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Loyola of Chicago became the latest university to shift its conference allegiances Tuesday, announcing it plans to leave the Missouri Valley Conference for the Atlantic 10 beginning in 2022-23.
Loyola President Jo Ann Rooney issued a statement about the decision:
I am excited to announce that Loyola University Chicago will be joining the Atlantic 10 Conference beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. The A-10 is widely regarded as one of the top leagues in the country for its success in competition and in the classroom. This move will continue to grow our visibility at a national level, while at the same time placing us in a league with three other Jesuit institutions. We are confident this is a move that positions Loyola for even greater success, both athletically and academically, in the future.
Loyola has emerged as one of the best mid-major men's basketball programs in the country in recent seasons. The Ramblers reached the Final Four in 2018 and the Sweet 16 last season under Porter Moser, who left the program for Oklahoma in April.
New head coach Drew Valentine has Loyola off to a 2-0 start this season.
Oklahoma and Texas kicked off the recent trend of realignment, announcing plans to leave the Big 12 for the SEC in 2025. The Big 12 then added BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston, which led to the American Athletic Conference landing Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA, all of which came from Conference USA.
C-USA rebounded by picking up Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State. It also lost Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss to the Sun Belt.
Nearly all of these moves were centered around football; Loyola's move is basketball-centric. The Atlantic 10 has not sponsored football since 2006.
Loyola's departure was the latest blow for to the Missouri Valley Conference, long a mid-major staple that has been weakening over the last decade. Creighton departed for the Big East in 2013, and Wichita State departed for the AAC in 2017.
The MVC has seemingly become a stepping stone for programs to turn themselves into mid-major powers before finding greener pastures elsewhere.
The players won't be the only ones jumping if Loyola-Chicago advances to the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA men's tournament.
"I'll be jumping around, literally, not figuratively, I'll be jumping around as much as they are," Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt said, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. "It will just be a great thrill if they get to the Final Four again, or even go up a couple steps more. I will hardly believe that it happened. Last time, I thought to myself, 'I will never see anything like this again.'"
The 101-year-old team chaplain was in attendance for the Ramblers' first-round victory over Georgia Tech and second-round stunner over top-seeded Illinois.
She certainly knows what championship basketball looks like considering she saw the Ramblers take home the 1963 national championship.
"I waited since 1963, because I saw that game too," she said. "If we got this, it would be perfect. They're working toward it, and I believe they still can do it. One never knows what's going to happen in a basketball game on the floor that night."
If Sister Jean really is jumping around after a Final Four run this year, the basketball won't be the only appointment viewing.
The 2020-21 Loyola of Chicago Ramblers had no business being a No. 8 seed.
Within moments of the final buzzer sounding on a dominant 71-58 victory over No. 1 seed Illinois, the word "Cinderella" had already been uttered multiple times by announcers and studio analysts alike.
But this time around, the glass slipper simply doesn't fit.
The Ramblers went 21-4 during the regular season, steamrolling their way through the Missouri Valley Conference and winning their three conference tournament games by a combined 50 points to secure an automatic bid.
The most recent AP poll, released on March 15, shows Loyola-Chicago at No. 17 ahead of the likes of Villanova, Creighton, Purdue, Texas Tech, Colorado, BYU, USC and Virginia Tech.
All of those teams were seeded higher than the Ramblers—some by as many as four seed lines.
Simple math says the No. 17 team in the nation should be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, and while the selection committee does not adhere to the AP poll by any means, a disparity of three seed lines is still a bit of a head-scratcher.
The KenPom rankings paint an even clearer picture of just how good this Ramblers team has been.
They rank No. 7 overall, behind only Gonzaga, Michigan, Houston, Baylor, Illinois and Iowa, and lay claim to the No. 1 ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency.
That pesky defense was on full display Sunday.
The Illini turned the ball over 17 times, six of which came from All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu, and they never found any sort of rhythm aside from a solid two-minute stretch to close out the first half. The 58 points scored by Illinois were its lowest point total of the season.
Meanwhile, with a patient half-court attack and the versatility of big man Cameron Krutwig, the Ramblers put on a clinic on the offensive end.
They shot 51 percent from the floor, a mark exceeded by only three teams against the Illini defense this season, and they found easy basket after easy basket late in the shot clock.
It all starts with Krutwig.
The Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and a holdover from the 2018 Final Four team when he started as a true freshman, he filled up the box score with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Beyond the counting stats, his ability to play on the perimeter and run the offense pulled Kofi Cockburn out of the paint, opening things up underneath offensively.
And while the 6'9" senior center was the focal point Sunday, this is far from a one-dimensional attack.
Senior guard Lucas Williamson averages a modest 8.6 points per game, but he dropped a season-high 21 on 8-of-13 shooting against Georgia Tech in their opening-round win. The MVC Defensive Player of the Year is another holdover from the 2018 squad.
Guards Braden Norris (8.4 PPG, 52 3PT, 40.9 3PT%) and Keith Clemons (38 3PT, 45.8 3PT%) are both knockdown shooters from the outside, and Norris leads the team with 3.1 assists per game as the starting point guard.
Even when Krutwig needs a breather, the team can turn to 6'10" freshman Jacob Hutson, who has played his way into the rotation as the season has progressed. He tallied five points, two rebounds and one block in seven minutes of action Sunday.
There is no future lottery pick or 5-star recruit on this roster.
It's just a deep, talented, fundamentally sound team that has fully bought into the philosophy of head coach Porter Moser. They executed a well-crafted game plan to a T on Sunday to send a really good Illinois team packing in lopsided fashion.
So save the Cinderella talk for teams like North Texas and Oral Roberts.
This Loyola-Chicago squad is a bona fide Final Four threat, and it has been since before the NCAA tournament ever began.
All stats courtesy of Sports Reference.
When Loyola-Chicago opens the 2021 NCAA men's tournament on Friday, Sister Jean will be in the stands offering support for her team.
Per Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune, the school confirmed on Tuesday that Sister Jean will travel to Indianapolis for the tournament:
Sister Jean became a breakout star three years ago when the Ramblers advanced to the Final Four. The 101-year-old has worked as the chaplain for the school's basketball team since 1994.
She gave the school permission to use her name and likeness on merchandise in the wake of that tournament run. Her bobbleheads were being sold on eBay for as much as $650.
The Ramblers earned a No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region, their best tournament seeding since the 1984-85 season (No. 4). They will play ACC champion Georgia Tech in the Round of 64 on Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
Do you believe in miracles? If you want to root for a team that started from the bottom and climbed into the spotlight, look no further than the Drake Bulldogs.
Drake's Tourney History
Existing for over a century, the Drake men's basketball program has made the NCAA tournament four times. Its last visit, and only one since 1971, ended swiftly with a first-round loss to No. 12 seed Western Kentucky in 2008.
After losing the Missouri Valley Conference championship game to Loyola, Drake wasn't guaranteed to snap that drought. Entering Selection Sunday on the bubble, the 25-4 Bulldogs received an at-large bid. An 18-0 start and eye-popping offensive numbers warranted a spot on the dance card.
This Year's Best Players
It's an all-hands-on-deck approach in Des Moines, Iowa. Five players average double-digit points per game, but two of those key seniors are out of action.
Point guard Roman Penn is out for the season with a foot injury. Forward ShanQuan Hemphill, who leads the team in points per game, hasn't played since breaking his foot February 10.
Sophomore guard Joseph Yesufu and senior forward Tremell Murphy have picked up the scoring slack in significantly elevated roles, but Drake's depth has taken a massive hit. This underdog is climbing a steep uphill battle.
Why They're Going to Win
Drake might not be the best team in its small conference. It's also not the best team from Iowa and certainly not the most ferocious squad to carry the Bulldogs nickname into the Big Dance. That last honor belongs to top-ranked Gonzaga.
They also may have benefited from some good fortune that expired at an inopportune time. And maybe they'll struggle when forced to swim in a much larger pond.
But hey, sometimes you just need a seat at the table to prove you belong.
This could be Drake's chance for the best run it's ever had—yes, there will be many bad puns related to the rapper. Nobody knows when the next opportunity will come, so it's now or never to shock the world.
An arrest warrant has been issued for former University of Evansville men's basketball coach Walter McCarty after he didn't appear for a court hearing Thursday and also missed an Aug. 20 hearing, per Chad Lindskog of the Evansville Courier and Press.
McCarty, who played 10 seasons in the NBA, was sued by Old National Bank in March after he reportedly "defaulted on a $75,000 'private select line of credit' created in October 2018, according to court records."
Judge Robert Tornatta ruled in May that McCarty had to pay $77,540.77 in restitution to Old National Bank. He was scheduled to appear in court Thursday to talk about options for paying back that amount.
He is also due in the Vanderburgh Superior Court on Nov. 20 after defaulting on a $45,000 loan from Oct. 2018 that he took out with the First Federal Savings Bank.
McCarty, 46, played for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers during his time in the NBA. He then spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers and Celtics before taking over as the Evansville head coach in March 2018.
Evansville went 20-25 in parts of two seasons with McCarty as head coach before he was fired in January amid a Title IX investigation. A female Evansville student accused him of sexual assault and hired the Simpson Tuegel Law Firm to "investigate and represent her in a potential action against the coach and the university."
Nathaniel Miller Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Drake University after being shot in the head by a men's basketball player last summer, claiming a coach instructed his player to lie to police about the incident, according to Tyler J. Davis of the Des Moines Register.
The incident in question took place in August 2019 when Tremell Murphy, a forward on the basketball team, accidentally shot another student during a party. The firearm was legally owned by Murphy, who was at his house near the Drake campus.
When police arrived, Murphy told the officers Miller had fallen on a wet floor and hit his head.
The player was eventually charged with making false reports to law enforcement and discharging a firearm within city limits. He pled guilty to the two misdemeanors but did not spend any time in jail.
According to the lawsuit—which claimed Murphy, the university and the property managers of the house as defendants—an unnamed men's basketball coach arrived to the scene before police officers and told Murphy to deny involvement in the injury.
The plaintiff claims that proper medical care was delayed because of the misinformation and that Miller is still suffering physically from the shooting.
Drake University has denied the claims in the lawsuit.
"It is not true as claimed by the plaintiff that a Drake men’s basketball coach told Mr. Murphy to deny involvement in Mr. Miller's injuries," the school said in a statement, via Davis. "Additionally, the residence in which the shooting incident took place is a private residence and is not owned or otherwise affiliated with the university."
Murphy 32 games for Drake in 2018-19 after joining the team as a junior college transfer. He was suspended five games in the 2019-20 season after being charged, and a December knee injury ended his season early.
A woman who said former Evansville men's basketball coach Walter McCarty sexually assaulted her has retained an attorney to represent her for a potential lawsuit.
"This was the classic power imbalance," attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel said Wednesday, per Jill Lyman of 14News. "He was the town sweetheart, grew up in Evansville, returned after a successful NBA career and coached the basketball team to national success. When McCarty saw that the victim was in too vulnerable a position to protest his behavior toward her, he assaulted her. Thankfully, she reached out to a friend for support and the assault was reported to the university."
Evansville fired McCarty in December amid allegations of impropriety, specifically in regard to Title IX violations but didn't specify the nature of those violations. The school said in a statement it warned McCarty regarding his behavior last year.
"Last year, the University had issued warnings to Mr. McCarty regarding inappropriate off-court behavior with members of our campus community," the statement read. "Mr. McCarty also participated in training concerning acceptable behavior under Title IX.
"While the investigation of potential Title IX violations will continue under University policies, UE has decided that, based on the facts uncovered thus far, it is necessary to terminate Mr. McCarty's employment immediately."
No criminal charges have been filed. It's unclear if police were contacted about the alleged assault. Tuegel said her client is not the only woman McCarty allegedly assaulted.
"It's clear that my client wasn't the only victim," Tuegel said. "We have been informed that other women have come forward about McCarty's sexual misconduct. It's important that other survivors of this man's acts know that they're not alone, and we would encourage them to reach out to someone to report the misconduct. These women deserve to learn and work in an environment free of sexual violence and sexual harassment. My client asks that the community remain supportive of the men's basketball team, as well as the additional survivors who have come forward."
McCarty, who previously spent a decade in the NBA, was in this second season at Evansville. He previously served as an assistant coach with Louisville, the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics.
The University of Evansville fired Walter McCarty as its men's basketball coach Tuesday, according to a statement released by the school (via the Courier & Press' Chad Lindskog).
The school had placed McCarty on administrative leave Dec. 26 as it conducted a Title IX investigation.
"There is no place at UE for any behavior by any University employee or student that jeopardizes the safety and security of others," Evansville said in the statement. "While the investigation of potential Title IX violations will continue under University policies, UE has decided that, based on the facts uncovered thus far, it is necessary to terminate Mr. McCarty's employment immediately."
Shortly after firing McCarty, Evansville announced that it hired Todd Lickliter as his permanent replacement.
The nature of the allegations against McCarty remains unclear. In announcing his leave, the school said it had "received a troubling report about Coach McCarty's interactions with a member of the campus community."
Evansville also confirmed Tuesday it discovered more allegations of misconduct against the 45-year-old since launching its investigation.
McCarty won a national championship as a player at Kentucky in 1996 before moving on to the NBA. The No. 19 pick in the 1996 draft, he spent 10 years in the league.
He began his coaching career as an assistant at Louisville in 2007 and was an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics before getting his chance at Evansville in March 2018.
The Aces went 11-21 in his first season but got off to a great start in his second year. They upset No. 1 Kentucky on Nov. 12 on the road in Lexington.
Evansville was 9-4 before McCarty went on leave and has lost all six games since interim coach Bennie Seltzer took over.
