Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, March 12, 2012

Following a share of the Big Ten regular season crown and a trip to the Big Ten tourney finals, where it lost to Michigan State, Ohio State received a No. 2 seed in the East Region. The Buckeyes will face MAAC champion Loyola (Md.) at 9:50 pm. ET Thursday night. Before the game tips off in Pittsburgh, Pa., BTN.com web editor Brent Yarina introduces you to the Greyhounds. A little sampling: Did you know a pair of former Wake Forest coaches served as Loyola head coaches? Meet the Greyhounds in this post.

Loyola (Md.)
Conference:  MAAC
Record: 24-8
RPI: 78
Best win: vs. Iona, 87-81 (box)
Coach: Jimmy Patsos
Best player: Erik Etherly, Jr., F – 53% FG,13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.4 bpg
Last NCAA tourney: 1994
Deepest tourney run: First round – 1994
Track the tourney: NCAA Bracket

5 THINGS ABOUT LOYOLA (MD.)

  • Former Wake Forest coaches Skip Prosser (1993-94) and Dino Gaudio (1997-2000) were both head coaches at Loyola (Md.).
  • Loyola (Md.) went to its first and previously only NCAA tourney in Prosser's final season (1994).
  • Four Greyhounds average double digits, led by Erik Etherly's 13.5 ppg, and a fifth guy, Shane Walker, contributes 9.1 ppg.
  • Despite winning the MAAC tourney, Loyola (Md.) is 5-3 in its last eight games.
  • In their only game against a ranked foe this season, the Greyhounds lost to then-No. 3 Kentucky 87-63 (box).

Totally random tidbit: Reserve Anthony Winbush went to T.C. Williams High School, the same one from the movie "Remember The Titans," starring Denzel Washington.

Erik Etherly
Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

Brent Yarina is a web editor and blogger for BTN.com. Find all of his work here and follow him on twitter at @BTNBrentYarina.