Trojans Play the Other Loyola Tonight

The Loyola that will play USC tonight at the Sports Arena is not the same school that gave the world the likes of Larue Martin and, more recently, Alfrederick (the Great) Hughes.

That Loyola is located under the elevated train tracks in Chicago and once won an NCAA championship. This Loyola comes direct from Baltimore, and the scope of its program is more circumscribed. This Loyola already has lost to Delaware this season.

But according to USC Coach Stan Morrison, NBA types already are lining up to see tonight’s game, which begins at 8 at the Sports Arena.

“I’m impressed by how many pro teams are requesting tickets for this game,” Morrison said, “so they’ve got to have a couple of guys who are doing something impressive.”

Growing isn’t one of them--Loyola doesn’t have a starter over 6-5. But the Greyhounds are known to press for a full 40 minutes, and they have a couple of players who have attracted attention.

One is guard David Gately, a 6-3 junior who is averaging more than 15 points a game. Another is 6-3 junior Aubrey Reveley, who is averaging 17.6 points a game and is acknowledged as Loyola’s top defensive player. And 6-5 Kevin Carter, a senior forward, is averaging 10.2 rebounds a game, one reason Loyola has won four of its first five games.

USC (3-4) lost to Wyoming on the road earlier this week. That has impressed no one, be it NBA scouts or Morrison.

“The thing we need more than anything else right now is practice,” he said. “Games aren’t helping us right now. Practice does.”

Morrison said that on the day before the Colorado State game, he had time only to put his team through a walk-through practice.

“We don’t need a walk-through practice,” he said. “We need a knockdown, drag-out practice.”

And better play from his men up front, he added.

“Our postmen have really let us down,” he said. “I’m waiting.

“We have time to improve, but our veterans need to get going.”

Morrison is expected to go with the same starting lineup tonight that he used at Wyoming: Derrick Dowell and Troy LaMar at the forwards, Rod Keller at center, and Tom Lewis and Larry Friend at the guards.