The final four games of the season will prove to be critical for the men’s basketball team.

So far this season, few can complain about the Duhawks’ success after the team lost several of its top players to graduation. Inexperienced as they may be, the Loras men enter the homestretch of regular-season play in the Iowa Conference tied for second place with an 8-4 record in the league.

But the upper division of the conference is packed tight, with five teams all sitting within a game-and-a-half of each other. Loras and Buena Vista both are two games behind league-leading Central, and they are one-half game ahead of Cornell, one game ahead of the University of Dubuque and a game-and-a-half ahead of Wartburg.

So, Saturday’s 4 p.m. showdown with cross-town rival Dubuque at the AWC looms large, as does Wednesday’s road game against Wartburg.

“We have had two very different teams,” said Coach Greg Gorton. “Our team a year ago was always ready to defend, but struggled somewhat on offense. This year’s team will score, but can go through lapses of giving up easy shots.

“Last year we had a very experienced team in terms of minutes played at the college level,” Gorton continued. “This year’s team consists mostly of inexperienced players. We are, however, very capable, and the future is very bright.”

One of the players who has stepped into the spotlight is sophomore forward Tim Kelly. In his first season of significant playing time, he has shot an impressive 55 percent from the floor. He has been one of the team’s top scorers, while also being a presence down in the paint, leading the team in defensive rebounds.

“In all my years of coaching I have never had a player who has improved his game more from one year to another than Tim,” Gordon said. “However, the most impressive thing he does at Loras has nothing to do with basketball. He is a balanced and committed young man who makes the Loras community better each day.

The team feeds off the atmosphere of the cheering Duhawk fans that come out at home games, and Gorton appreciates it and encourages more to come out to their next home game against cross-town rival University of Dubuque.

“Our fans have more of an effect on this team than they can imagine,” he said. “We are a young team that responds to both the highs and the lows of a game. When we feel the crowd, it gives us that much more hop in our step. I hope the students come out to that game against UD. It will be a great game and a great environment.

“The mood of the team is very good,” he continued. “The players go out every game and know their roles on the team and can stand out any game on offense or defense.”