SLU Men’s Basketball | Game Notes & Preview | at Loyola Chicago

by Brian Kunderman February 13, 2025

written by Brian Kunderman February 13, 2025 0 comments Buy Author Cup Of Coffee/Beer

Saint Louis at Loyola Chicago

Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 | 6pm CT | Chicago, Ill. (Gentile Arena)

Radio: KMOX 1120 AM/Varsity Network App (Bob Ramsey, Earl Austin Jr.)

TV: ESPN2 (Mike Corey, Dalen Cuff)

Stream: ESPN+

SLU Game Notes: Attached and available here

SETTING THE SCENE

Saint Louis heads to the Windy City to face the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in the A-10/ESPN Friday Night Showcase on ESPN2. Game time Gentile Arena is 6 p.m. (CT).
After a midweek bye, the Billikens are home on Saturday, Feb. 22, to take on the Rhode Island Rams at Chaifetz Arena. That game will tip at 1:30 p.m. on USA Network.

FOLLOWING THE ACTION

Friday’s game will televised on ESPN2 as part of the A-10/ESPN Friday Night Showcase. It’s the final of four Friday night tilts on the Showcase for the Bills. Mike Corey and Dalen Cuff have the call.
KMOX 1120 AM is the home for Billiken Basketball on the radio. Billiken Hall of Famers and longtime SLU men’s basketball radio partners Bob Ramsey and Earl Austin Jr. will the call the action for all SLU games, both at home and on the road. Ramsey is in his 39th season calling SLU games, while Austin is in year No. 34.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Next Saturday’s game against Rhode Island will air on the radio dial at 97.1 FM Talk.

NEWS & NOTES

Saint Louis enters the weekend in a two-way tie for third place in the A-10 standings. Loyola Chicago sits a half game back of the Billikens in a tie for fifth.
Saint Louis leads the A-10 in FG% (.475) and effective FG% (.558).
Gibson Jimerson leads the Billikens and is fifth in the A-10 in scoring with 17.0 ppg. He is No. 3 all-time in scoring in A-10 history with a school-record 2,251 career points, ranks eighth among active NCAA Division I players in career points, and is No. 2 among active Division I players with a school-record 383 career treys.
Robbie Avila is one of 10 finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. He scores 16.2 ppg (sixth in A-10) and leads all centers in NCAA Division I in assists (4.0) and 3s made per game (1.6).
Isaiah Swope turns in 16.0 points and is fourth in the A-10 with 4.7 assists per game.
With the scoring trio of Avila, Jimerson and Swope, the Billikens are the only program in the country with three active players averaging 16.0 ppg or more.
Kalu Anya is second in the A-10 in rebounds per game (9.0). His FG% of .604 is the fifth-best in a season in school history.
Kobe Johnson is coming off a career-high 21 points at Saint Joseph’s in the Bills’ last road game. He is averaging 9.3 ppg in conference play while shooting .614/.419/.929.
Head coach Josh Schertz is in his first season at SLU. His .777 winning percentage ranks No. 8 among active coaches across all three NCAA divisions.

ABOUT THE RAMBLERS

The Loyola University Chicago Ramblers enter Friday night’s matchup 15-9 overall and 6-5 in league play.
The Ramblers are 12-1 at Gentile Arena, with their lone loss coming against VCU. Loyola Chicago is coming off a two-game roadswing at Duquesne (loss, 56-69) and Richmond (won in OT, 87-80).
Des Watson leads the Ramblers in scoring with 12.7 ppg. He dishes out a team-leading 2.7 assists per game.
Sheldon Edwards Jr. averages 12.3 ppg and is tops on the team with 2.9 3-pointers made per game. His shooting percentage from 3-point range (.387) is second in the Atlantic 10.
Jayden Dawson contributes 12.3 ppg, including a 12.5 ppg mark in conference play.
Miles Rubin leads the A-10 and is 17th in the NCAA with 2.2 blocked shots per game.
The Ramblers lead the A-10 in assists per game at 15.9. Loyola Chicago is third in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.349).
Drew Valentine is in his fourth season at Loyola Chicago. He has been on the staff of two programs that have made a Final Four – with Loyola Chicago as an assistant coach in 2018, and with Michigan State as a graduate assistant in 2015.

SERIES HISTORY

This is the 51st meeting all-time against the Ramblers. Loyola Chicago leads the series 26-24, including a 14-9 mark in games played in Chicago.
This is the third season the two teams are meeting as members of the A-10. From 1982 to 1991, the Billikens and Ramblers met regularly as members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.