University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Tuesday, December 18
Lafayette
7:00 PM
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Robert Morris
Cajuns Host Robert Morris On Tuesday In The Cajundome
12/17/2012 11:16:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Notes (PDF)
Game 12
Robert Morris (7-4) at Louisiana (4-7)
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: RMU Leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: RMU 72, UL 64 (12/17/11, Moon Township, Pa.)
Tickets: $8, $10 & $15
UL season tickets available at RaginCajuns.com and by calling (337) 265-2357.
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 34-38 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 259-169 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 382-204 (20th year)
vs. Robert Morris: 0-1
ROBERT MORRIS
ANDREW TOOLE (Penn '03)
At RMU: 51-29 (4th year)
Overall: 51-29 (4th year)
vs. Louisiana: 1-0
SETTING THE SCENE: The Cajuns return home to start a stretch of three home games during a four-game stretch that will end the 2012 calendar year when Louisiana hosts Robert Morris on Tuesday, Dec. 18 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Cajundome. The Cajuns then stay at home to close the non-conference schedule, hosting Duquesne on Saturday (Dec. 22) at 7:00 p.m. before taking a short break for the Christmas holiday. Louisiana is 4-7 on the year after dropping an 85-63 decision at Houston, but the Cajuns return to the Cajundome where they are 3-1 this year. Robert Morris brings a 7-4 record into the contest, but the Colonials have struggled away from home, owning a 3-4 mark. The Colonials own the ninth-highest win total among mid-major schools over the last six seasons, going 124-60 and making four post-season appearances (NIT 2008, NCAA 2009 & 10, CollegeInsider.com 2012)
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring six freshmen and four sophomores, third year head coach Bob Marlin is excited about the possibilities for the 2012-13 season, knowing that the team that took the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns have leaned heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (10.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (13.2, 6.4, 5.2). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (5.0 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, should also play an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (17.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.4, 4.2), a JC transfer from Lamar State, will unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshman Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylan Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson will provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen duo of Kasey Shepherd (2.7) and Steven Wronkoski (8.7, 3.0) and Josh Soto (1.8) will also contribute, giving Louisiana one of the deepest backcourts in the Sun Belt. Marlin wants to utilize the depth and quickness by forcing an up-tempo game at both ends of the court by applying more defensive pressure. Look for the Cajuns to use their quickness and outside shooting ability to create a balanced offense, forcing opponents to cover the entire court.
MARLIN EARNS EXTENSION: Third-year head coach Bob Marlin was given a new five-year contract on Dec. 4 that will keep him on the Cajuns' sidelines through the 2016-17 season. In his first two seasons, Marlin's teams have won 21 Sun Belt games, the second-highest total in the league over that span, and his .656 winning percentage in league games is the highest among active Sun Belt coaches.
UL ATHLETICS TEAMS WITH THE UNITED WAY: The Louisiana Athletics Department and United Way of Acadiana are partnering to share ticket revenue and spread holiday cheer for the men's basketball game with Duquesne on Saturday (Dec. 22) at the Cajundome. All tickets to the game are available (100, 200 and 300 level) for a special discounted price of $5. The proceeds of the tickets sales will be split, benefitting both the United Way of Acadiana and Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. Acadiana area companies are encouraged to purchase tickets and donate them to the United Way, which will then distribute them to various youth and family groups under their umbrella.
MOSS LEAVES PROGRAM: Freshman Matt Moss, who scored 11 points in the first eight games this year, has left the Ragin' Cajuns basketball program and intends to transfer to another university. A 6-9, 212-pound forward from Anacoco, La., Moss joined the program this fall after playing last year at Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C.
HOME COOKING: With three of the next four games being played at home, the Cajuns are looking forward to an extended stretch in the Cajundome. Louisiana is 3-1 at home this year, but has yet to play consecutive home games. Tuesday's win over Lamar upped Bob Marlin's record at the Cajundome to 23-10 (.697). In 15 seasons as a Division I head coach, Marlin sports a home record of 158-37 (.810).
NOW IT'S PITTSBURGH'S TURN: After meetings with fellow I-10 corridor schools (McNeese, Lamar, Houston) over the last eight days, the Cajuns are in the Cajundome hosting back-to-back games against schools that hail from the city of Pittsburgh. And both come in the same week. First up is Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and then Duquesne (Dec. 22) ends the Cajundome's week as a "tourist" desitnation for Pittsburgh-based schools. The meetings with RMU and Duquesne complete a home-and-home started last season when Louisiana made two different trips to Pittsburgh (Duquesne won 84-65 on Nov. 26, 2011 and RMU won 72-64 on Dec. 17, 2011).
FINISHING OUT THE CONTRACTS: The Cajuns are in the midst of a three-game stretch against opponents in which they have two-year contracts with. The game at Houston on Saturday (Dec. 15) was the first game in a two-year deal with the Cougars slated to visit UL next year. Next up are home games against Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and Duquesne (Dec. 22), a pair of schools from the Pittsburgh area that the Cajuns started two-year deals with road games last year.
THE FIRST ONE'S OUT OF THE WAY: Freshman Josh Soto landed his first career field goal make, a trey at the 3:38 mark of the first half Tuesday vs. Lamar. The first field goal came in his fourth collegiate appearance since being cleared by the NCAA on Monday, Nov. 26. Soto came back to knock down his only two three-point attempts at Houston, finishing with six points in six minutes.
SUPPORTING CAST DELIVERS: The Louisiana bench had a productive night vs. Lamar on Dec. 11, totalling 30 points with 21 coming in the first half. The performance ended a string of three straight single-digit showings by the bench which had been outscored 75-13 during the slump. The Lamar production was a season-best effort by the Cajuns bench and continued a season-long trend. In the four Cajun wins, the Louisiana bench is averaging 21.0 ppg. The bench has produced just 72 points in the seven losses (10.4 ppg).
CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton continues to inch closer and closer to recording the first triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player in almost a decade. Payton closed the 2011-12 season with a 13-point, eight-rebound and nine-assist game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship. He toyed with the stat in the season opener against Oakland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), SUNO (11,7 , 7) and on Dec. 1 at North Texas (14, 6, 9) and went a different route at Michigan State (Nov. 25), scoring 20 points with six rebounds and a career-high seven steals. He came the closest yet against in the last two weeks. He scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8) and came back with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five steals vs. Lamar (Dec. 11). For the record, the last triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player came on Jan. 5, 2006 when Michael Southall scored 19 points with 12 rebounds and 11 blocks at North Texas.
. . . BUT PAYTON MUST WALK BEFORE HE RUNS: Although Elfrid Payton has flirted with a triple-double, it took him until the McNeese State game to record his first career double-double. Payton scored 17 points with 10 rebounds in the contest. It only took him three days to get the second, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds vs. Lamar on Dec. 11.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY: Bob Marlin said during the preseason that one area in which Louisiana would definitely show improvement is at the foul line, where the Cajuns shot just .631 (483-766) last year. So far, that prediction has come true as Louisiana has shot 70-percent or better from the line in seven of the 11 games. The Cajuns enter the Robert Morris game having gone 150-for-212 (.708). The last time that the Cajuns shot above 70-percent for an entire season came 20 seasons ago (1993-94) when they went 463-for-647 (.716).
. . . AND THE FRESHMEN LEAD THE WAY: The simplest way to improve a team's free throw shooting is to simply get better shooters and Bob Marlin has apparently done that. The five freshman on the Louisiana roster have made 58 of their 76 free throws this year (.763). Shawn Long (27-35, .771) and Steven Wronkoski (23-30, .767) lead the way, ranking ninth and 11th in the Sun Belt, respectively.
CAJUNS BENEFIT FROM LATE FREE THROW SHOOTING: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 51-for-67 (.761) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Shawn Long (8-8) and Steven Wronkoski (6-6) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .757 shooter (28-37), is seven-for-eight this year (.875). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 57 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.2 assists per game. He matched his career high with nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1, a career high originally set against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
. . . AND GRAND THEFT FOR PAYTON: With 22 steals over the last six games, Elfrid Payton has taken over the Sun Belt lead with 30 steals this season (2.7 spg). Payton had a career high seven steals at Michigan State on Nov. 25, falling one steal short of the school record, and came back to make four steals vs. Middle Tennessee. Last year, Payton lead the Cajuns with 37 steals.
IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING: The exhibition win over Loyola-New Orleans marked the Cajuns debut for forward Shawn Long. Long transferred to Louisiana last December after spending the fall semester at Mississippi State. The 6-9 native of Morgan City, La. practiced with the Cajuns during the final three months of the year but was not eligible to play. During the summer, he was granted a waiver of transfer rule that would have made him ineligible until early December, allowing him to play immediately. Eager to make up for the lost season, Long scored 11 of UL's first 18 points against Loyola, finishing the night with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, going seven-for-11 from the field with a pair of blocks.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (17.1), rebounding (8.9) and blocks (1.9), shooting .490 from the field (75-153) and .771 from the line (27-35). He ranks third in the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks and is ninth in free throw percentage. He has posted five double-doubles and four 20-point games. He hada c areer-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points anda c areer-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
GOING OVERTIME: The loss to Texas Southern on Nov. 16 marked the ninth time that the Cajuns have played to overtime under head coach Bob Marlin. Louisiana is now 6-3 in overtime games during that span, including a 4-1 record last season.
LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 16-point, 11-rebound effort against Lamar on Dec. 11 gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his fifth double-double in 10 games this year to take over the Sun Belt lead. South Alabama's Augustine Rubit is second with four double-doubles.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: Although it is still very early in the season, Shawn Long's four 20-point games has put the redshirt freshman on pace to record the most 20-plus point performances by a Cajun since former Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson accomplished it 12 times in 2009-10.
WRONKOSKI PROVES MARLIN RIGHT: Bob Marlin has said many times this fall that when he took over as head coach two years ago, one of the first recruits he looked at was Steven Wronkoski, deciding that the current UL freshman's spirited play would be perfect in a Cajun uniform. Wronkoski has yet to prove Marlin wrong, averaging 8.7 points and 3.0 rebounds this year. He posted back-to-back career highs of 12 points vs. SUNO on Nov. 21 and, in his first career start, 16 points at New Mexico State on Nov. 23. His Sun Belt debut was equally as strong as he scored all 13 of his points in the second half against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29. Most recently, he raised his career high again, scoring 17 points at McNeese State on Dec. 8. For the year, Wronkoski is third in the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (15-31, .484) and 11th in free throw percentage (23-30, .767).
MAKING THE GRADE: One thing that head coach Bob Marlin has emphasized in his three seasons at Louisiana is the necessity that his players give 100% both on and off the court. This demand has led to positive results in the classroom. During the spring 2012 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns recorded their third straight semester with a team GPA of better than 2.50, a feat accomplished just one other time since 1982. The last three semesters account for three of the top six terms for the basketball team during that time. In the two semesters last year, seven Cajuns posted a 3.0 GPA or better.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns remain at home to close out the non-conference schedule when they host Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m. Louisiana then resumes Sun Belt play at Arkansas State on Dec. 27 and at home vs. UALR on Dec. 29.
Complete Notes (PDF)
Game 12
Robert Morris (7-4) at Louisiana (4-7)
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: RMU Leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: RMU 72, UL 64 (12/17/11, Moon Township, Pa.)
Tickets: $8, $10 & $15
UL season tickets available at RaginCajuns.com and by calling (337) 265-2357.
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 34-38 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 259-169 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 382-204 (20th year)
vs. Robert Morris: 0-1
ROBERT MORRIS
ANDREW TOOLE (Penn '03)
At RMU: 51-29 (4th year)
Overall: 51-29 (4th year)
vs. Louisiana: 1-0
SETTING THE SCENE: The Cajuns return home to start a stretch of three home games during a four-game stretch that will end the 2012 calendar year when Louisiana hosts Robert Morris on Tuesday, Dec. 18 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Cajundome. The Cajuns then stay at home to close the non-conference schedule, hosting Duquesne on Saturday (Dec. 22) at 7:00 p.m. before taking a short break for the Christmas holiday. Louisiana is 4-7 on the year after dropping an 85-63 decision at Houston, but the Cajuns return to the Cajundome where they are 3-1 this year. Robert Morris brings a 7-4 record into the contest, but the Colonials have struggled away from home, owning a 3-4 mark. The Colonials own the ninth-highest win total among mid-major schools over the last six seasons, going 124-60 and making four post-season appearances (NIT 2008, NCAA 2009 & 10, CollegeInsider.com 2012)
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring six freshmen and four sophomores, third year head coach Bob Marlin is excited about the possibilities for the 2012-13 season, knowing that the team that took the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns have leaned heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (10.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (13.2, 6.4, 5.2). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (5.0 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, should also play an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (17.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.4, 4.2), a JC transfer from Lamar State, will unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshman Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylan Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson will provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen duo of Kasey Shepherd (2.7) and Steven Wronkoski (8.7, 3.0) and Josh Soto (1.8) will also contribute, giving Louisiana one of the deepest backcourts in the Sun Belt. Marlin wants to utilize the depth and quickness by forcing an up-tempo game at both ends of the court by applying more defensive pressure. Look for the Cajuns to use their quickness and outside shooting ability to create a balanced offense, forcing opponents to cover the entire court.
MARLIN EARNS EXTENSION: Third-year head coach Bob Marlin was given a new five-year contract on Dec. 4 that will keep him on the Cajuns' sidelines through the 2016-17 season. In his first two seasons, Marlin's teams have won 21 Sun Belt games, the second-highest total in the league over that span, and his .656 winning percentage in league games is the highest among active Sun Belt coaches.
UL ATHLETICS TEAMS WITH THE UNITED WAY: The Louisiana Athletics Department and United Way of Acadiana are partnering to share ticket revenue and spread holiday cheer for the men's basketball game with Duquesne on Saturday (Dec. 22) at the Cajundome. All tickets to the game are available (100, 200 and 300 level) for a special discounted price of $5. The proceeds of the tickets sales will be split, benefitting both the United Way of Acadiana and Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. Acadiana area companies are encouraged to purchase tickets and donate them to the United Way, which will then distribute them to various youth and family groups under their umbrella.
MOSS LEAVES PROGRAM: Freshman Matt Moss, who scored 11 points in the first eight games this year, has left the Ragin' Cajuns basketball program and intends to transfer to another university. A 6-9, 212-pound forward from Anacoco, La., Moss joined the program this fall after playing last year at Charis Prep in Wilson, N.C.
HOME COOKING: With three of the next four games being played at home, the Cajuns are looking forward to an extended stretch in the Cajundome. Louisiana is 3-1 at home this year, but has yet to play consecutive home games. Tuesday's win over Lamar upped Bob Marlin's record at the Cajundome to 23-10 (.697). In 15 seasons as a Division I head coach, Marlin sports a home record of 158-37 (.810).
NOW IT'S PITTSBURGH'S TURN: After meetings with fellow I-10 corridor schools (McNeese, Lamar, Houston) over the last eight days, the Cajuns are in the Cajundome hosting back-to-back games against schools that hail from the city of Pittsburgh. And both come in the same week. First up is Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and then Duquesne (Dec. 22) ends the Cajundome's week as a "tourist" desitnation for Pittsburgh-based schools. The meetings with RMU and Duquesne complete a home-and-home started last season when Louisiana made two different trips to Pittsburgh (Duquesne won 84-65 on Nov. 26, 2011 and RMU won 72-64 on Dec. 17, 2011).
FINISHING OUT THE CONTRACTS: The Cajuns are in the midst of a three-game stretch against opponents in which they have two-year contracts with. The game at Houston on Saturday (Dec. 15) was the first game in a two-year deal with the Cougars slated to visit UL next year. Next up are home games against Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and Duquesne (Dec. 22), a pair of schools from the Pittsburgh area that the Cajuns started two-year deals with road games last year.
THE FIRST ONE'S OUT OF THE WAY: Freshman Josh Soto landed his first career field goal make, a trey at the 3:38 mark of the first half Tuesday vs. Lamar. The first field goal came in his fourth collegiate appearance since being cleared by the NCAA on Monday, Nov. 26. Soto came back to knock down his only two three-point attempts at Houston, finishing with six points in six minutes.
SUPPORTING CAST DELIVERS: The Louisiana bench had a productive night vs. Lamar on Dec. 11, totalling 30 points with 21 coming in the first half. The performance ended a string of three straight single-digit showings by the bench which had been outscored 75-13 during the slump. The Lamar production was a season-best effort by the Cajuns bench and continued a season-long trend. In the four Cajun wins, the Louisiana bench is averaging 21.0 ppg. The bench has produced just 72 points in the seven losses (10.4 ppg).
CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton continues to inch closer and closer to recording the first triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player in almost a decade. Payton closed the 2011-12 season with a 13-point, eight-rebound and nine-assist game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship. He toyed with the stat in the season opener against Oakland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), SUNO (11,7 , 7) and on Dec. 1 at North Texas (14, 6, 9) and went a different route at Michigan State (Nov. 25), scoring 20 points with six rebounds and a career-high seven steals. He came the closest yet against in the last two weeks. He scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8) and came back with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five steals vs. Lamar (Dec. 11). For the record, the last triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player came on Jan. 5, 2006 when Michael Southall scored 19 points with 12 rebounds and 11 blocks at North Texas.
. . . BUT PAYTON MUST WALK BEFORE HE RUNS: Although Elfrid Payton has flirted with a triple-double, it took him until the McNeese State game to record his first career double-double. Payton scored 17 points with 10 rebounds in the contest. It only took him three days to get the second, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds vs. Lamar on Dec. 11.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY: Bob Marlin said during the preseason that one area in which Louisiana would definitely show improvement is at the foul line, where the Cajuns shot just .631 (483-766) last year. So far, that prediction has come true as Louisiana has shot 70-percent or better from the line in seven of the 11 games. The Cajuns enter the Robert Morris game having gone 150-for-212 (.708). The last time that the Cajuns shot above 70-percent for an entire season came 20 seasons ago (1993-94) when they went 463-for-647 (.716).
. . . AND THE FRESHMEN LEAD THE WAY: The simplest way to improve a team's free throw shooting is to simply get better shooters and Bob Marlin has apparently done that. The five freshman on the Louisiana roster have made 58 of their 76 free throws this year (.763). Shawn Long (27-35, .771) and Steven Wronkoski (23-30, .767) lead the way, ranking ninth and 11th in the Sun Belt, respectively.
CAJUNS BENEFIT FROM LATE FREE THROW SHOOTING: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 51-for-67 (.761) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Shawn Long (8-8) and Steven Wronkoski (6-6) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .757 shooter (28-37), is seven-for-eight this year (.875). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 57 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.2 assists per game. He matched his career high with nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1, a career high originally set against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
. . . AND GRAND THEFT FOR PAYTON: With 22 steals over the last six games, Elfrid Payton has taken over the Sun Belt lead with 30 steals this season (2.7 spg). Payton had a career high seven steals at Michigan State on Nov. 25, falling one steal short of the school record, and came back to make four steals vs. Middle Tennessee. Last year, Payton lead the Cajuns with 37 steals.
IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING: The exhibition win over Loyola-New Orleans marked the Cajuns debut for forward Shawn Long. Long transferred to Louisiana last December after spending the fall semester at Mississippi State. The 6-9 native of Morgan City, La. practiced with the Cajuns during the final three months of the year but was not eligible to play. During the summer, he was granted a waiver of transfer rule that would have made him ineligible until early December, allowing him to play immediately. Eager to make up for the lost season, Long scored 11 of UL's first 18 points against Loyola, finishing the night with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, going seven-for-11 from the field with a pair of blocks.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (17.1), rebounding (8.9) and blocks (1.9), shooting .490 from the field (75-153) and .771 from the line (27-35). He ranks third in the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks and is ninth in free throw percentage. He has posted five double-doubles and four 20-point games. He hada c areer-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points anda c areer-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
GOING OVERTIME: The loss to Texas Southern on Nov. 16 marked the ninth time that the Cajuns have played to overtime under head coach Bob Marlin. Louisiana is now 6-3 in overtime games during that span, including a 4-1 record last season.
LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 16-point, 11-rebound effort against Lamar on Dec. 11 gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his fifth double-double in 10 games this year to take over the Sun Belt lead. South Alabama's Augustine Rubit is second with four double-doubles.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: Although it is still very early in the season, Shawn Long's four 20-point games has put the redshirt freshman on pace to record the most 20-plus point performances by a Cajun since former Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson accomplished it 12 times in 2009-10.
WRONKOSKI PROVES MARLIN RIGHT: Bob Marlin has said many times this fall that when he took over as head coach two years ago, one of the first recruits he looked at was Steven Wronkoski, deciding that the current UL freshman's spirited play would be perfect in a Cajun uniform. Wronkoski has yet to prove Marlin wrong, averaging 8.7 points and 3.0 rebounds this year. He posted back-to-back career highs of 12 points vs. SUNO on Nov. 21 and, in his first career start, 16 points at New Mexico State on Nov. 23. His Sun Belt debut was equally as strong as he scored all 13 of his points in the second half against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 29. Most recently, he raised his career high again, scoring 17 points at McNeese State on Dec. 8. For the year, Wronkoski is third in the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (15-31, .484) and 11th in free throw percentage (23-30, .767).
MAKING THE GRADE: One thing that head coach Bob Marlin has emphasized in his three seasons at Louisiana is the necessity that his players give 100% both on and off the court. This demand has led to positive results in the classroom. During the spring 2012 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns recorded their third straight semester with a team GPA of better than 2.50, a feat accomplished just one other time since 1982. The last three semesters account for three of the top six terms for the basketball team during that time. In the two semesters last year, seven Cajuns posted a 3.0 GPA or better.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns remain at home to close out the non-conference schedule when they host Duquesne on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m. Louisiana then resumes Sun Belt play at Arkansas State on Dec. 27 and at home vs. UALR on Dec. 29.
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