-8 record in Horizon League action, equaling Gene Sullivan’s school record for most league wins by a fi rst-year coach, while his 13 overall victories were the most since Sullivan also won 13 in his inaugural campaign in Rogers Park in 1980-81. Making Whitesell’s coaching job even more impressive was the fact that the Ramblers were picked to fi n-ish eighth in the annual preseason poll.

Loyola fi nished the season with a bang, winning nine of its fi nal 13 contests, as it swept UW-Green Bay, the second-place fi nisher in the Horizon League, and took two of three games from city foe Illinois-Chicago. Under Whitesell’s tutelage, guard Blake Schilb blossomed, earning First Team All-Horizon League accolades, while all six of the Ramblers’ returning scholarship players estab-lished career highs in scoring average. Despite the sub-.500 record, Loyola was in nearly every contest as nine of its losses were by seven points or less.

Whitesell was introduced as Loyola’s head men’s basketball coach on April 14, 2004. Whitesell, a 1982 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, had served as the head coach at nearby Lewis University for the previous 12 seasons, compiling a 214-126 (.629) record there.

“Jim has had a tremendous amount of success at Lewis and when contacting individuals about our job, his name repeatedly came up as someone we should consider,” Loyola Director of Athlet-ics John Planek said. “He is a great fi t for this job because he has strong ties to the Chicago area and is a proven winner. And, Bruce Pearl (UW-Milwaukee) and Steve Hawkins (Western Michigan) are excellent examples of coaches from the Great Lakes Valley Conference who have enjoyed tremendous success at the Division I level. We are thrilled to add Jim to the Loyola family.”

In 2003-04, Whitesell guided Lewis to a 24-7 record and helped the Flyers win the program’s fi rst GLVC championship in 16 years. For his efforts, Whitesell was lauded as the GLVC Coach of the

Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year and, for the sixth time, the Illinois Bas-ketball Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year. For the fi rst time in school history, Lewis was the No. 1 seed in the region at the 2004 NCAA tournament.

“I enjoyed meeting with Jim during the interview process and be-lieve he has a fi rm understanding of the mission of Loyola,” Loyola University Chicago President Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J. said. “The university is undergoing a great revitalization and growth with enrollment numbers reaching new heights. That growth is also visible by new buildings going up on campus and we look for-ward to Jim being the person to help restore Loyola to basketball prominence.”

From 2001-04, Whitesell’s charges racked up a 72-22 (.766) re-cord, the most successful three-year stint in program history, ad-vancing to the NCAA tournament each season. The 2002 Flyers equaled the school record with 25 victories and advanced to the Division II Sweet Sixteen.

Lewis made fi ve trips to the Division II NCAA tournament under Whitesell’s watchful eye and won at least 18 games on seven occa-sions. He produced 10 winning seasons in 12 years in Romeoville.

Head Coach Jim Whitesell

In 2004-05, Jim Whitesell tied a Loyola record for most league wins by a fi rst-year coach.


blers Basketball


The 2003-04 team was ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation.

Off the court, Whitesell’s players have been true student-athletes as over 95 per-cent of his players have graduated in his 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach. During his tenure at Lewis, Whitesell implemented several community and on-campus programs to bring support and awareness to the basketball program. Some of those initiatives included Midnight Madness and a Sixth Man Club, a program to develop enthusiasm and support for the team among the student body.

“Loyola has made an excellent choice in hiring Jim Whitesell,” Saint Louis Uni-versity head coach Brad Soderberg said. “He is energetic, well organized and will work non-stop to be successful. His teams will be solid at both ends of the fl oor and will play hard. Jim will win and make Loyola proud because he will do it the right way.”

A master at rebuilding programs, Whitesell revived Elmhurst College by guid-ing the Bluejays to a 19-9 record and the school’s fi rst-ever NCAA Division III Championship berth in 1991-92. In fi ve seasons at Elmhurst (1987-92), he turned around a program that had not posted a winning campaign in 17 previous years.

Prior to his appointment at Elmhurst, Whitesell served as an assistant coach at Minnesota State University (formerly Mankato State) from 1985-87, at Wabash Valley Community College in 1984-85 and at Ellsworth Community College in 1983-84.

“Jim is a proven winner and has rebuilt the programs at both Elmhurst and Lew-is,” Wake Forest University Director of Athletics Ron Wellman said. “He has all the characteristics and qualities you look for in a coach. He will be a tremendous representative of Loyola University Chicago.”

Whitesell graduated from Luther College in 1982 after attending Ellsworth Com-munity College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. He earned a master’s degree in education from the University of North Dakota in 1983.

Whitesell and his wife Connie, a partner with the human resources consulting fi rm PW Associates, reside in Chicago.

Head Coach Jim WhitesellThe Whitesell File

Year School Record1987-88 Elmhurst 6-201988-89 Elmhurst 12-141989-90 Elmhurst 15-111990-91 Elmhurst 12-141991-92 Elmhurst 19-9 $1992-93 Lewis 6-211993-94 Lewis 18-91994-95 Lewis 14-131995-96 Lewis 18-91996-97 Lewis 16-111997-98 Lewis 19-9 $1998-99 Lewis 21-8 $1999-00 Lewis 19-82000-01 Lewis 11-162001-02 Lewis 25-7 $2002-03 Lewis 23-8 $2003-04 Lewis 24-7 $2004-05 Loyola 13-17Overall 291-211 (.580)$ - NCAA Tournament appearance

Coaching Experience:2004-present Head Men’s Basketball Coach,

Loyola University Chicago1992-2004 Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Lewis

University1987-92 Head Coach, Elmhurst College1985-87 Assistant Coach, Minnesota State Univer-

sity1984-85 Assistant Coach, Wabash Valley Commu-

nity College1983-84 Assistant Coach, Ellsworth Community

College1982-83 Graduate Assistant Coach, University of

North Dakota

Education:1983 Master’s Degree in Education, University of

North Dakota1982 Bachelor of Arts Degree, Luther College1980 Associate of Arts Degree, Ellsworth Commu-

nity College

Personal:Date of Birth: December 27, 1959Hometown: Iowa Falls, IowaFamily: Wife Connie

Whitesell has guided six of his teams to postseason play.

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Mark Lovelace enters his sec-ond season as an assistant coach at Loyola, but he is hardly a stranger to head coach Jim Whitesell. Lovelace served as one of Whitesell’s assistant coaches at Lewis University from 1999-2003. Prior to his ar-rival in Rogers Park , Lovelace spent one season as the head coach at Saint Mary’s Univer-

sity in Winona, Minn.

Last season, Lovelace helped the Ramblers to 13 wins, a four-game improvement in the victory column from the previous campaign, and to an appearance in the semifi -nal round of the Horizon League Championship. Loyola posted season sweeps of UW-Green Bay and Wright State and took two of three meetings from city foe Il-linois-Chicago. Picked to fi nish eighth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, the Ramblers wound up tied for fourth place. Lovelace was also instrumental in helping mold Blake Schilb into a First Team All-Horizon League performer in 2004-05.

Focusing his recruiting efforts in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Lovelace was largely responsible for landing J.R. Blount who guided his team to consecutive state titles in Wisconsin in his fi nal two years at Whitefi sh Bay Dominican High School.

“Mark has worked with me for six years, so his experi-ence is very benefi cial to the program,” Whitesell said. “I rely on him to take care of a lot of the day-to-day ins and outs of the program, whether it be game management, scouting or recruiting, among many others. Because we have worked together for so long, Mark knows what I am looking for when it comes to game, practice or re-cruiting concerns.”

In 2003-04, as the front man at Saint Mary’s, Lovelace guided the Cardinals to their most wins in four seasons and to their fi rst three-game winning streak in four years. Saint Mary’s limited Cal Tech to a school-record eight fi eld goals and a mere fi ve fi rst-half points in a victory.

An experienced coach, Lovelace has completed tours of duty at the high school, prep school and collegiate lev-els. He was an integral part of Lewis’ success, helping the Flyers to a 78-39 (.667) record and a pair of NCAA

Tournament appearances in his four seasons in Rome-oville. He was Whitesell’s right-hand man and recruit-ing coordinator for three seasons, assisting the Flyers to their most successful back-to-back campaigns in school history from 2001-03. Lovelace helped recruit numerous all-conference players as well as the 2004 Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year and Division II All-American, Monta McGhee.

Prior to his tenure at Lewis, Lovelace was an assistant coach at Augusta Prep in Georgia and he has also served a stint at Decorah High School in Iowa.

A graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Lovelace started all 100 games of his collegiate career. As a point guard, he established school records for assists in both a season and a career.

He and his wife Lea are the parents of two children, Noah and Ada.

Assistant Coach Mark Lovelace


blers Basketball


No stranger to the Chicago area or to Horizon League basket-ball, Patrick Baldwin heads into his second year on the Loyola coaching staff after spending two seasons at Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Leavenworth, Kan., native works primarily with the guards.

In his fi rst season at Loyola, Baldwin helped the Ramblers improve by four games in the win column from the previous campaign. Picked to fi nish eighth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, Loyola wound up tied for fourth and was the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. The Ramblers closed out the season strong, winning nine of their last 13 outings, including six straight, before falling to UW-Milwaukee in the semifi nal round of the Horizon League Champion-ship.

Working with the guards, Baldwin helped DaJuan Gouard to his most productive season as a Rambler as the senior put up 16.0 ppg, well above his previous career best of 8.9 ppg in 2003-04. Majak Kou also set a personal best by averaging 10.6 ppg under Baldwin’s watchful eye. An injury to Gouard early in December forced Blake Schilb to assume the duties at point guard and the 6-foot-7 guard blossomed, averaging 17.9 ppg and 4.0 apg en route to First Team All-Horizon League accolades.

While at Green Bay, Baldwin was part of the revitaliza-tion of the Phoenix program. In 2003-04, he helped the Phoenix to a 17-11 record and a third-place fi nish in the Horizon League, the team’s best overall showing since 1999 and most league victories in eight years. Green Bay’s eight-game, single-season improvement ranked among the top ten in the nation. After being picked to fi nish sev-enth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, the Phoenix earned its best league fi nish in fi ve seasons. In addition to his work with the guards, Baldwin also served as recruit-ing coordinator.

“Pat coordinates our recruiting efforts and has done a great job with that,” Whitesell said. “He brings great ex-perience, both as a coach and as a player to our program and works closely with our perimeter players. He is very organized, has a tremendous work ethic and has great people skills.”

Prior to his stint at UW-Green Bay, Baldwin was the top

assistant at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.

Baldwin was a four-year starter at Northwestern Uni-versity (1990-94), leading the Wildcats in steals all four campaigns. With 3.2 spg in 1990-91, he led the Big Ten and was the nation’s top freshman in that category. He holds team records for assists and steals in a season and graduated as the Wildcats’ career leader in both catego-ries. Baldwin ranks 11th on the NU career scoring chart with 1,189 points.

After graduation, he spent three years as a business ana-lyst for Dean Foods in Rosemont, Ill., then resumed his playing career. Baldwin played professionally in Bosnia and Croatia and during the 2000-01 season, he was an all-star in the Croatian Federation League, averaging 17.5 ppg.

Baldwin and his wife Shawn, are the proud parents of two children – Patrick Jr. and Tatum.

Assistant Coach Patrick Baldwin

2005

-200

6 Lo

yola R

amblers

Bas

ketball


Shay Boyle enters his fi rst season as an assistant coach at Loyola, but he has been a part of Jim Whitesell’s staff for the last three years. From 2002-04, he served as assistant coach at Lewis under White-sell, where he helped guide the Flyers to an impressive 47-15 (.758) overall record, a

29-2 home mark and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

“This is a great opportunity for Shay to get more in-volved in a recruiting role. He will focus on recruiting in Illinois and Indiana. Shay has great organizational skills and has done a great job with our on-campus projects like the Rambler Rowdies and campus vis-its,” Whitesell said.

During the 2003-04 campaign, Boyle helped direct the Flyers to a 24-7 record and their fi rst Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship in 16 years. Lewis earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fi rst time in school history. He was extensively involved in the team’s scouting and recruiting efforts and his on-fl oor coaching duties focused on develop-ing the Flyers’ perimeter players.

In his fi rst season at Loyola, Boyle coordinated the day-to-day activities of the basketball offi ce. His re-sponsibilities included fi lm exchange, video editing, on-campus recruiting visits and academic coordina-tion. He was also the director of the Rambler Shoot-out and the Jim Whitesell Loyola Basketball Camp. His efforts were instrumental in the formation of the Loyola student support group, the Rambler Row-dies.

A 1999 cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Boyle earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a double major of marketing and computer applications. Boyle spent three years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he served as a glob-al technology consultant. Boyle earned a master’s degree in business administration from Lewis last spring. He is also a 1995 graduate of Weber High

School in Chicago where he was a four-year member and team captain of the basketball team, and an all-conference baseball player.

During the 2001-02 season, he assisted the varsi-ty basketball team at Notre Dame High School in Niles, Ill., helping guide the Dons to a 24-4 record, and regional and East Suburban Catholic Confer-ence championships.

Boyle also has extensive experience working at prominent camps. Formerly the director of the Lewis Flyer Summer Basketball Camps, he coached at the Ray Meyer Basketball Camp and has worked camps at Notre Dame and Duke. He also has served as a team leader at the Chicago Bulls Training Academy in Lisle, Ill.

Assistant Coach Shay Boyle


blers Basketball


Scott Riley enters his fi rst season as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Loyola after spending the past fi ve years as an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota. However, the Chicago native is no stranger to Loyola head coach Jim Whitesell, having player un-

der him at Lewis from 1994-98. After his playing ca-reer, Riley worked as a student assistant coach under Whitesell during the 1998-99 season.

“Scott brings some good experience to our program as he spent the last fi ve years as an assistant coach at North Dakota,” Whitesell said. “This is a great op-portunity for Scott to be back home and is a good fi t for him as he looks to advance in his career.”

Riley will coordinate the day-to-day activities of the basketball offi ce, including fi lm exchange, video ed-iting, on-campus recruiting visits and academic co-ordination.

At North Dakota, Riley worked extensively with the forwards and centers and one of his pupils, Jerome Beasley, played for the Miami Heat in 2003-04. Bea-sley was the NCAA Division II Player of the Year in 2002-03. In his tenure at UND, Riley developed four all-conference players and two All-Americans.

A four-year starter at Lewis, the St. Patrick High School graduate helped the Flyers to the 1998 NCAA Tournament and was named the team’s co-MVP and received the Coaches Award. As a senior at Lewis, Riley served as team captain while leading the squad and ranking third in the Great Lakes Valley Confer-ence with 1.2 bpg.

Coordinator of Basketball OperationsScott Riley

Kelin AlthoffTeam Manager

Adam CarrabottaTeam Manager

Matt LaRocheTeam Manager

loyola university chicago - · pdf fileloyola university chicago ... 18000 von karman avenue...

Documents