The Loyola men?s basketball team knows it needs to change the way it has played on the road this season. But tonight in Champaign, Ill., the Greyhounds will start with their uniforms.
When Loyola (5-6) takes the court against Illinois (7-4) tonight at 9 at Assembly Hall, the Greyhounds will be sporting their alternate grey Under Armour uniforms for the first time ? and it?s as good a time as any. Loyola is 0-5 on the road this season and 0-6 when it wears its green road jerseys.
“We are trying everything and our next thing is to try new uniforms,” Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos said. “If we can just play like as hard as we do for 40 minutes at home as on the road, [we?ll be alright]. We are looking for a sustained effort.”
The Greyhounds had a chance to end their road woes just before Christmas when they traveled to play Dayton on Saturday evening. The Flyers, however, jumped out to a 14-4 lead and Loyola never got closer than seven points in a 91-74 drubbing. In the loss, Loyola did what it has done on the road all season: allowed open shots and failed to force turnovers.
On the season, the Greyhounds allow opponents to shoot 45.2 percent from the floor ? 35.4 percent from beyond the arc ? and force 14.9 turnovers per game. But on the road, those numbers get worse as Loyola?s opponents make 48.7 percent of their shots ? 39.3 percent from three-point range ? and turn the ball over just 11.8 times per game.
“With good defense our offense will just come to us,” senior forward Michael Tuck said. “Coming out after Christmas, with the new year on the rise, we are looking to change things and get a little more enthusiastic attitude.”
Loyola will have to stop a balanced Illinois attack with Shaun Pruitt (13.2 ppg), Trent Meachem (10.8 ppg) and Brian Randle (10.3 ppg). Pruitt averages a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game. The Greyhounds counter with guards Gerald Brown (20.3 ppg), who has led Loyola in scoring nine times this season, and Marquis Sullivan (Spalding), who averages 12 points per game off the bench.
“We haven?t got that little swagger of ?we are going to take your best shot and here?s our best shot,?” Patsos said. “On the road we haven?t been willing to fight back and this is a great test for us.”
