Nov. 12--2014-15: 24-13, (8-10 Missouri Valley Conference, 6th); on CBI championship.
Top gun: Milton Doyle. The junior guard from Marshall High School (and transfer from Kansas) battled foot and ankle injuries last season, yet managed to lead the Ramblers to the CBI title. Loyola was 19-6 with Doyle on the floor as he averaged 11.4 points and 4.2 assists.
Impact newcomer: Maurice Kirby. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound sophomore transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College is expected to crash the boards. He averaged 8.0 points and 7.9 rebounds last season.
X-factor: The health of the team will be paramount for coach Porter Moser's up-tempo offense. Keeping Doyle in the lineup, in particular, will be crucial.
Circle the date: Dec. 5. Creighton, now in the Big East, visits Gentile Arena for a daunting test for the Ramblers, who also face tough road games at Notre Dame and New Mexico.
Reason for hope: Loyola returns four starters and eight of its top nine scorers from its 24-win team, including sharpshooters Earl Peterson and Devon Turk. The Ramblers were a respectable 11-7 on the road.
Reason to doubt: The Ramblers lost the scoring of Christian Thomas (11.2 points) and the defensive grit and court savvy of guard Joe Crisman to graduation.
Forecast: Loyola was a preseason pick to finish fifth in the MVC by coaches and media, and Wichita State figures to run away with the title. The Ramblers could be NIT-bound.
