Three Keys To The Sweet Sixteen Showdown

(St. Louis, MO) – Loyola’s date with destiny continues Thursday in Atlanta. If there is a team that can contend with the Ramblers for dramatic wins, it is their Sweet Sixteen opponent, Nevada. Two huge, come from behind wins by Eric Musselman’s team gives them the kind of momentum that one looks for in an ascending team.

Loyola’s two buzzer-beating victories give them that same kind ‘darling of the tournament’ status.

What are the keys to Loyola’s chances to defeat Nevada and move on to the Elite Eight?

1. Dictating the Pace of Play

Nevada wants to speed up the game, take a ton of shots and disorient the opposition offense, while Loyola Chicago wants to play deliberate offense and take away the opposition’s first offensive option. Porter Moser’s team wants to make the opponent work hard on both ends of the floor.

So, the Ramblers need to continue to play patient offense keep the Wolf Pack from forcing them into a helter skelter, ‘jack-it-up at all costs’ kind of game. The Martin twins (Caleb and Cody) play an emotional, in-your-face kind of game, and Loyola players cannot take the bait and be drawn into personal battles.

2. Krutwig the Equalizer

Nevada has four 6’7 starters but no true center. How Moser’s team utilizes freshman Cameron Krutwig’s post presence is a key ingredient. His work around the basket and on the pick and roll portion of the Loyola offense could be a true neutralizer of some of the aggressive, over-playing Wolf Pack defense.

The Rambler offense doesn’t run through Krutwig, but he has to be a presence, a threat and a force to cause Nevada’s defense to defend the paint and create perimeter shooting opportunities for Clayton Custer and Donte Ingram.

3. Make Nevada Work on the Defensive End

Nevada plays only six players. Three players average over 33 minutes per game, so ‘run your offense and attack the Martin twins on the defensive end.’ The Martins aren’t necessarily poor defenders, but they never leave the floor, almost all the offense runs through them, by making them work on the defensive end, Loyola could be taking their legs from them earlier than normal.

Kendall Stephens set the single season record for three pointers (breaking former Missouri State player Marcus Marshall’s record while with Nevada). Make him work on the defensive end so he is weary and less physically and mentally sharp.

I believe the key to Loyola’s defensive success, is to make the Wolf Pack work hard on their defensive end.

Which team’s magical run will continue into the next round of the national tournament will be determined by these three keys.

Here are the probable starters and their scoring averages.

If Loyola can follow these three keys, we could be talking about a Saturday shot at the Final Four.

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