University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, March 8
Jonesboro, Ark.
7:05 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Arkansas State
Ragin' Cajuns To Wrap Up Regular Season At A-State
3/7/2014 6:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Winner claims No. 3 seed in next week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament
Game Notes
Louisiana (19-11, 10-7) at
Arkansas State (18-11, 10-7)
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2014
Time: 7:05 p.m. CST
Site: Convocation Center (10,038); Jonesboro, Ark.
Radio: KHXT (107.9 FM)
Play-By-Play: Jay Walker
TV: None
Series: Louisiana leads, 45-23
Last Meeting: Louisiana 85, Arkansas State 67; 2/15/14, Lafayette, La.
THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 62-62 (4th year)
4-Year Overall: 287-193 (16th year)
All Collegiate: 410-228 (21st year)
vs. AState: 5-4
ARKANSAS STATE
JOHN BRADY (Belhaven, '76)
At ASU: 98-89 (6th year)
Overall: 379-305 (23rd year)
vs. Louisiana: 7-7
JONESBORO, Ark. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team wraps up the regular-season on Saturday when it visits Sun Belt Conference opponent Arkansas State in a 7:05 p.m. contest at the Convocation Center.
Louisiana (19-11, 10-7 SBC) looks to secure the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in next week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament, that begins on Thursday at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena. A win over A-State (18-11, 10-7 SBC) would clinch the No. 3 seed and give the Cajuns their first 20-win season since a 20-10 record in 2002-03.
The Cajuns, who have won seven of their last nine games down the stretch, look to rebound from a 75-72 loss at WKU on Thursday. Louisiana was led by Elfrid Payton scored 31 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. Xavian Rimmer added 14 points for the Ragin' Cajuns while Shawn Long grabbed 10 rebounds.
Payton leads Louisiana, the Sun Belt Conference's top-scoring team, averaging 19.4 points per game with Long the league's only player averaging a double-double with 19.0 points and 10.4 rebounds. Bryant Mbamalu is next in scoring for the Cajuns at 11.7 points and is followed by Rimmer (8.1), Kevin Brown (5.6), Steven Wronkoski (4.7), J.J. Davenport (4.7), Elridge Moore (4.1) and Hayward Register (3.0).
On the season, the Cajuns average 81.5 points per game while allowing 74.7.
A-State snapped a two-game losing streak as it earned a 64-58 victory over ULM on Thursday. Melvin Johnson III scored 17 points to lead three players in double figures for the Red Wolves while Ed Townsel added 13 points and Kendrick Washington had 12.
Kirk Van Slyke leads A-State in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game while grabbing 5.9 rebounds. Johnson (14.8) and Washington (10.1) are next in scoring for the Red Wolves, who average 75.7 points as a team and are 11-3.
GAME NOTES
LOUISIANA IN THE NCAA STATS: The Cajuns were featured prominently in the latest NCAA stats, which were released on Monday (March 2). Shawn Long was sixth in double-doubles (14), ninth in rebounds (10.5), 10th in total field goals made (192), 23rd in blocks (2.8) and 42nd in scoring (19.4). Junior Elfrid Payton was 11th in steals (2.4), 18th in assists (5.9) and 35th in scoring (19.7), owning one of nine triple-doubles in the nation this year. As a team, the Cajuns were 11th in scoring offense (81.9), 35th in steals (7.6) and 43rd in field goal percentage (.472).
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-percent both on and off the court. This demand has led to positive results in the classroom. During the spring 2013 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns set a program record with a 2.904 grade point average for the team. They backed that up with a 2.854 during the recently completed fall semester, the second-highest average in the 31 years that athletics has tracked grades, with eight of the 15 players posting a 3.0 or better. In seven semesters under head coach Bob Marlin, the Cajuns have recorded seven of the top 10 semesters in program history.
MBAMALU RECEIVES SBC, LSWA HONORS: After posting his first career double-double and becoming the 42nd player in school history to reach the 1,000-point scoring mark in his final home game, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns guard Bryant Mbamalu was selected as both the Sun Belt Conference and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the Week in a release by the league office. Mbamalu, a 6-foot-2 senior, scored 32 points and grabbed a career-high tying 11 rebounds in the Cajuns' 102-74 victory over South Alabama. The Houston, Texas native finished 10-for-19 from the floor and was 5-for-7 from behind the 3-point line as he helped Louisiana (19-10, 10-6 SBC) finish with a 13-2 record at home – its best home mark since a 13-4 record in 1990-91. He scored 17 points in the first half as the Cajuns took a 52-27 lead at intermission and reached the 1,000-point mark when he hit the second of two free throws with 1:58 remaining.
LONG REACHES THE 1,000-POINT MARK: A 16-point effort against Arkansas State on Saturday (Feb. 15) allowed Shawn Long to become the 41st player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career and the fifth to accomplish it as a sophomore. Long, who scored 20 points against South Alabama on Sunday, has now scored 1,063 career points. He is the second of three Cajuns to reach the milestone this year, joining Elfrid Payton who now has 1,334 points (25th) and Bryant Mbamalu, who reached the milestone against South Alabama on March 2. Long joins Bo Lamar (1,631 points), Andrew Toney (1,269), Kevin Brooks (1,053) and Jerry Flake (1,042) as the 1,000-point sophomores.
2x1000: When Shawn Long surpassed the 1,000-point mark against Arkansas State on Saturday (Feb. 15), joining teammate Elfrid Payton as 1,000-point scorers, it marked the seventh time in school history that two Cajuns accomplished the feat in the same season. It was also the 16th time that a team had two 1,000 point scorers on it. The last time the Cajuns had two 1,000-point players in the same year came in 2005-06 when Michael Southall and Dwayne Mitchell accomplished it.
. . . AND MBAMALU MAKES THREE: A career-high 32-point game last week against South Alabama allowed senior Bryant Mbamalu to become the 42nd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Mbamalu, who finished 10-for-19 from the field and 5-for-7 from behind the 3-point line, scored his 1,000th point when he made the second of two free throws with 1:58 remaining.
. . . AND 3x1000: With Mbamalu reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career, joining teammates Elfrid Payton and Shawn Long, it marks the fourth time in school history that a Louisiana team has three 1,000-point scorers on it and the first time that all three went over the plateau in the same season. The first trio came in 1971-72 when career scoring leader Dwight "Bo" Lamar (3,493 points), Roy Ebron (1,683 points) and Payton Townsend (1,240) accomplished it. It also happened in 1983 with Graylin Warner (1,762), Dion Brown (1,412) and Alonza Allen (1,211) and finally in 1993-94 with Michael Allen (1,673), Byron Starks (1,592) and Tony Moore (1,118).
PAYTON IS THE NEW STEALS KING: With two steals against South Alabama, junior Elfrid Payton increased his career total to 185, eclipsing the school-record of 184 set by Chris Manuel (1995-98). Payton had 37 steals as a freshman in 2011-12 and 80 in 2012-13, the third-highest single season total in school history. Payton has a Sun Belt-leading 69 steals this season.
PLAYING OVERTIME: The Feb. 13 double overtime win over UALR improved the Cajuns to 2-1 this year in overtime games and 8-5 in extra time in four seasons under head coach Bob Marlin. The three overtime games are the most in a season since Louisiana went 4-1 in OT in 2011-12, Marlin's second season with the Cajuns. The Cajuns are now 31-20 all-time in overtime games and 8-11 in double overtime contests.
THE QUEST FOR 20: With one game remaining in the regular-season plus the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Ragin' Cajuns are on the verge of their first 20-win season since 2002-03. Louisiana has produced 21 seasons with 20 or more victories with a school-record 25 coming twice (1970-71 and 1999-2000).
HAYWARD REGISTERS A CAREER HIGH: With Kasey Shepherd sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, head coach Bob Marlin has found some relief in freshman Hayward Register. Register, who scored just 26 points on 6-for-28 shooting from the 3-point line (.214) while playing in 14 of the first 22 games has responded by averaging 5.7 points and shooting .545 from long range (12-for-23) over the last eight games. Included in that total is a career-high 17-point effort at UT Arlington on Feb. 6, an outburst that more than doubled his previous scoring high of seven points.
AT HOME IN THE DOME: In each of the past five seasons, the Ragin' Cajuns have posted double-digit win totals in the friendly confines of the Cajundome. During the 2013-14 season, the Cajuns posted a 13-2 record - their best win total in the Dome since going 13-4 in 1990-91. The 13 wins this season marks the third time that has occurred (1989-90, 1990-91). The Ragin' Cajuns record for single-season wins in the Cajundome is 14 set in 1988-89.
SHOOTING IS THE DIFFERENCE: Last Sunday's win over South Alabama marked the 17th time that the Cajuns have shot better from the field than their opponent in a game this season with Louisiana being a perfect 17-0 in those games. At the other end of the spectrum, the Cajuns are just 2-10 when their opponents shoots a higher percentage from the field. Turnovers have proven to be unimportant this season as Louisiana is 10-6 when committing the same number or more turnovers than its opponent and 9-5 when committing less.
A SHOOTING PERFORMANCE FOR PAYTON: Elfrid Payton was quite efficient against ULM on Feb. 1, going 13-for-14 from the field on his way to scoring a game-high 28 points. The shooting effort was the second-best on the team this year, trailing only the school-record equalling 12-for-12 game by Shawn Long against Centenary. Payton enters the week ranking 10th in the Sun Belt shooting .505 (159-316).
. . . AND PAYTON HAS KEPT IT GOING: In the seven games since Elfrid Payton had his 13-for-14 shooting night against ULM (Feb. 1), Payton has kept his shooting touch, going a combined 64-for-113 from the field (.566) to improve to .515 shooting for the season (200-for-388), good for eighth in the Sun Belt. Payton has shot .500 or better in six of the eight games, including back-to-back 8-for-12 (.667) efforts in wins over UALR and Arkansas State.
DAVENPORT SHINES: With Shawn Long out of the lineup for the UALR game on Jan. 30, junior J.J. Davenport stepped up and turned in the best performance of his Cajuns career. Playing a career-high 27 minutes, Davenport registered his first career double-double, setting additional career highs with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He became the third of four Cajuns players this season to register a double-double this season, joining Long (15), Payton (6) and Bryant Mbamalu (1). With Long in foul trouble vs. Arkansas State (Feb. 15), Davenport came back to score eight of his 13 points in the decisive second half.
PAYTON MOVES UP SCORING CHART: A 31-point effort against WKU on Thursday enabled Elfrid Payton to move within 19 points of catching Bill McHorris (1,355 points from 1958-61) for 24th place on the Cajuns career scoring list. Payton became the 40th Cajun to score 1,000 career points in the win over Central Methodist on Dec. 30. Payton, who is averaging 19.5 points, has four career 30-point games and has scored 20 or more points 25 times.
SCORING OFF THE GLASS: Shawn Long has made the most of his rebounding opportunities this year, scoring 59 baskets off his 109 offensive rebounds this season for an average of 4.3 points a game. Long ranks second in the Sun Belt averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds a game and second behind teammate Elfrid Payton in scoring (19.0).
A TRIPLE-DOUBLE FOR PAYTON: After flirting with it a half-dozen times early in his career, junior Elfrid Payton recorded the first triple-doule of his career when he set career highs for scoring (34), rebounds (11) and assists (11) at ULM on Jan. 4. It was the sixth triple-double in school history and one of seven in the nation this year. Michael Southall recorded the last triple-double by a Cajun when he had one at North Texas in 2005-06. Here are a list of triple-doubles in Cajuns basketball history (all are points-rebounds-assists except where noted with *):
Elfrid Payton at ULM (Jan. 4, 2014) (34 pts, 11 reb, 11 asst.)
Michael Southall at North Texas (Jan. 5, 2006) (19 pts, 12 reb, 11 blocks)
Aaron Mitchell vs. Jackson State (Dec. 1, 1989) (21-10-10)
Randal Smith vs. Rider (Jan. 8, 1987) (22-11-11)
George Almones vs. Long Island (Jan. 28, 1985) (12-16-11)
George Almones vs. ULM (Feb. 14, 1983) (14-10-12)
PAYTON HAS SPENT THE SEASON AT THE LINE: With 269 free throw attempts this year, Elfrid Payton enters the week ranked fourth nationally. Niagara's Antoine Mason leads the country with 324 attempts with Tennessee State's Patrick Miller (268), Ovie Soko of Duquense (262) and Payton following. Payton's 269 attempts are just four away from Dean Church's single-season record of 273 attempts set in 1964-65. Payton has shot 612 career free throws, including 133 as a freshman in 2011-12 and 209 in 2012-13. He has attempted eight or more free throws in a game 19 times this season.
MARLIN CLAIMS 400TH VICTORY: Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin used a 90-58 win over Central Methodist on Dec. 30 to claim his 400th as a head coach at the collegiate level. Marlin enters the weekend with a 410-227 record (.643) in 21 seasons as a head coach. He was 123-35 in five seasons at Pensacola J.C. (1990-95), winning the 1993 national championship, and 225-131 in 12 years at Sam Houston State (1998-2010). He reached the 50-win mark at Louisiana in the win over Houston on Dec. 14 and owns a 62-61 record.
MBAMALU BACK: After missing the first 12 games of the season with a foot injury suffered in September, senior Bryant Mbamalu returned to the lineup on Dec. 30 and has played in the last 17 games. Mbamalu is averaging 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds as a starter over the last 16 games. Mbamalu scored a career-high 32 points against South Alabama, 21 points against Troy and 19 points in games against Arkansas State (Feb. 15) and Georgia State (Feb. 22). On the season, Mbamalu has shot 73-for-161 (.453) from the field this season. As a junior in 2012-13, Mbamalu averaged 13.8 points and 3.7 rebounds a game, finishing second on the team with 49 treys. He scored in double figures 22 times, including five 20-point games and one 30-point game.
20-POINT GAMES: The versatility of the Louisiana lineup this season is evident by the four Cajuns who have combined to score 20 or more points in a game 33 times this season, surpassing the total for the entire 2012-13 season. Elfrid Payton (15) and Shawn Long (13) lead the way, including five contests in which they both scored 20 points. Xavian Rimmer (3), Bryant Mbamalu (1) and Kasey Shepherd (1) have come off the bench to reach the mark. Last year, Cajuns players had 25, 20-point games, with all but one coming from a starter. Payton and Long had nine each with Mbamalu adding five and Alan-Michael Thompson getting two.
. . . AND 30-POINT EFFORTS: When Elfrid Payton scored 31 points against WKU on Thursday, it marked the seventh time this season that a Ragin' Cajuns player has scored 30 or more points in a game. Payton has recorded four 30-point games on the season - 34 vs. ULM (1/4), 32 vs. Oakland (11/23) and 31 vs. Houston (12/14). Shawn Long posted two games with 30 or more points - 31 vs. UT Arlington (2/6) and 30 vs. Centenary (12/17) and Bryant Mbamalu scored 32 points against South Alabama on March 2. Last year, the only 30-point game by a Cajun came when Payton scored 32 points against WKU.
RIMMER COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: Junior Xavian Rimmer has gained a reputation for making the last-second shot in his first season with the Ragin' Cajuns. Rimmer made a game-winning 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left at Texas State (2/8) to cap a Cajuns rally from 12 points down to claim a 67-66 win. At Jackson State on Dec. 19, he made a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to tie the game at 67-67. On Jan. 4 at ULM, he was fouled with 2.3 seconds left and made all three free throws to tie the game at 74-74 and force overtime.
PAYTON NEARS FIFTH ON ASSISTS LIST: With 51 assists in his last eight games, Elfrid Payton has moved past both Kenneth Lawrence (401 assists from 2000-03) and George Almones (402, 1983-85) and into sixth place on the Louisiana career assist chart with 456 career assists. Payton has a ways to go to continue his climb, needing 15 assists to catch Eric Mouton (1988-92), who had 471 assists, for fifth place.
LONG MOVES INTO THIRD ON CAREER BLOCK CHART: A two-block effort against Troy moved sophomore Shawn Long past Graylin Warner (138 blocks from 1981-84) into third place on the career blocks list with 139. Long, who added two blocks against WKU to increase his total to 145, now needs 24 to catch Reginlad Poole (1995-99) for second-place at 169. Long has 80 blocks this year and 65 last season, the third and seventh-highest single season total in Cajuns history.
LONG LIKES TO DOUBLE UP: Sophomore Shawn Long picked right up where he left off last spring, registering double-doubles in 15 of the 28 games that he has played to rank seventh nationally. Long has 33 double-doubles in 62 career games. He enters the weekend leading the SBC in blocked shots (2.8), rebounding (10.4) and defensive rebounding (6.7), is ranked second in offensive rebounds (3.6), second in scoring (19.5) and seventh in field goal percentage (.535).
PAYTON IS ON PACE FOR ANOTHER 15, 5, 5 & 2: Elfrid Payton was the only player in Division I last year to average 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals a game last year and he has done it again through 29 games this season. Payton enters the Arkansas State game averaging 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.2 steals a game. Last year, he averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
PAYTON NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON TOP 50: Cajuns junior point guard Elfrid Payton earned a big preseason honor on Nov. 12 when he was named to the 2013-14 John R. Wooden Award preseason top 50 list by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Named after the legendary UCLA head coach, the Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation.
. . . AND MORE HONORS FOR PAYTON: Being selected to the Wooden Award list is the latest in a long list of preseason awards for Elfrid Payton. Earlier in the fall, Payton was named to the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, which is presented to the nation's top point guard by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, Payton was named to the Mid-Major All-America first team by NBCSports.com and to the Lou Henson All-America team, which honors the nation's top mid-major players and is presented by CollegeInsider.com.
HOW ELFRID SPENT HIS SUMMER: Elfrid Payton had quite a summer, traveling more than 40,000 miles to play 20 basketball games in three different countries as part of three different teams. The journey started with an eight-game, 18-day (May 11-28) tour of the Far East and China with Reach USA, during which he averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.0 steals a game in helping Reach USA to a 4-2-1 record. After returning to the states, Payton headed to Colorado Springs, Colo., where he not only earned a spot on the USA Basketball U19 team for the FIBA World Championship (June 26-July 7) in Prague, Czech Republic, but a starting spot as well. Payton helped lead Team USA to a 9-0 record and the gold medal. One month later, Payton traveled with his Cajuns teammates to Spain, winning all four games during a goodwill tour.
. . . ALL BECAUSE OF A PASSPORT & CHRIS PAUL SAID NO: Elfrid Payton's emergence over the summer all happened because he was both denied admission to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp and went on a goodwill tour to China. With Payton playing in China and the Cajuns coaching staff trying in vane to get him an invite to the Paul camp, the coaches changed the focus to Team USA, which was interested in Louisiana's rising junior. When Bob Marlin spoke with Team USA head coach Billy Donovan, Donovan noted that Payton could only attend the tryout if he already had a passport, which he had obtained in the weeks before leaving for China. Payton and his passport, traveled to Colorado Springs for the tryout camp, and the rest is history.
SHIPLEY TO BE INDUCTED INTO LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Legendary Louisiana men's basketball coach Beryl Shipley, who guided the Cajuns to a 293-126 record with winning records in 15 of his 16 seasons, will be one of eight individuals selected for enshrinement in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Shipley was the first head coach of a predominantly white state college in the deep south to give scholarships to black student-athletes. Under Shipley's leadership, the Cajuns finished in the national top 20 in each of his last six seasons - the first four in the college division polls, the last two in Division I. Starting in 1963, Shipley rattled off five Gulf States Conference Championships in six seasons, including a win at the 1964-65 NAIA District 27 Tournament Championship. The 2014 induction class will be enshrined on Saturday, June 21.
LAGNIAPPE. . . : A little gift of notes at the end:
• Shawn Long & Elfrid Payton were each named to the 2013-14 Preseason All-Sun Belt first team by the league's coaches and select media.
• Four Cajuns have combined to receive the LSWA Player of the Week honors four times this year. Shawn Long earned the first award of the year on Dec. 3 and then again on Feb. 10 while both Kasey Shepherd (Dec. 9), Elfrid Payton (Dec. 16) and Bryant Mbamalu (March 3) earned state honors.
• The win at Coastal Carolina (Nov. 24) snapped a 19-game road losing streak against non-conference opponents that dated back to the end of the 2009-10 season. The Cajuns went 2-4 in true non-conference road games this year.
• Shawn Long started the season playing his best basketball, earning Sun Belt Player of the Week honors on both Nov. 12 and Nov. 26. Long also picked up the award on Feb. 10.
• Shawn Long was honored as the MVP of the EA Sports Maui on the Mainland after averaging 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in the two games, shooting .667 from the field (14-for-21) and .600 from three-point (3-for-5).
• Junior Elfrid Payton started the season by scoring 20 or more points in the first five games, becoming the the first Cajuns player to accomplish that since Michael Allen scored 20 points or more in 12 straight games early in the 1993-94 season.
• Cajuns great Sydney Grider (1988-90) was inducted inton the Louisiana Athletic Hall of Fame in October. Grider, the most effective three-point shooter in school history, earned back-to-back first-team All-American South Conference honors as a junior and senior, averaging 23.5 points as a junior and leading the American South as a senior with a 25.5 average.
• Jerry Flake (1966-69) had number retired at halftime of the Houston game (12/14). Flake ranks fifth in school history with 2,058 career points, averaging 19.2 points a game over the course of his career. Flake's number 20 becomes the fifth retired jersey, joining Dwight "Bo" Lamar's No. 10, the No. 14 worn by Marvin Winkler, Andrew Toney's No. 24 and the No. 12 worn by Dean Church, which was retired in February, 2012.
• The 9-4 non-conference record allowed the Cajuns to tie the school record for most wins before Jan. 1, equaling the mark set in both 1982-83 and 1990-91.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns will compete in the Sun Belt Conference that begins March 13 at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena. A third- or -fourth-place finish in the final standings would guarantee Louisiana a first-round bye. The winner of the eight-team tournament will earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
CAJUNS SIGN THREE: The Louisiana coaching staff was busy during the fall, signing three players to national letters of intent during the early signing period. Signing with the Cajuns were:
Scott Plaisance (6-9, 210, F, New Orleans, La./Country Day): Was named the Louisiana Class 1A Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game and leading Country Day to a 26-11 record and the state title. Plaisance is rated the No. 6 player in Louisiana on the latest Times-Picayune Super 16.
Bryce Washington (6-6, 230, F, New Orleans, La./St. Augustine): Earned first team all-district 10-4A honors last year after averaging 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, helping lead his team to a 25-10 record. Ranked No. 13 on the Times-Picayune list of top players in Louisiana.
Johnathan Stove (6-4, 215, G-F, Baton Rouge, La./Christian Life Academy): First team all-state choice after averaging 19.8 points as a junior. He was named to both the state Class A team and to the 11-man all-classes team by the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association. A five-year regular, he played on state championship teams in both 8th & 10th grades and helped squad to a 27-6 record and the state semi-finals as a junior.
Louisiana (19-11, 10-7) at
Arkansas State (18-11, 10-7)
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2014
Time: 7:05 p.m. CST
Site: Convocation Center (10,038); Jonesboro, Ark.
Radio: KHXT (107.9 FM)
Play-By-Play: Jay Walker
TV: None
Series: Louisiana leads, 45-23
Last Meeting: Louisiana 85, Arkansas State 67; 2/15/14, Lafayette, La.
THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 62-62 (4th year)
4-Year Overall: 287-193 (16th year)
All Collegiate: 410-228 (21st year)
vs. AState: 5-4
ARKANSAS STATE
JOHN BRADY (Belhaven, '76)
At ASU: 98-89 (6th year)
Overall: 379-305 (23rd year)
vs. Louisiana: 7-7
JONESBORO, Ark. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team wraps up the regular-season on Saturday when it visits Sun Belt Conference opponent Arkansas State in a 7:05 p.m. contest at the Convocation Center.
Louisiana (19-11, 10-7 SBC) looks to secure the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in next week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament, that begins on Thursday at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena. A win over A-State (18-11, 10-7 SBC) would clinch the No. 3 seed and give the Cajuns their first 20-win season since a 20-10 record in 2002-03.
The Cajuns, who have won seven of their last nine games down the stretch, look to rebound from a 75-72 loss at WKU on Thursday. Louisiana was led by Elfrid Payton scored 31 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. Xavian Rimmer added 14 points for the Ragin' Cajuns while Shawn Long grabbed 10 rebounds.
Payton leads Louisiana, the Sun Belt Conference's top-scoring team, averaging 19.4 points per game with Long the league's only player averaging a double-double with 19.0 points and 10.4 rebounds. Bryant Mbamalu is next in scoring for the Cajuns at 11.7 points and is followed by Rimmer (8.1), Kevin Brown (5.6), Steven Wronkoski (4.7), J.J. Davenport (4.7), Elridge Moore (4.1) and Hayward Register (3.0).
On the season, the Cajuns average 81.5 points per game while allowing 74.7.
A-State snapped a two-game losing streak as it earned a 64-58 victory over ULM on Thursday. Melvin Johnson III scored 17 points to lead three players in double figures for the Red Wolves while Ed Townsel added 13 points and Kendrick Washington had 12.
Kirk Van Slyke leads A-State in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game while grabbing 5.9 rebounds. Johnson (14.8) and Washington (10.1) are next in scoring for the Red Wolves, who average 75.7 points as a team and are 11-3.
GAME NOTES
LOUISIANA IN THE NCAA STATS: The Cajuns were featured prominently in the latest NCAA stats, which were released on Monday (March 2). Shawn Long was sixth in double-doubles (14), ninth in rebounds (10.5), 10th in total field goals made (192), 23rd in blocks (2.8) and 42nd in scoring (19.4). Junior Elfrid Payton was 11th in steals (2.4), 18th in assists (5.9) and 35th in scoring (19.7), owning one of nine triple-doubles in the nation this year. As a team, the Cajuns were 11th in scoring offense (81.9), 35th in steals (7.6) and 43rd in field goal percentage (.472).
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-percent both on and off the court. This demand has led to positive results in the classroom. During the spring 2013 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns set a program record with a 2.904 grade point average for the team. They backed that up with a 2.854 during the recently completed fall semester, the second-highest average in the 31 years that athletics has tracked grades, with eight of the 15 players posting a 3.0 or better. In seven semesters under head coach Bob Marlin, the Cajuns have recorded seven of the top 10 semesters in program history.
MBAMALU RECEIVES SBC, LSWA HONORS: After posting his first career double-double and becoming the 42nd player in school history to reach the 1,000-point scoring mark in his final home game, Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns guard Bryant Mbamalu was selected as both the Sun Belt Conference and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the Week in a release by the league office. Mbamalu, a 6-foot-2 senior, scored 32 points and grabbed a career-high tying 11 rebounds in the Cajuns' 102-74 victory over South Alabama. The Houston, Texas native finished 10-for-19 from the floor and was 5-for-7 from behind the 3-point line as he helped Louisiana (19-10, 10-6 SBC) finish with a 13-2 record at home – its best home mark since a 13-4 record in 1990-91. He scored 17 points in the first half as the Cajuns took a 52-27 lead at intermission and reached the 1,000-point mark when he hit the second of two free throws with 1:58 remaining.
LONG REACHES THE 1,000-POINT MARK: A 16-point effort against Arkansas State on Saturday (Feb. 15) allowed Shawn Long to become the 41st player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career and the fifth to accomplish it as a sophomore. Long, who scored 20 points against South Alabama on Sunday, has now scored 1,063 career points. He is the second of three Cajuns to reach the milestone this year, joining Elfrid Payton who now has 1,334 points (25th) and Bryant Mbamalu, who reached the milestone against South Alabama on March 2. Long joins Bo Lamar (1,631 points), Andrew Toney (1,269), Kevin Brooks (1,053) and Jerry Flake (1,042) as the 1,000-point sophomores.
2x1000: When Shawn Long surpassed the 1,000-point mark against Arkansas State on Saturday (Feb. 15), joining teammate Elfrid Payton as 1,000-point scorers, it marked the seventh time in school history that two Cajuns accomplished the feat in the same season. It was also the 16th time that a team had two 1,000 point scorers on it. The last time the Cajuns had two 1,000-point players in the same year came in 2005-06 when Michael Southall and Dwayne Mitchell accomplished it.
. . . AND MBAMALU MAKES THREE: A career-high 32-point game last week against South Alabama allowed senior Bryant Mbamalu to become the 42nd player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Mbamalu, who finished 10-for-19 from the field and 5-for-7 from behind the 3-point line, scored his 1,000th point when he made the second of two free throws with 1:58 remaining.
. . . AND 3x1000: With Mbamalu reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career, joining teammates Elfrid Payton and Shawn Long, it marks the fourth time in school history that a Louisiana team has three 1,000-point scorers on it and the first time that all three went over the plateau in the same season. The first trio came in 1971-72 when career scoring leader Dwight "Bo" Lamar (3,493 points), Roy Ebron (1,683 points) and Payton Townsend (1,240) accomplished it. It also happened in 1983 with Graylin Warner (1,762), Dion Brown (1,412) and Alonza Allen (1,211) and finally in 1993-94 with Michael Allen (1,673), Byron Starks (1,592) and Tony Moore (1,118).
PAYTON IS THE NEW STEALS KING: With two steals against South Alabama, junior Elfrid Payton increased his career total to 185, eclipsing the school-record of 184 set by Chris Manuel (1995-98). Payton had 37 steals as a freshman in 2011-12 and 80 in 2012-13, the third-highest single season total in school history. Payton has a Sun Belt-leading 69 steals this season.
PLAYING OVERTIME: The Feb. 13 double overtime win over UALR improved the Cajuns to 2-1 this year in overtime games and 8-5 in extra time in four seasons under head coach Bob Marlin. The three overtime games are the most in a season since Louisiana went 4-1 in OT in 2011-12, Marlin's second season with the Cajuns. The Cajuns are now 31-20 all-time in overtime games and 8-11 in double overtime contests.
THE QUEST FOR 20: With one game remaining in the regular-season plus the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Ragin' Cajuns are on the verge of their first 20-win season since 2002-03. Louisiana has produced 21 seasons with 20 or more victories with a school-record 25 coming twice (1970-71 and 1999-2000).
HAYWARD REGISTERS A CAREER HIGH: With Kasey Shepherd sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, head coach Bob Marlin has found some relief in freshman Hayward Register. Register, who scored just 26 points on 6-for-28 shooting from the 3-point line (.214) while playing in 14 of the first 22 games has responded by averaging 5.7 points and shooting .545 from long range (12-for-23) over the last eight games. Included in that total is a career-high 17-point effort at UT Arlington on Feb. 6, an outburst that more than doubled his previous scoring high of seven points.
AT HOME IN THE DOME: In each of the past five seasons, the Ragin' Cajuns have posted double-digit win totals in the friendly confines of the Cajundome. During the 2013-14 season, the Cajuns posted a 13-2 record - their best win total in the Dome since going 13-4 in 1990-91. The 13 wins this season marks the third time that has occurred (1989-90, 1990-91). The Ragin' Cajuns record for single-season wins in the Cajundome is 14 set in 1988-89.
SHOOTING IS THE DIFFERENCE: Last Sunday's win over South Alabama marked the 17th time that the Cajuns have shot better from the field than their opponent in a game this season with Louisiana being a perfect 17-0 in those games. At the other end of the spectrum, the Cajuns are just 2-10 when their opponents shoots a higher percentage from the field. Turnovers have proven to be unimportant this season as Louisiana is 10-6 when committing the same number or more turnovers than its opponent and 9-5 when committing less.
A SHOOTING PERFORMANCE FOR PAYTON: Elfrid Payton was quite efficient against ULM on Feb. 1, going 13-for-14 from the field on his way to scoring a game-high 28 points. The shooting effort was the second-best on the team this year, trailing only the school-record equalling 12-for-12 game by Shawn Long against Centenary. Payton enters the week ranking 10th in the Sun Belt shooting .505 (159-316).
. . . AND PAYTON HAS KEPT IT GOING: In the seven games since Elfrid Payton had his 13-for-14 shooting night against ULM (Feb. 1), Payton has kept his shooting touch, going a combined 64-for-113 from the field (.566) to improve to .515 shooting for the season (200-for-388), good for eighth in the Sun Belt. Payton has shot .500 or better in six of the eight games, including back-to-back 8-for-12 (.667) efforts in wins over UALR and Arkansas State.
DAVENPORT SHINES: With Shawn Long out of the lineup for the UALR game on Jan. 30, junior J.J. Davenport stepped up and turned in the best performance of his Cajuns career. Playing a career-high 27 minutes, Davenport registered his first career double-double, setting additional career highs with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He became the third of four Cajuns players this season to register a double-double this season, joining Long (15), Payton (6) and Bryant Mbamalu (1). With Long in foul trouble vs. Arkansas State (Feb. 15), Davenport came back to score eight of his 13 points in the decisive second half.
PAYTON MOVES UP SCORING CHART: A 31-point effort against WKU on Thursday enabled Elfrid Payton to move within 19 points of catching Bill McHorris (1,355 points from 1958-61) for 24th place on the Cajuns career scoring list. Payton became the 40th Cajun to score 1,000 career points in the win over Central Methodist on Dec. 30. Payton, who is averaging 19.5 points, has four career 30-point games and has scored 20 or more points 25 times.
SCORING OFF THE GLASS: Shawn Long has made the most of his rebounding opportunities this year, scoring 59 baskets off his 109 offensive rebounds this season for an average of 4.3 points a game. Long ranks second in the Sun Belt averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds a game and second behind teammate Elfrid Payton in scoring (19.0).
A TRIPLE-DOUBLE FOR PAYTON: After flirting with it a half-dozen times early in his career, junior Elfrid Payton recorded the first triple-doule of his career when he set career highs for scoring (34), rebounds (11) and assists (11) at ULM on Jan. 4. It was the sixth triple-double in school history and one of seven in the nation this year. Michael Southall recorded the last triple-double by a Cajun when he had one at North Texas in 2005-06. Here are a list of triple-doubles in Cajuns basketball history (all are points-rebounds-assists except where noted with *):
Elfrid Payton at ULM (Jan. 4, 2014) (34 pts, 11 reb, 11 asst.)
Michael Southall at North Texas (Jan. 5, 2006) (19 pts, 12 reb, 11 blocks)
Aaron Mitchell vs. Jackson State (Dec. 1, 1989) (21-10-10)
Randal Smith vs. Rider (Jan. 8, 1987) (22-11-11)
George Almones vs. Long Island (Jan. 28, 1985) (12-16-11)
George Almones vs. ULM (Feb. 14, 1983) (14-10-12)
PAYTON HAS SPENT THE SEASON AT THE LINE: With 269 free throw attempts this year, Elfrid Payton enters the week ranked fourth nationally. Niagara's Antoine Mason leads the country with 324 attempts with Tennessee State's Patrick Miller (268), Ovie Soko of Duquense (262) and Payton following. Payton's 269 attempts are just four away from Dean Church's single-season record of 273 attempts set in 1964-65. Payton has shot 612 career free throws, including 133 as a freshman in 2011-12 and 209 in 2012-13. He has attempted eight or more free throws in a game 19 times this season.
MARLIN CLAIMS 400TH VICTORY: Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin used a 90-58 win over Central Methodist on Dec. 30 to claim his 400th as a head coach at the collegiate level. Marlin enters the weekend with a 410-227 record (.643) in 21 seasons as a head coach. He was 123-35 in five seasons at Pensacola J.C. (1990-95), winning the 1993 national championship, and 225-131 in 12 years at Sam Houston State (1998-2010). He reached the 50-win mark at Louisiana in the win over Houston on Dec. 14 and owns a 62-61 record.
MBAMALU BACK: After missing the first 12 games of the season with a foot injury suffered in September, senior Bryant Mbamalu returned to the lineup on Dec. 30 and has played in the last 17 games. Mbamalu is averaging 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds as a starter over the last 16 games. Mbamalu scored a career-high 32 points against South Alabama, 21 points against Troy and 19 points in games against Arkansas State (Feb. 15) and Georgia State (Feb. 22). On the season, Mbamalu has shot 73-for-161 (.453) from the field this season. As a junior in 2012-13, Mbamalu averaged 13.8 points and 3.7 rebounds a game, finishing second on the team with 49 treys. He scored in double figures 22 times, including five 20-point games and one 30-point game.
20-POINT GAMES: The versatility of the Louisiana lineup this season is evident by the four Cajuns who have combined to score 20 or more points in a game 33 times this season, surpassing the total for the entire 2012-13 season. Elfrid Payton (15) and Shawn Long (13) lead the way, including five contests in which they both scored 20 points. Xavian Rimmer (3), Bryant Mbamalu (1) and Kasey Shepherd (1) have come off the bench to reach the mark. Last year, Cajuns players had 25, 20-point games, with all but one coming from a starter. Payton and Long had nine each with Mbamalu adding five and Alan-Michael Thompson getting two.
. . . AND 30-POINT EFFORTS: When Elfrid Payton scored 31 points against WKU on Thursday, it marked the seventh time this season that a Ragin' Cajuns player has scored 30 or more points in a game. Payton has recorded four 30-point games on the season - 34 vs. ULM (1/4), 32 vs. Oakland (11/23) and 31 vs. Houston (12/14). Shawn Long posted two games with 30 or more points - 31 vs. UT Arlington (2/6) and 30 vs. Centenary (12/17) and Bryant Mbamalu scored 32 points against South Alabama on March 2. Last year, the only 30-point game by a Cajun came when Payton scored 32 points against WKU.
RIMMER COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: Junior Xavian Rimmer has gained a reputation for making the last-second shot in his first season with the Ragin' Cajuns. Rimmer made a game-winning 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left at Texas State (2/8) to cap a Cajuns rally from 12 points down to claim a 67-66 win. At Jackson State on Dec. 19, he made a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to tie the game at 67-67. On Jan. 4 at ULM, he was fouled with 2.3 seconds left and made all three free throws to tie the game at 74-74 and force overtime.
PAYTON NEARS FIFTH ON ASSISTS LIST: With 51 assists in his last eight games, Elfrid Payton has moved past both Kenneth Lawrence (401 assists from 2000-03) and George Almones (402, 1983-85) and into sixth place on the Louisiana career assist chart with 456 career assists. Payton has a ways to go to continue his climb, needing 15 assists to catch Eric Mouton (1988-92), who had 471 assists, for fifth place.
LONG MOVES INTO THIRD ON CAREER BLOCK CHART: A two-block effort against Troy moved sophomore Shawn Long past Graylin Warner (138 blocks from 1981-84) into third place on the career blocks list with 139. Long, who added two blocks against WKU to increase his total to 145, now needs 24 to catch Reginlad Poole (1995-99) for second-place at 169. Long has 80 blocks this year and 65 last season, the third and seventh-highest single season total in Cajuns history.
LONG LIKES TO DOUBLE UP: Sophomore Shawn Long picked right up where he left off last spring, registering double-doubles in 15 of the 28 games that he has played to rank seventh nationally. Long has 33 double-doubles in 62 career games. He enters the weekend leading the SBC in blocked shots (2.8), rebounding (10.4) and defensive rebounding (6.7), is ranked second in offensive rebounds (3.6), second in scoring (19.5) and seventh in field goal percentage (.535).
PAYTON IS ON PACE FOR ANOTHER 15, 5, 5 & 2: Elfrid Payton was the only player in Division I last year to average 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals a game last year and he has done it again through 29 games this season. Payton enters the Arkansas State game averaging 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.2 steals a game. Last year, he averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
PAYTON NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON TOP 50: Cajuns junior point guard Elfrid Payton earned a big preseason honor on Nov. 12 when he was named to the 2013-14 John R. Wooden Award preseason top 50 list by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Named after the legendary UCLA head coach, the Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation.
. . . AND MORE HONORS FOR PAYTON: Being selected to the Wooden Award list is the latest in a long list of preseason awards for Elfrid Payton. Earlier in the fall, Payton was named to the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, which is presented to the nation's top point guard by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, Payton was named to the Mid-Major All-America first team by NBCSports.com and to the Lou Henson All-America team, which honors the nation's top mid-major players and is presented by CollegeInsider.com.
HOW ELFRID SPENT HIS SUMMER: Elfrid Payton had quite a summer, traveling more than 40,000 miles to play 20 basketball games in three different countries as part of three different teams. The journey started with an eight-game, 18-day (May 11-28) tour of the Far East and China with Reach USA, during which he averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.0 steals a game in helping Reach USA to a 4-2-1 record. After returning to the states, Payton headed to Colorado Springs, Colo., where he not only earned a spot on the USA Basketball U19 team for the FIBA World Championship (June 26-July 7) in Prague, Czech Republic, but a starting spot as well. Payton helped lead Team USA to a 9-0 record and the gold medal. One month later, Payton traveled with his Cajuns teammates to Spain, winning all four games during a goodwill tour.
. . . ALL BECAUSE OF A PASSPORT & CHRIS PAUL SAID NO: Elfrid Payton's emergence over the summer all happened because he was both denied admission to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp and went on a goodwill tour to China. With Payton playing in China and the Cajuns coaching staff trying in vane to get him an invite to the Paul camp, the coaches changed the focus to Team USA, which was interested in Louisiana's rising junior. When Bob Marlin spoke with Team USA head coach Billy Donovan, Donovan noted that Payton could only attend the tryout if he already had a passport, which he had obtained in the weeks before leaving for China. Payton and his passport, traveled to Colorado Springs for the tryout camp, and the rest is history.
SHIPLEY TO BE INDUCTED INTO LOUISIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Legendary Louisiana men's basketball coach Beryl Shipley, who guided the Cajuns to a 293-126 record with winning records in 15 of his 16 seasons, will be one of eight individuals selected for enshrinement in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Shipley was the first head coach of a predominantly white state college in the deep south to give scholarships to black student-athletes. Under Shipley's leadership, the Cajuns finished in the national top 20 in each of his last six seasons - the first four in the college division polls, the last two in Division I. Starting in 1963, Shipley rattled off five Gulf States Conference Championships in six seasons, including a win at the 1964-65 NAIA District 27 Tournament Championship. The 2014 induction class will be enshrined on Saturday, June 21.
LAGNIAPPE. . . : A little gift of notes at the end:
• Shawn Long & Elfrid Payton were each named to the 2013-14 Preseason All-Sun Belt first team by the league's coaches and select media.
• Four Cajuns have combined to receive the LSWA Player of the Week honors four times this year. Shawn Long earned the first award of the year on Dec. 3 and then again on Feb. 10 while both Kasey Shepherd (Dec. 9), Elfrid Payton (Dec. 16) and Bryant Mbamalu (March 3) earned state honors.
• The win at Coastal Carolina (Nov. 24) snapped a 19-game road losing streak against non-conference opponents that dated back to the end of the 2009-10 season. The Cajuns went 2-4 in true non-conference road games this year.
• Shawn Long started the season playing his best basketball, earning Sun Belt Player of the Week honors on both Nov. 12 and Nov. 26. Long also picked up the award on Feb. 10.
• Shawn Long was honored as the MVP of the EA Sports Maui on the Mainland after averaging 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in the two games, shooting .667 from the field (14-for-21) and .600 from three-point (3-for-5).
• Junior Elfrid Payton started the season by scoring 20 or more points in the first five games, becoming the the first Cajuns player to accomplish that since Michael Allen scored 20 points or more in 12 straight games early in the 1993-94 season.
• Cajuns great Sydney Grider (1988-90) was inducted inton the Louisiana Athletic Hall of Fame in October. Grider, the most effective three-point shooter in school history, earned back-to-back first-team All-American South Conference honors as a junior and senior, averaging 23.5 points as a junior and leading the American South as a senior with a 25.5 average.
• Jerry Flake (1966-69) had number retired at halftime of the Houston game (12/14). Flake ranks fifth in school history with 2,058 career points, averaging 19.2 points a game over the course of his career. Flake's number 20 becomes the fifth retired jersey, joining Dwight "Bo" Lamar's No. 10, the No. 14 worn by Marvin Winkler, Andrew Toney's No. 24 and the No. 12 worn by Dean Church, which was retired in February, 2012.
• The 9-4 non-conference record allowed the Cajuns to tie the school record for most wins before Jan. 1, equaling the mark set in both 1982-83 and 1990-91.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns will compete in the Sun Belt Conference that begins March 13 at New Orleans' Lakefront Arena. A third- or -fourth-place finish in the final standings would guarantee Louisiana a first-round bye. The winner of the eight-team tournament will earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
CAJUNS SIGN THREE: The Louisiana coaching staff was busy during the fall, signing three players to national letters of intent during the early signing period. Signing with the Cajuns were:
Scott Plaisance (6-9, 210, F, New Orleans, La./Country Day): Was named the Louisiana Class 1A Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game and leading Country Day to a 26-11 record and the state title. Plaisance is rated the No. 6 player in Louisiana on the latest Times-Picayune Super 16.
Bryce Washington (6-6, 230, F, New Orleans, La./St. Augustine): Earned first team all-district 10-4A honors last year after averaging 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, helping lead his team to a 25-10 record. Ranked No. 13 on the Times-Picayune list of top players in Louisiana.
Johnathan Stove (6-4, 215, G-F, Baton Rouge, La./Christian Life Academy): First team all-state choice after averaging 19.8 points as a junior. He was named to both the state Class A team and to the 11-man all-classes team by the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association. A five-year regular, he played on state championship teams in both 8th & 10th grades and helped squad to a 27-6 record and the state semi-finals as a junior.
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