The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 177 is Loyola Marymount basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Loyola Marymount basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 1
- Sweet 16s: 2
- NCAA wins: 5
- Bids: 5
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 12.2
- Bids per season: 0.06
- AP Polls: 16
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 2
- NBA players drafted & played: 6
- Conference Players of the Year: 4
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 3
- Conference tournament titles: 2
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Loyola Marymount basketball
The story of Loyola Marymount basketball’s 79 seasons can be summed up by two players – Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers – and one coach – Paul Westhead.
Westhead ran an offense that has since never been replicated – one seemingly not caring about defense because LMU would simply play faster and score more points. And with Kimble, Gathers, and co., it was nearly unstoppable.
In the 1987-88 season, Gathers averaged 22.5 points per game, and Kimble put up 22.2 PPG. Teammates Mike Yoest and Corey Gaines each averaged above 17 PPG as the team led the nation in scoring at 110.2 PPG, second last in PPG allowed at 97.2. They were eliminated by North Carolina in the round of 32.
The following season, LMU averaged 112.5 PPG, giving up 107.3 PPG. Gathers went for 32.7 PPG and 13.7 rebounds per game. Kimble was held to 16.8 PPG with Jeff Fryer averaging 22.9 PPG and Enoch Simmons at 18.7 PPG. They fell to Arkansas in the first round.
The 1989-90 season was one marked with tragedy and triumph. Gathers had been playing with an abnormal heartbeat and had collapsed on the court before. But on Mar. 4, 1990, during the WCC Tournament, Gathers collapsed after a dunk and was later pronounced dead. Somehow, LMU found enough strength to rally around each other and for Gathers, making an unprecedented run to the Elite 8. As a team, they were better than ever, averaging 122.4 PPG and giving up 108.1 PPG. Kimble and Gathers combined for nearly 65 PPG, with Fryer at nearly 23 PPG himself. Yet, without the deceased Gathers, LMU went on a run for the ages and captured the hearts of America.
Westhead would move on to the NBA and coach the Denver Nuggets, and the Lions have yet to make the big dance since.
They do have some other brief moments, making the tourney in 1980 and way before in 1961. And later on in the late ’60s, Rick Adelman starred for the Lions. He would go on to have a solid NBA coaching career, winning 1,042 games, ranking 10th all-time.
So before anyone tells you it has always been Gonzaga dominating the West Coast mid-major scene, tell them about Loyola Marymount.