Being the beat writer for a losing team isn’t something I’d wish on any sports journalist, and it only gets worse when you have a connection with the program. You have to learn how to make bad games interesting for readers, all while remaining neutral on the court.
The Ramblers are off to a 1-4 start. In his fifth year with the program, head coach Drew Valentine has yet to see a start this bad. The team has never started at a below .500 record.
How much can we blame the coaching staff? In some instances, we can, but in this case? We can’t.
I wrote the men’s basketball season preview earlier this year and, after researching every single player and opponent, I came to the conclusion this was going to be the year fans were going to see Valentine’s trademark “championship level team.” What I have seen on the court is the opposite of championship level.
There doesn’t look like a drive on the court I’ve seen in the past years. Only a select few players seem like they have the passion to play basketball, which isn’t enough.
After the Colorado State game, where the Ramblers lost 80-67 to pick up their fourth straight loss, I looked to former Loyola Phoenix Sports Editor Nick Schultz, who now works for On3Sports. We walked up to the press conference together and sat in silence waiting for Valentine to speak.
It was a while before he came up to the media room, still saying hi to us, but looking defeated.
Many fans online, specifically on X, think the problem is the coaching staff. Plenty unofficial Atlantic 10 conference accounts and even more Loyola fans are calling for Valentine to be fired. One fan specifically went on a night-long rant following the Wichita State loss, which they apologized for in the morning after receiving messages from family members of the team.
In a response to the original post, another fan claimed it was the players, specifically the ones picked up in the transfer portal.
“Commitment to the program shows, and our freshmen guys have it,” the user said. “The portal guys have yet to show the effort.”
The original poster responded almost immediately, saying they believe it’s “definitely more coaching than players,” and it’s time for a reset at Loyola.
As I said, this isn’t the case.
Valentine said the team isn’t “playing the most inspired basketball right now,” claiming there are some players who say they want to be on a winning team but don’t show it on the court.
In preparation for the Nov. 16 game, Valentine said the team had great practices and film review. The team was cohesive and had their best spirit, and Valentine and his staff had a stand-up coaching plan to tackle a team who hadn’t scored under 90 points in a game this season.
We didn’t see that preparation on the court. Valentine said during the post game press conference nothing translated on the court, despite knowing the team very well.
“We got to keep that and continue to grow that, but have that translate to the court and just look like a group that truly, and frankly, cares more,” Valentine said.
A basketball coach can only do so much from the bench. It’s the players who have the ability to execute the game plan to whatever extent they want to. Valentine isn’t the one on the court, it’s the players.
Multiple fans claim the team has no energy and is only playing for the money. Valentine agreed and said it’s hurting the team.
After calling out former Ramblers who have made it to professional leagues, Valentine said there’s a big difference between when they were playing in college and now.
“Those guys didn’t have the financial things that these guys have now,” Valentine said. “But, if you love basketball, you’ll change. That’s the message.”
The transfer portal era of college basketball was ruined because of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) legislation. Players are going to schools which give them the most money and are more focused on deals they can sign rather than playing the sport.
According to Valentine, the Ramblers are playing the same offensive system played in previous years, just with different players in the mix. With little adjustments, there’s basically no difference.
“It’s proven, and it’s been done before at a really high level,” Valentine said. “If you give yourself up, and you trust in that, you’re going to have team success.”
Valentine said some players need to step up and remember their love of basketball. He said they need to prove to him they actually care about the game. If it’s not proven to him, they’ll lose playing time.
“Show me that you love and you care about basketball,” Valentine said. “If you only just care about yourself, I’m gonna keep rotating through and find guys who want to buy into that, and don’t be mad if you’re not bought in and you’re not playing.”
Sure, this could be taken harshly, but when you have the desire to be the best — which Valentine does — you’ll do whatever it takes to be the best. Unfortunately, this starts with having committed players.
The energy on the court is abysmal. The Ramblers have lost their commitment to the culture, and it’s not because of Valentine’s coaching.
“It’s my job to find the guys out there that compete and play,” Valentine said. “Buy in or don’t be upset with whatever playing time or success that you have.”
Andi Revesz is a fourth-year student, studying Multimedia Journalism and Sport Management. Andi is originally from Trenton, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. This is her third year on staff, second as Sports Editor. When not writing or editing, Andi enjoys playing solitaire on her iPad and watching medical dramas.