Latest news with #LoyolaChicago
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
College Basketball Player Transfers for Fourth Time on Thursday
The college basketball transfer portal has given players across the country an opportunity to find a new home and flourish under various coaching staffs. On Thursday, a former blue-chip recruit made an announcement, transferring to his fourth program. Advertisement According to Joe Tipton at On3, former four-star recruit Dominick Harris announced his commitment to Loyola Chicago. This will be Harris' fourth stop, having previously played for Gonzaga, LMU and UCLA. Harris originally committed to play for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, rated as a four-star recruit while being ranked as the No. 10 combo guard and the No. 74 overall player in the nation, per 247Sports. Last season with the UCLA Bruins, Harris posted 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. Harris played just 7.3 minutes per game in his first season at UCLA. Before that, Harris played one season at LMU, where he averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Advertisement In his first two seasons at the collegiate level, both of which came with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Harris struggled to crack the lineup. UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin with guard Dominick Harris (8).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Harris will now play for Drew Valentine at Loyola Chicago, one of the most underrated college basketball programs in the country. The Ramblers finished its most recent season with 25-12 record. Since taking over as the head coach at Loyola Chicago in 2021, Valentine has led the Ramblers to an MVC Tournament title in 2022 and the Atlantic 10 regular season title in 2024. The former four-star will now have another chance to flourish under Drew Valentine and his staff at Loyola Chicago. Advertisement Related: Cooper Flagg's Mom Had No Words for Big Duke Announcement Related: Dawn Staley Makes Official Announcement on Tuesday
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USC's Saint Thomas and others left in limbo by murky NCAA eligibility rules
When Saint Thomas applied last month for a waiver with the NCAA for a fifth season of eligibility, the USC forward figured he had a compelling case. As a sophomore at Loyola Chicago, he'd fallen into a depression so deep that he considered suicide. Unable to find the help he needed, he left the school midway through the season to address his mental health, unsure if he'd ever play basketball again. Two years after that dark stretch, Thomas hoped that the NCAA might help him get that lost season back. After an up-and-down senior year with USC, he wanted another chance to prove himself before going pro. USC officials, he says, told him a medical waiver would be a sure thing. Advertisement But last week, Thomas' request for a waiver for mental health reasons was denied by the NCAA. 'My head was kind of all over the place,' Thomas said. 'I'm not a kid that's just saying they have a mental health problem, or a kid that's just asking for another year to play college basketball. I feel like I really deserve it. I'm a real advocate of mental health now. I speak on it in interviews. I'm open about it. I think I can be a helping hand.' Thomas is one of many college basketball players with no remaining eligibility who have entered the transfer portal in recent days, hoping that either the NCAA grants them a waiver or a potential court ruling in one of several cases upends the NCAA's five-year eligibility rules. Fellow USC forward Rashaun Agee, who followed Thomas into the transfer portal Tuesday, was among those also keeping his options open, hoping the courts would clear the way — in his case, for a seventh year at the college level. His case for another year of eligibility centers around the season he spent at Casper College, a junior college in Wyoming. Advertisement Read more: USC lands highly coveted Rodney Rice but loses Desmond Claude to transfer portal Both have yet to find resolution with the NCAA. But Thomas has since filed an appeal that he says provided more answers about his mental health struggles. 'I'm just really hoping they feel some sympathy for me,' Thomas said. The door could be open for a return to USC for Thomas or Agee, if either is able to secure a waiver for another season. Though that door won't stay open forever. Thomas said he still hopes USC will pursue him. But he also understands that Eric Musselman, USC's coach, can't hold spots on the roster out of hope that he'll get a waiver. He's also aware of the new players who have been added to the team, many of whom play similar roles to what he would bring. Just one of USC's scholarship players from last season's roster — forward Terrance Williams — is currently slated to return, while seven transfers have committed to the Trojans. Advertisement 'I just want all of my options open,' Thomas said. 'I talked to the coaches about it, and they still said they'd want me back on the team.' Agee, in the aftermath of USC's Big Ten tournament loss, made clear that he also hoped to return to USC if he could. That path has yet to be cleared. 'Hopefully it all works out for me,' Agee said then. Read more: Promising USC guard Wesley Yates III enters the transfer portal As lawsuits continue to pile up challenging the NCAA's five-year eligibility rules, it's not out of the question that the courts could deliver for players like Agee who are crossing their fingers for another season of eligibility. In New Jersey, a federal judge is believed to be considering a preliminary injunction in a case that challenges the NCAA's rules regarding athletes completing their eligibility within a five-year window. That's the primary issue holding Agee back from another season. Advertisement For Thomas, any hope of playing again at USC lies with the NCAA. And its track record with granting waivers for mental health reasons is mixed. 'I'm just trying to be as hopeful as I can,' Thomas said. 'But I know there's a hundred other kids through the process I am. It's just this big gray cloud over everything right now. The transfer portal closed Tuesday night, but the Trojans' roster situation remains fluid. Musselman currently has 10 players for 15 available roster spots, and with those five openings, it's unclear how much USC would be willing to offer Thomas in a name, image and likeness package. So for the time being, Thomas is left in limbo, lingering in the portal like so many others without eligibility, left to wait on word from the NCAA or cross their fingers for the courts, wondering where their basketball careers could take them next. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
23-04-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
USC's Saint Thomas and others left in limbo by murky NCAA eligibility rules
When Saint Thomas applied last month for a waiver with the NCAA for a fifth season of eligibility, the USC forward figured he had a compelling case. As a sophomore at Loyola Chicago, he'd fallen into a depression so deep that he considered suicide. Unable to find the help he needed, he left the school midway through the season to address his mental health, unsure if he'd ever play basketball again. Two years after that dark stretch, Thomas hoped that the NCAA might help him get that lost season back. After an up-and-down senior year with USC, he wanted another chance to prove himself before going pro. USC officials, he says, told him a medical waiver would be a sure thing. But last week, Thomas' request for a waiver for mental health reasons was denied by the NCAA. 'My head was kind of all over the place,' Thomas said. 'I'm not a kid that's just saying they have a mental health problem, or a kid that's just asking for another year to play college basketball. I feel like I really deserve it. I'm a real advocate of mental health now. I speak on it in interviews. I'm open about it. I think I can be a helping hand.' Thomas is one of many college basketball players with no remaining eligibility who have entered the transfer portal in recent days, hoping that either the NCAA grants them a waiver or a potential court ruling in one of several cases upends the NCAA's five-year eligibility rules. Fellow USC forward Rashaun Agee, who followed Thomas into the transfer portal Tuesday, was among those also keeping his options open, hoping the courts would clear the way — in his case, for a seventh year at the college level. His case for another year of eligibility centers around the season he spent at Casper College, a junior college in Wyoming. Both have yet to find resolution with the NCAA. But Thomas has since filed an appeal that he says provided more answers about his mental health struggles. 'I'm just really hoping they feel some sympathy for me,' Thomas said. The door could be open for a return to USC for Thomas or Agee, if either is able to secure a waiver for another season. Though that door won't stay open forever. Thomas said he still hopes USC will pursue him. But he also understands that Eric Musselman, USC's coach, can't hold spots on the roster out of hope that he'll get a waiver. He's also aware of the new players who have been added to the team, many of whom play similar roles to what he would bring. Just one of USC's scholarship players from last season's roster — forward Terrance Williams — is currently slated to return, while seven transfers have committed to the Trojans. 'I just want all of my options open,' Thomas said. 'I talked to the coaches about it, and they still said they'd want me back on the team.' Agee, in the aftermath of USC's Big Ten tournament loss, made clear that he also hoped to return to USC if he could. That path has yet to be cleared. 'Hopefully it all works out for me,' Agee said then. As lawsuits continue to pile up challenging the NCAA's five-year eligibility rules, it's not out of the question that the courts could deliver for players like Agee who are crossing their fingers for another season of eligibility. In New Jersey, a federal judge is believed to be considering a preliminary injunction in a case that challenges the NCAA's rules regarding athletes completing their eligibility within a five-year window. That's the primary issue holding Agee back from another season. For Thomas, any hope of playing again at USC lies with the NCAA. And its track record with granting waivers for mental health reasons is mixed. 'I'm just trying to be as hopeful as I can,' Thomas said. 'But I know there's a hundred other kids through the process I am. It's just this big gray cloud over everything right now. The transfer portal closed Tuesday night, but the Trojans' roster situation remains fluid. Musselman currently has 10 players for 15 available roster spots, and with those five openings, it's unclear how much USC would be willing to offer Thomas in a name, image and likeness package. So for the time being, Thomas is left in limbo, lingering in the portal like so many others without eligibility, left to wait on word from the NCAA or cross their fingers for the courts, wondering where their basketball careers could take them next.
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball transfer forward commits to his next school
Wisconsin basketball transfer forward commits to his next school Wisconsin forward Xavier Amos shocked many when he entered the transfer portal just one week ago. The now-former Badger spent little time uncommitted, as he signed with Loyola Chicago on Sunday. Amos transferred to Wisconsin from Northern Illinois before the 2024-25 season. He was expected to be a key contributor from the jump, behind standout starting forwards Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter. While that was not how it played out for much of the season, Amos still found a way to make a difference down the stretch. The veteran forward helped the Badgers to an NCAA Tournament first-round win over Montana, during which he tallied 11 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Overall, Amos averaged 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists on 37.4% from the field in his lone season in Madison. Amos' level of play in the NCAA Tournament gave Wisconsin fans hope of a jump entering his second year with the program. The transfer cycle somewhat halted that outlook, as the rising senior became projected for a reserve role when the team landed a high-profile transfer commitment from Portland forward Austin Rapp. Amos then entered the portal, likely searching for a guaranteed starting role. Due to his departure, head coach Greg Gard and his staff will need to return to the portal to bolster the team's frontcourt depth. Winter and Rapp are the two write-ins at the position. As of April 14, sophomore Riccardo Greppi and freshman Will Garlock are the only other forwards on the roster. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Chattanooga earns spot in NIT title game with win over Loyola Chicago
Trey Bonham scored a game-high 23 points and Honor Huff made the game-sealing 3-pointer to push Chattanooga past Loyola Chicago 80-73 on Tuesday night in Indianapolis, clinching a spot in the NIT championship game. Huff's 12 points came on four 3-pointers, none bigger than the tough stepback shot he made with 35 seconds to go to make it 77-73 Mocs. Bash Wieland scored 12 points and Makai Richards added 10 on 5-for-5 shooting as Chattanooga (28-9) advanced to face UC Irvine in Thursday's title game. Jayden Dawson tallied 19 points and six assists to pace Loyola Chicago (25-12). Miles Rubin had 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and six rebounds, Jalen DeLoach scored 13 points on perfect shooting from the floor (4-for-4) and foul line (5-for-5) and Des Watson added 10 and six boards. Chattanooga led by as many as 10 in the second half but the Ramblers clawed within one possession as Francis Nwaokorie and Watson hit 3-pointers. Rubin made his seventh bucket to cut it to 72-70, but he committed goaltending on Richards' layup on the next trip down the floor. Watson made another 3 to make it 74-73 with 2:37 left. The Ramblers proceeded to miss their final four attempts from the field, a tough end to a 50 percent shooting night. Bonham ended the game with a fastbreak dunk. The Mocs shot 52.5 percent while controlling the boards 29-22. A highly competitive first half ended in a 38-34 Loyola Chicago lead. The Ramblers broke out to a 36-27 advantage thanks to seven straight points, but the Mocs responded with seven straight of their own. The tide turned in the first five minutes of the second half with a 13-4 Chattanooga surge powered by Weiland's three buckets. Not long after Loyola had crept within three, Bonham drilled a long 3 and Collin Mulholland's layup gave Chattanooga the first 10-point lead of the game at 67-57 with 7:33 to go. Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
