Brian Hungarter Senior Writer
The 2008-2009 season for the Loyola men's basketball team was one of highs and lows, which at its highest point brought a key six game winning streak, and at its low was followed by a crushing seven-game losing streak.
The Greyhounds finished their season 12-20, despite the aforementioned winning streak, and finished eighth in the MAAC with a 7-11 record. Sophomore Jamal Barney became the first player in Loyola history to score 40 points in a game twice in one season; but Barney's high-scoring efforts typically resulted in poor showings from the rest of his team.
Essentially, the Hounds defined a young-streaky team, which was all that was expected from head coach Jimmy Patsos' young squad.
Coming off of a season that ended in a heartbreaking 65-63 loss in the MAAC semi-finals, the Greyhounds vowed to avenge the loss and therefore push the memories of watching a 17-point lead evaporate out of their heads.
Despite losing key contributers like Gerald Brown, Michael Tuck, Omari Israel, Hassan Fofana and Greg Manning, there was a buzz of excitement to watch and see what the young Greyhounds could do in an advanced role.
The Hounds started their season with a flashy 93-62 victory over Catholic U, which only added to the buzz and solidified the title aspirations in the minds of the Hounds, despite their lack of experience.
The Hounds went on to finish their pre-conference schedule with a 2-5 record, beating Tennessee State and James Madison, while falling to Mount St. Mary's, Boston College, Cornell, Vermont and the infamous Davidson. It was this contest that brought the Greyhounds into national spotlight, based on Patsos' decision to double-team star guard Stephen Curry at all times, despite the team losing by 20 points.
The Greyhounds opened their conference slate with the two best teams in the MAAC, Siena and Niagara, respectively. Despite dropping both contests at home, the young Greyhounds showed flashes of brilliance for the future, with Barney, junior Brett Harvey, and sophomore Brian Rudolph all excelling at different times.
Following these tough games, the Greyhounds won back-to-back games for the first time in 2008, defeating Coppin State and UC Davis in California.
From here, the Greyhounds embarked on their most difficult road-trip of the season into the heart of the ACC, where the Greyhounds played NC State to the final possession, when Barney's fall-away jumper bounced off of the front rim to the floor for the Wolfpack to secure a two-point victory.
After the near upset, the Hounds played Duke on ESPN2 in a game that was more of a learning experience than a competition. Despite the 40 point loss, the challenge propelled the Greyhounds to future success.
Following the Duke contest, Loyola blew out Canisus before falling to Niagara, who was simply a more athletic team. The Greyhounds lost to Fairfield and St. Peter's by two points each in their next games, but the chemistry was finally starting to come together.
From here, the Greyhounds embarked on a six-game winning streak, including a final victory at Rider which shot the Hounds into fourth place in the MAAC.
This is where the wheels fell off for the Greyhounds, as Loyola dropped seven of their final eight contests of the regular season, only winning the last game of the season at Iona.
The Hounds then dropped their opener in the MAAC Tournament against Canisius, which brought an end to their frustrating season.
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