The 2023 Loyola men’s basketball season faced off in an exhibition game on November 2nd against Stevenson University. The Greyhounds defeated the Stevenson Mustangs by a score of 75-38, developing positive momentum as they head into the season. Despite this win, things are not getting easier for the Greyhounds. They will play 13 non-conference games, including games against big-name schools such as Penn State and Clemson.

Graduate student and returning guard Jaylin Andrews said, “I’m looking forward most to our game vs. Clemson. It’s going to be cool because my family is out there so that should be a good one.”

According to head coach Tavaras Hardy, the Greyhounds’ goal for this year is simple: to get better every day. Their mantra is to embrace the journey, which means getting better every day and trying not to put too much focus on the win-loss record. Hardy explained that ultimately they want to compete for a championship and they believe the way to do that is by honing in on their development and growth every day. 

Hardy enters his fourth season as head coach of the Greyhounds. Under Hardy, the team has seen a massive improvement in terms of stats and records since he took the position in 2018. Hardy also coached Santi Aldama, the first player in school history to be chosen in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.

Hardy and the team feel that the strength of their non-conference schedule will aid them in preparing for their demanding conference schedule at the back end of their season. They will be faced with challenging foes such as Colgate, the reigning Patriot League Champions, when they begin conference play.

Hardy says, “Once we begin to get into conference play, every game is a battle. Colgate has been the team to beat the last few years and we know that they’ll be at the top battling again so we look forward to that opportunity.”

With the start of non-conference play, the team has been emphasizing on their veterans stepping up to assist the underclassmen in integrating into the team and helping to speed up their development process. The Greyhounds return 13 players from a year ago, including three fifth-year players pursuing graduate degrees, so there is a very strong structure to build off of and the team hopes to hit the ground running.

Andrews is a fifth-year graduate student and is the Greyhounds’ top returning scorer from last year. Andrews is from Owings Mills, Maryland, and attended Boys’ Latin School of Maryland during high school. Andrews’ scoring and rebounding ability will be a key asset for the Greyhounds this season. As a veteran, Andrews is now in a leadership role and looks to guide many of the younger players on the team. 

“Our goal is just to get better every day,” Andrews said. “We have a mixture of young and older players, so for the veterans, it’s just us leading the young guys and for young guys, it’s watching the veterans so that they can pick up on our offense and values quicker.” 

Andrews also explained that the team is set on getting their team’s principles down before they worry about outside factors such as their opponents, Patriot League ranking, or the score of any game. The players’ sole focus is on their own progression and they believe this mindset will work wonders this season. While the focus for the Greyhounds is progressing day to day, the returning veterans still place high expectations on themselves and their teammates for this season.

Markese Redding is another fifth-year graduate returner, who is considered by teammates as a leader who brings back experience and knowledge as a veteran. He is also expected to play an important role for the Greyhounds this season. The guard hails from Brooklyn, New York, and attended LREI High School. Redding missed last season due to an injury, so he is looking to get back on track this season and has high standards for himself and his teammates.

“We do have high expectations for ourselves,” Redding said. “We do want to win a lot but goal setting has to come after we have our principles down pat.” 

For more info on the Greyhounds schedule and to stay up to date with everything related to Loyola Men’s Basketball, you can visit the Loyola University Maryland Athletics page.           

Featured Image Courtesy of Hilton Carroll