Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images The Loyola Chicago Ramblers are looking to make their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance this year.
The reigning Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champion Loyola Chicago Ramblers take on the Bradley Braves in an MVC Tournament quarterfinal matchup on Friday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri.
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The game (3:30 p.m. ET start time) will be televised locally on NBC Sports Chicago, but if you don’t have cable or you live out of market, anyone in the US can watch Bradley vs Loyola Chicago live on ESPN+:
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Bradley vs Loyola Chicago Preview
The winners of the last four Missouri Valley Conference tournaments square off Friday afternoon in an MVC Tournament quarterfinal round matchup when the fourth-seeded Loyola Chicago Ramblers and fifth-seeded Bradley Braves meet in St. Louis.
Loyola has won two of the last four MVC tournament titles, winning the 2018 and ’21 editions. The Ramblers went on a run in the NCAA Tournament following last year’s conference tournament title, upsetting top-seeded Illinois en route to a trip to the Sweet 16.
Bradley took home the conference tournament championship in 2019 and ’20. The Braves lost to No. 2 Michigan State in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament and did not get the chance to play in the NCAA’s in 2020 when the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two teams split the regular-season series, with each winning on their home courts. Bradley leads the all-time series, 37-32, but Loyola has won 15 of the last 20 matchups between the two programs.
Here’s a look at the breakdown for each team as they head into Friday’s critical win-or-go-home quarterfinal contest:
Loyola Chicago Ramblers (22-7, 13-5 MVC)
Loyola recorded their fifth consecutive 20-or-more win campaign this season and finished tied for second in the conference standings, just one game behind Northern Iowa.
The Ramblers fell just short of winning their fourth consecutive regular-season title on Saturday, when they lost to Northern Iowa, 102-96, in overtime.
In that game, graduate student Lucas Williamson scored a career-high 29 points and had seven rebounds. Williamson was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and was an All-MVC First Team selection. He averaged 14.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during the regular season.
Loyola head coach Drew Valentine is the youngest coach in NCAA Division I basketball at 30-years-old. Valentine became the second coach in program history to win 20 games in their first season.
Bradley Braves (17-13, 11-7 MVC)
Bradley has won nine of its last 12 games coming into the MVC Tournament and their 11 conference victories are tied for the most by the program in the last 21 seasons.
Leading the way for the Braves this season has been junior guard Terry Roberts, who averaged 14.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in his first season with Bradley. Roberts, who played the previous two years at Florida SouthWestern State College, was named the Valley Newcomer of the Year and was an All-MVC First Team honoree.
Bradley won its regular-season finale on Saturday against Valparaiso, 79-55. Sophomore Rienk Mast recorded his eighth double-double in the win with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Freshman Connor Hickman added 14 points, including a career-best four 3-pointers. Hickman was named to this season’s MVC All-Freshman Team.
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Schedule
The winner of Friday’s game will advance to Saturday’s semifinals, where they will take on the winner of the Northern Iowa vs. Illinois State quarterfinal matchup. The two semifinal winners will meet in the MVC championship game on Sunday.
Quarterfinals (Friday, Mar. 4)
No. 1 Northern Iowa vs. No. 8 Illinois State, 1 p.m. ET
No. 4 Loyola vs. No. 5 Bradley, 3:30 p.m. ET
No. 2 Missouri State vs. No. 7 Valparaiso/No. 10 Evansville, 7 p.m. ET
No. 3 Drake vs. No. 6 Southern Illinois, 9:30 p.m. ET
Semifinals (Saturday, Mar. 5)
Quarterfinal winners meet in semifinal round matchups at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET
Championship (Sunday, Mar. 6)
Semifinal winners, 2 p.m. ET