Loyd continues family tradition with Gold Rush

NEW ORLEANS — After a gap of nearly 20 years, there's another Loyd on the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball roster.
    
 William Loyd — a 6-foot-5 junior forward from Baton Rouge, La., and in his first season at XULA — ranks third on the Gold Rush through the first 17 contests of 2018-19 with 12.1 points per game. Loyd leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game, a field-goal percentage of .571, 11 double-figure scoring games, four double-figure rebounding games and three double-doubles.
     
Nationally, Loyd ranks 14th in NAIA Division I with 3.2 offensive rebounds per game. He's grabbed at least two offensive rebounds in every game.
    
Loyd is the son of Khris Loyd, who played for the Gold Rush from 1987-92. Khris's older brother, Kenny, played from 1982-86, and younger brother Kraig competed from 1995-99. All three were members of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship teams. Kenny was 12th at XULA with 450 career rebounds when he completed his eligibility. Thirty-two years later, he's still a respectable 26th.
     
Khris (Louisiana Lemonade) and Kenny (South Coast Paper) are successful business owners. Kraig is a pharmacist.
     
The Loyd/XULA connections do not stop at basketball. Kenny's wife, the former Andrea Cox, and Kraig's wife, the former Niechelle Briggs, are XULA graduates. So is Kenny's daughter, Tayler, who was a men's basketball student manager. Beatrice Farmeal, an aunt of Khris, Kenny and Kraig, and Herman Loyd, an uncle, also earned XULA degrees.
     
Despite three generations of Loyds at XULA, the university wasn't prominent on William's recruiting radar during his time at Madison Preparatory Academy, where he helped the Chargers win LHSAA state championships his senior (Class 2A) and junior (1A) seasons.
     
"There was no pressure from anyone in the family to go to Xavier," Loyd said. "It was my decision."
     
Strongest interest during high school came from NCAA Division II member Spring Hill and DI schools Northwestern State and CSU Bakersfield. Loyd chose Spring Hill, where he averaged nine points and 5.5 rebounds in 55 games with 44 starts his first two seasons.
     
But when five-year head coach Aaron Niven departed after the 2017-18 season, Loyd's interest in Spring Hill waned. DII Southwest Baptist was a strong option — Niven became an assistant coach there soon after leaving Spring Hill — but so, finally, was XULA. The reason: family intervention.
     
"Uncle Kenny called coach AJ (Alfred Williams) and let him know I was leaving Spring Hill," Loyd said.
     
Soon an agreement was reached. Loyd transferred to XULA and attended his first classes during the second summer session of 2018.
     
"It was better for me to go to Xavier," Loyd said. "It's close to home, and it's easy for my family to come see me play."
     
Loyd didn't start in the opener against Keiser in the Virgin Islands, but he finished with 11 rebounds, five offensive, and a game-high 14 points in a 44-41 victory. Loyd's other double-doubles were on the road against ranked NAIA opponents: 22 points and 10 rebounds against current No. 1 LSU-Alexandria, and 15 points and 11 rebounds against Cumberlands.
     
"William Loyd has been tremendous for us, and he has room to grow," Williams said. "I like his toughness, his strength, his defensive abilities. He's grabbed so many offensive rebounds for us — he's great at getting in position for those and getting extra opportunities for us, which has been big for our team."
     
Loyd is a business management major, but he also is interested in a career in physical therapy. An internship in the latter field this summer — "I'm working right now to get that set up," he said — could provide definitive direction.
     
Loyd also wants to pursue his dream of professional basketball. Cousin Jordan Loyd — Kenny's son — is a rookie guard this season with the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
     
"I think I could play pro," Loyd said. "I'll have to work on my outside shooting, my ballhandling skills, my defense, but I can do it. No matter where you are, you should always be working to improve yourself."

This story also was published in the XULA-Oakwood game notes of Jan. 17, 2019.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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