Loyola Ramblers Set Sights High After Making Sweet 16 Last Season
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Expectations are high for the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team after last season's Sweet 16.
As CBS 2's Jackie Kostek reported Monday night, the Ramblers are now led by the youngest head coach in the country – and one of the best defensive players in the nation.
First-year Head Coach Drew Valentine is looking to pick up where his predecessor, Porter Moser, left off. The culture remains intact, and much of last season's Sweet 16 team does as well with 90 percent of those players returning.
"I didn't come back just to kick it with the guys," said guard Lucas Williamson, a Chicago native "I mean, that's part of - it but we're still trying to win games, win championships."
While the Loyola Ramblers hope to end the season with a conference championship, they are beginning with a chip on their shoulder.
"With the new rankings coming out, we kind of feel disrespected - but that's OK. We expected that," said forward Aher Uguak. "Every year, we're always an underdog."
Underdog or not, Coach Valentine knows the character and capability of his close-knit squad.
"Other people might not look at us the way we look at ourselves in the mirror, but let's go out and let our play speak about our expectation and how we feel about ourselves," Valentine said.
It may be hard to believe, but college basketball starts Tuesday.