Six instrumental players will be leaving Loyola this May, thanks to graduation. They are Torry Beaulieau, Sean Bennett, Aleck Johnson, Robert Manson, Matt McCabe and Nick Tuszynski. In this group, there are three starters, meaning there will be gaps to fill going into next season.

These players have contributed to the program’s success over the years, especially revitalizing the program after Hurricane Katrina.

Beaulieau, history senior, will be especially missed.

Not only does he bring elegance and skill to the court, making players around him better, he has also been here for five years, being a member of the team who went through the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina.

It will definitely be odd seeing someone else running Loyola’s offense on the court once Beaulieu leaves.

Loyola will also greatly miss two of their bigger men, Tuszynski and Manson.

Both are great presences under the basket and are two very vocal leaders on the court. While Manson’s voice is heard more often during games getting his teammates pumped or encouraging them when times are tough, Tuszynski also does this — however, in a stage-whisper kind of way.

Bennett is also a very vocal player. During games, he does not hide his emotions.

Despite being an emotional player, he does not let it affect his play.

Bennett, a shooting guard, is who the team relies heavily on to get some three-pointers to either close a gap or extend a lead.

Enough about who we won’t have, though. The future is bright. Due to the huge number of sophomores on the team, they created a JV team.

This provides a unique scenario for the players, where they can play against junior colleges to get some practice and experience at the college level.

Next year will also mark the first full season where the ‘Pack will be without assistant coach Joey Steibing. The team will not have to deal with what I see as the distraction of having a member of the coaching staff leave during the season.

The coaching staff will also be in place where players and coaches will come together as a cohesive unit, already knowing the program, system and each other to be able to continue competing at a high level.

What will be interesting to see is who will step up as leaders. It is obvious that Ryan Brock, management junior, will be a leader due to his strong play and status as a senior on the team. Darrinton Moncrieffe, marketing junior, who will also be senior, will provide great help, especially on defense.

It will be interesting to see what happens with players like Chris Joseph, political science sophomore, Corey Gray, biology sophomore and Cameron Cates, marketing sophomore, as they go from back ups to maybe playing a bigger role in the team.

Eduardo Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected]