The men’s basketball team comes into the season ranked third in the Southern States Athletic Conference and are looking to build off of last year.

After the team opened their season with a win against Southeastern Baptist College this past weekend, guard Andrew Fava, a graduate student that came to Loyola from Florida, said that the Loyola’s men’s basketball team now has “a target on its back” as one of the teams to beat.

This year, Head Coach Stacy Hollowell is excited to see these exceptional young men dominate the court with both immense athleticism and team chemistry. While every member of this team is essential for success, Hollowell is most excited to see some of the new recruits, such as Andrew Fava, Tim Cameron, business junior, and Zach Muller, business freshman, flourish on the court this season. He also expects returning players such as Terry Smith Jr., business junior, Zach Wrightsil and Myles Burns, mass communication sophomores, to help drive the team to victory.

“The guys that have come in have really bought into the team chemistry, and the guys that have been here have fantastic personalities and have welcomed everybody in, creating a real sense of family in a short period of time,” said Hollowell.

Hollowell has prepared his players for a difficult season, and after all the work these young athletes put in during preseason, he expects a thrilling season full of great plays and record-breaking wins. Hollowell describes his team as athletic, dynamic, and versatile.

“This year’s team is incredibly athletic and is going to be really fun to watch. I would love to see a push to get people in the gym because I do think this season will be a lot of fun to watch, and I believe our team is a hidden gem in this city in a very similar way that our campus is a hidden gem in this city. Overall, I think people will be happy when they come see this team and when they see what is representing our school,” Hollowell said.

The men hit the court again on Nov. 1, 2019, to take on Carver College in The Den. The last time the two teams met was in 2016 and the last time the Wolf Pack lost the matchup was in 2013.