University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns vs. Valparaiso Pre-Game Notes
12/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Cajuns vs.
Valparaiso Pre-Game Notes
Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003
Game Information
Date: Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Time: 2:45 p.m. (CT)
Arena: McKale Center (14,545)
The Teams: Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (3-3,
0-0 Sun Belt), Valparaiso Crusaders (2-5, 0-0 Mid-Continent)
The Coaches: Louisiana-Lafayette - Jessie Evans
(115-75, 7th season at UL Lafayette and overall); Valparaiso
- Homer Drew (238-189, 15th season at Valpo;
507-311, 27th season overall)
TV: None
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420-AM and 107.9 KRKA-FM (live
Internet streaming available at
www.ragincajuns.com
and www.weareradio.com)
- Jay Walker play-by-play. Pre-game show begins 30 minutes
prior to tip-off.
The Series: First Meeting
Cajuns Most Recently: Lost to Xavier (Ohio) 74-78
(12/20/03)
Valpo Most Recently: Lost to Loyola-Chicago 69-76 (12/13/03)
Updated stats for Valpo available at:
http://www.valpo.edu/athletics/assets/stats/gr-cumstat-0000000628.html
Updated Sun Belt standings
available at:
http://basketball.sunbeltsports.org/x/M/standings
Cajuns Resume Road Trip at Fiesta Bowl
Classic
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team (3-3) resumes it current three-game road trip on Sunday, Dec. 28 in a 2:45 p.m. (CT) game against Valparaiso (2-5) in the opening round of the Fiesta Bowl Classic presented by Bank One at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on the University of Arizona campus...Sunday's game marks the second game of the road swing with the stretch coming to a close Tuesday, Dec. 30 in the final round of the tournament...Louisiana-Lafayette will be taking the court for the first time in eight days, having last played on Dec. 20 at Xavier (Ohio)...UL Lafayette is looking for its first road win of the season (0-3) and needs a win to avoid the first losing streak of the season...This is the Cajuns second appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, last participating during the 2000-01 season...Valparaiso, also making its second appearance in the Fiesta Bowl Classic, has lost five of its last six games and hasn't played a game since Saturday, Dec. 13...The Crusaders, coming off of a five-game homestand, will be playing their first road game since Nov. 22 when they lost to Marquette (70-75)....Sunday's game marks the first meeting between the two schools.
The Site: McKale Memorial Center (capacity: 14, 545)
Opened in February 1973...Construction cost $8.1 million...Named for the late J.F. “Pop” McKale, athletic director and coach from 1914-1957...Houses the offices of the entire UA athletic department and is currently undergoing a renovation and addition that has added a state-of-the-art 24,000-square foot weight room, 10,000-square foot athletic training facility and new lockerrooms...Following the Arizona State game on Feb. 26, 2000, the UA athletic department honored head coach Lute Olson with a ceremony to name the floor, “Lute Olson Court”, then during a memorial service in January 2001 for Olson's late wife, Bobbi, it was renamed, “Lute and Bobbi Olson Court” in recognition of the couple's impact on the university and the city of Tucson...Since its opening in 1973, more than five million fans have attended UA the games and season tickets have been sold out for 17 consecutive seasons, providing one of the finest game-day environments in college basketball.
The Series – First Meeting
Sunday's game will mark the first meeting all-time between UL Lafayette and Valparaiso.
The Tentative Starters
Louisiana-Lafayette (2003-04 record:
3-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)
F- 45 Brian Hamilton (6-6, 186, Jr., Missouri City, Texas)
C- 11 Chris Cameron (6-11, 256, So., Melbourne, Australia)
Season Stats: 8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 37.5% FG, 68.2% FT, 13 off rebs, 3 turnovers
G- 21 Laurie Bridges (6-4, 206, Sr., New Orleans, La.)
Season Stats: 13.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.3 apg, 38.5% FG, 82.8% FT, 26 assists, 12 steals
G- 3 Brad Boyd (6-6, 195, Sr., Opelousas, La.)
Season Stats: 15.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 42.5% FG, 42.4% 3FG, 77.8% FT, 21 assists
G- 4 Antoine Landry (5-11, 170, Sr., New Orleans, La.)
Season Stats: 12.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 44.1% FG, 38.5% 3FG, 40.0% FT
Valparaiso (2003-04 record: 2-5, 0-0
Mid-Continent)
F- 30 Ron Howard (6-5, 185, So., Chicago, Ill.)
F- 42 Dan Oppland (6-8, 225, So., St. Louis, Mo.)
Season Stats: 12.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 52.5% FG, 73.5% FT, 23 off rebs
C- 10 Joaquim Gomes (6-8, 220, Sr., Luanda, Angola)
Season Stats: 13.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 48.6% FG, 29.2% 3FG, 63.6% FT, 14 blocks
G- 3 Jimmie Miles (6-2, 185, Fr., Olympia Fields, Ill.)
Season Stats: 6.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 40.5% FG, 29.2% 3FG, 66.7% FT, 10 stls
G- 33 Ali Berdiel (6-6, 210, Jr., Ponce, Puerto Rico)
Season Stats: 7.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 6.4 apg, 33.3% FG, 26.3% 3FG, 53.1% FT, 45 assists
The UL Lafayette Head Coach – Jessie Evans
Native of Lebanon, Tenn., and graduate of Eastern Michigan University…In his seventh year at Louisiana-Lafayette…115-75 in Cajun Country and overall…Led the Cajuns to a 20-10 record last season and their third postseason appearance in last four years with a berth in the 2003 NIT…His teams have collected 20 wins the past two seasons marking the first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since 1991-92/1992-93....Guided the Cajuns to a 25-9 record in 1999-00 and a berth in the NCAA Tournament…During each of his previous six seasons, has guided the Cajuns to no worse than a No. 3 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament…Has appeared in the Sun Belt championship game three times out of six seasons…Has led UL Lafayette to 10-plus conference victories in five of six seasons and the last four…Served as an assistant coach at Arizona under the legendary Lute Olson from 1988-97, winning a national championship in 1997…Was named to the UL Lafayette post on March 14, 1997, and had a national championship when he officially took over the Cajuns program in April 1997…Evans helped tutor a total of 14 Arizona players that have played in the NBA, including Mike Bibby of the Sacramento Kings.
Evans
Year-By-Year
1997-98 – 18-13 (12-6 Sun Belt)
1998-99 – 13-16 (7-7 Sun Belt)
1999-00 – 25-9 (13-3 Sun Belt) NCAA Tournament
2000-01 – 16-13 (10-6 Sun Belt)
2001-02 – 20-11 (11-4 Sun Belt) Owens Corning NIT
2002-03 – 20-10 (12-3 Sun Belt) Owens Corning NIT
2003-04 – 3-3 (0-0 Sun Belt)
Overall – 115-75 (65-29 Sun Belt)
On the Air
Sunday afternoon's game against Valparaiso can be heard locally on the UL Lafayette Sports Radio Network through its flagship stations SportsRadio ESPN 1420 KPEL-AM and KRKA 107.9 FM in Lafayette. Nationwide, the game will be available via live Internet streaming at www.ragincajuns.com or www.weareradio.com. Jay Walker, in his 12th season covering the Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball program, will provide all of the play-by-play action live from the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., on the University of Arizona campus. The pre-game show begins 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
UL Lafayette Update
The Cajuns enter Sunday's game with a 3-3 record and are coming off a 78-74 loss at Xavier (Ohio) last Saturday...UL Lafayette is searching for its first road win of the season and brings an 0-3 record in road games into Sunday's game with Valpo...Brad Boyd is the team's leading scorer at 15.7 points per game and has made a team-best 25 three-point field goals...Brian Hamilton leads a trio of players with at least five rebounds a game averaging 7.2 boards per game and has a team-best 19 offensive and 24 defensive rebounds...Laurie Bridges is shooting 82.8 percent at the free throw line (24-for-29) and is the team's second-leading scorer at 13 points per game...Antoine Landry, who scored a career-high 22 points at Xavier, averages 12.8 points and Dwayne Mitchell 10 to give UL Lafayette four players who average double-figures...Mitchell and Cedric Williams are the first off the bench...The Cajuns have shot above 50 percent from three-point range the last two games...Louisiana-Lafayette has led at the half for five straight games since trailing Georgia Tech at the break in the season opener...The Cajuns have made at least nine (9) three-pointers in four of their six games this season.
Valpo Update
The Crusaders are playing their first game since Dec. 13 having been off the past two weeks for final exams and the Christmas holidays...Valparaiso has lost five of its last six games and enters Sunday's game having lost two straight...Valpo is playing on the road for the first time since Nov. 22 and is 1-1 away from home this season...Four of the team's five losses have been by seven points or less...Joaquim Gomes is the top scorer at 13.3 points per game and leads the squad with 9.4 rebounds per game...Dan Oppland is the second-leading scorer and rebounder at 12.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg...Ali Berdiel has handed out 45 assists through seven games...Valpo's opponents are averaging just four (4) 3-point field goals per game...The Crusaders are coached by the legendary Homer Drew, who returned to the sideline after a one-year absence, as successor to his son Scott who took over the Baylor program.
Coaches vs. the Opposition
Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Jessie Evans meets Valparaiso for the first time in his career...Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew is meeting the Cajuns for the first time in his career.
Cajuns In December
Sunday's game with Valparaiso marks the fifth of six games in the month of December this season - the Cajuns are 2-2 so far...UL Lafayette is 24-25 in December under Jessie Evans...UL Lafayette will play four of the six games away from the Cajundome visiting Dayton (Dec. 9) and Xavier (Dec. 20) and playing two games at the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 28 and 30...Home games were with McNeese State (Dec. 15) and Mobile (Dec. 17).
December Record Year-By-Year
Under Evans
1997-98 – 3-3 (3-2 home,
0-1 away/neutral)
1998-99 – 2-6 (1-0 home, 1-6 away/neutral)
1999-00 – 5-4 (2-1 home, 3-3 away/neutral)
2000-01 – 2-4 (0-0 home, 2-4 away/neutral)
2001-02 – 4-3 (3-0 home, 1-3 away/neutral)
2002-03 – 6-3 (3-0 home, 3-3 away/neutral)
2003-04 – 2-2 (2-0 home, 0-2 away/neutral)
Overall – 24-25 (14-3 home, 10-22 away/neutral)
Non-Conference Notes
The Cajuns are 42-38 in non-conference play (26-5 home, 16-33 away) under head coach Jessie Evans....UL Lafayette has had a winning non-conference record in each of the last two seasons marking the first back-to-back non-conference winning records since 1992-93/1993-94...In each season that the Cajuns have posted a winning non-conference record under Evans they have advanced to postseason play (2000 NCAA, 2002 NIT, 2003 NIT).
Regular Season Non-Conference
Year-By-Year Under Evans
1997-98 – 4-6 (3-2 home,
1-4 away)
1998-99 – 6-8 (4-0 home, 2-8 away)
1999-00 – 9-5 (5-1 home, 4-4 away)
2000-01 – 5-6 (3-1 home, 2-5 away)
2001-02 – 7-5 (5-1 home, 2-4 away)
2002-03 – 8-5 (3-0 home, 5-5 away)
2003-04 – 3-3 (3-0 home, 0-3 away)
Overall – 42-38 (26-5 home, 16-33 away)
Last Time Out...Dec. 20, 2003 at Xavier (Ohio)
CINCINNATI – Romain Sato scored a game-high 23 points and made four crucial free throws in the final minute as the host-Xavier Musketeers rallied from a five-point halftime deficit and held on for a 78-74 victory over Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team here Saturday afternoon at the Cintas Center. Trailing 49-39 with 17:57 left in the game XU (5-3) staged a 25-10 run over the next nine minutes to pull out in front 64-59 with 8:17 remaining. The key stretch for the Musketeers came with a 12-0 run after UL Lafayette had ended a 10-0 XU run that tied the game 49-49 with eight unanswered points to jump out in front 57-49 with 13:23 left in the game. The Cajuns would fight back to take the lead with 3:44 remaining in the game when Laurie Bridges rebounded his own miss and converted the basket to put UL Lafayette up 70-68. After XU tied the game 70-70 on a basket by Brandon Cole the Cajuns regained the lead one last time at the 2:39 mark with a free throw from Cedric Williams. On the next trip down the court the Musketeers missed a layup with the chance to take the lead and the Cajuns had an excellent opportunity to increase their lead. However, a turnover gave the ball back to XU and Dedrick Finn broke away for a layup as the shot clock was winding down to put the Musketeers back on top for good 72-71 with 2:03 left on the clock.From there the Musketeers would seal the win from the free throw line beginning with the first pair of Sato's four freebies down the stretch at the 1:06 mark. The Cajuns pulled within three points, 77-74, with five seconds left on a layup by Antoine Landry. Keith Jackson made it a two-possession game with a free throw on the next possession and time ran out on the Cajuns.
About the Fiesta Bowl Classic
The Fiesta Bowl Classic presented by Bank One is being held Sunday and Tuesday, Dec. 28 and 30 in Tucson, Ariz…The tournament field consists of UL Lafayette, host-Arizona, Liberty and Valparaiso…The consolation round is being held Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. (CT) while the championship game is being held at 8:30 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday.
FIESTA BOWL CLASSIC presented by
Bank One
Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003 and Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2003
Tucson, Ariz. – McKale Center
Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003
Game 1 – UL Lafayette vs. Valparaiso 2:45 p.m. (CT)
Game 2 – Arizona vs. Liberty 5 p.m. (CT)
Saturday, Dec. 30, 2002
Game 3 – Consolation Game 6 p.m. (CT)
Game 4 – Championship Game 8:30 p.m. (CT)
Cajuns in the Fiesta Bowl Classic
Louisiana-Lafayette is making its second appearance in the Fiesta Bowl Classic under head coach Jessie Evans and overall...The Cajuns are 0-2 in the tournament...First appearance came in the 2000-01 season...UL Lafayette lost to Mississippi State 90-80 on Dec. 28, 2000, in the opening round and then dropped a 74-63 decision to Butler in the consolation game Dec. 30, 2000.
Tournament Time
The Cajuns are participating in their first and only regular season tournament of the 2003-04 season…The Fiesta Bowl Classic is the 10th in-season tournament that UL Lafayette partakes in under the direction of head coach Jessie Evans in seven years...UL Lafayette is 8-14 in nine previous in-season tournaments under Evans…Three times the Cajuns have advanced to the championship game under Evans including last season's Cal Golden Bear Classic...The Cajuns last in-season tournament championship came in the 1993 Albertson's Holiday Classic in Boise, Idaho.
Homecoming
UL Lafayette's journey to Tucson, Ariz., for the Fiesta Bowl Classic takes head coach Jessie Evans back to the site of his most successful stint as an assistant coach...Evans was an assistant at Arizona from 1988-97 serving as recruiting coordinator and helping the Wildcats average 27 wins per season...In his final season at UA, the Cats won the national championship (1997).
Boyd Chasing the Trifecta Record
Senior guard Brad Boyd, coming off a season in which he drained 104 three-pointers, entered the 2003-04 season needing just 76 three-point baskets to break Sydney Grider's career record of 253 three-point field goals made...Boyd has made 25 three-point baskets so far this season moving him to 203 for his career and 51 away from breaking the record.
Boyd's Three Streak Continues
With his three-point basket at the 16:31 mark of the first half last Saturday at Xavier, Brad Boyd extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one 3-point field goal made to 24 straight games...The last time Boyd failed to make at least one 3-pointer came on Dec. 27, 2002 against Colorado in the Pepsi Classic in Charlotte.
Another Three-Point Streak
As a team, UL Lafayette has made at least one 3-point field goal in 54 straight contests dating back to the 2001-02 season...The last time the Cajuns failed to make at least one three-point field goal occurred on Jan. 3, 2002 in the Cajundome against South Alabama (0-for-6).
Fixture in the Lineup
With a start against Xavier, Laurie Bridges extended his streak of consecutive games started to 27 - the longest current streak of any Cajuns player...The New Orleans native broke into the starting lineup Dec. 28 of last season against Loyola-Chicago and remained a starter for the final 21 games of the season.
Dishing It Out
While senior guard Laurie Bridges takes his own fair share of the shots he doesn't mind sharing the basketball and lending a helping hand...Bridges leads the Cajuns with 26 assists this season...Bridges is on pace to set a personal single-season best for assists which currently is 59 set last season.
Turning 'Em Over
UL Lafayette has had a decisive advantage in the turnover department this season...The Cajuns have induced 106 turnovers from their opponents in four games (17.7 per game) while committing only 82 (13.3 per game)…The Cajuns sport a +4.0 turnover margin this season.
Playing the Percentages
The Cajuns have won 18 straight games in which the opposition shoots below 40 percent...The last time the Cajuns lost when holding an opponent under 40 percent was Feb. 4, 2002, when New Orleans shot 33 percent (18/54) and won 63-61...The Cajuns have won 45 of their last 50 games in which the opponent shot below 40 percent.
Coming Out Strong
The Cajuns have led at the half in each of the last five outings, outscoring opponents 219-170...UL Lafayette is 3-2 this season when ahead at halftime.
Keep 'Em Under 70
The Cajuns are 75-20 (.789) under head coach Jessie Evans when holding opponents below 70 points...UL Lafayette is 2-0 this season when the opponent scores below 70 (Loyola-New Orleans and Mobile).
Cajuns on a Neutral Floor
Louisiana-Lafayette is 12-14 under head coach Jessie Evans when playing an opponent on a neutral court...Sunday's game with Valparaiso is the Cajuns first on a netural court this season.
Getting off to a Good Start
In the Cajuns five previous two-game tournaments under head coach Jessie Evans, they have opened the event with a victory three times...A win against Valpo would advance the Cajuns to a tournament championship game for the second straight season (last season UL Lafayette defeated Detroit 68-62 and played Cal in the championship of the Golden Bear Classic).
Cajuns vs. the Mid-Continent Conference
Sunday's game marks the Cajuns first against a team from the Mid-Continent Conference while that team was affiliated with the league...UL Lafayette has faced current Mid-Con members Centenary (28-33), Oral Roberts (2-0) and Southern Utah (1-0) before, but all three were not members of the league at the time.
Making New Acquaintances
Valparaiso is the fourth team that the Cajuns face this season for the first time in program history...The Cajuns are 1-2 this season in such meetings falling to Georgia Tech (45-79) and Xavier (74-78) and defeating Mobile (110-65).
Career Day For Antoine
Senior guard Antoine Landry established a couple of career-bests in the Cajuns last outing at Xavier...Landry scored 22 points, besting his previous career-best 20 at Denver on Feb. 18, 2002...His nine field goals made was also a career-best.
Hitting His Stride
Brad Boyd rebounded from a season-low 25 percent performance from beyond the arc against Georgia Tech (2-for-8) in the season opener, shooting 50 percent (4-of-8) against Loyola-New Orleans in the next outing...Since then the senior sharpshooter has kept his shooting percentage above 40 percent each game while making no fewer than four treys each time...He made a season-high six 3-pointers at No. 25 Dayton and then followed it up with a season-best 56 percent three-point percentage (5-of-9) Monday against McNeese State.
Boyd's Last Five Games
Loyola-NO
7-13 FG .538% 4-8 3FG .500% 21pts
Dayton
7-17 FG .412% 6-15 3FG .400% 20 pts
McNeese State
5-10 FG .500% 5-9 3FG .556% 19 pts
Mobile
5-11 FG .455% 4-10 3FG .400% 14 pts
Xavier
5-10 FG .500% 4-9 3FG .444% 14 pts
Five-Game Totals
29-61 FG .475% 23-51 3FG .451% 88pts
Toeing the Line
In the last three games the Cajuns have attempted 80 free throws (27 per game)...In the same stretch, UL Lafayette has made more free throws (59) than its opponents have attempted (49)...Laurie Bridges (20-of-24) and Brian Hamilton (12-of-15) have led the parade as of late.
Sharing the Wealth
For the season, the Cajuns have six (6) players averaging at least eight (8) points per game...Four players are averaging double-figures: Brad Boyd (15.7), Laurie Bridges (13.0), Antoine Landry (12.8), Dwayne Mitchell (10.0).
Chairman of the Boards
Junior transfer Brian Hamilton has taken charge for the Cajuns in the rebounding department...Hamilton leads the way with 7.2 boards per game and has averaged 8.0 rebounds per game in the last three outings including a season-high 11 last Wednesday against Mobile...He has grabbed at least six rebounds in five of the Cajuns six games.
Closing In On A Milestone
Senior guard Brad Boyd is close to joining an elite group...Boyd, a 6-6 guard and last season's leading scorer, enters Wednesday's game against Mobile with 866 career points – leaving him just 120 points shy of 1,000 in his career...Boyd is averaging 15.7 points so far this season...At his current pace Boyd would cross the 1,000-point barrier on Jan. 24 at Florida International...Once he hits the 1,000-point mark, he will be the 35th player in UL Lafayette history to reach 1,000 points in a career...Should Boyd reach the milestone it would mark the second straight season that a Cajuns player broke 1,000 in a career – Anthony Johnson did so last season. – and would mark the fifth occurrence under Jessie Evans' tenure (Chris Manuel '97-98, Lonnie Thomas '00-01, Blane Harmon '00-01 and Anthony Johnson '02-03).
Fastbreak Points
>Brad Boyd has scored in double-figures in 28 of his last 33 outings and has made at least one three-point basket in 24 straight games. Boyd has scored in double-figures in each game since being held to six at Ga. Tech in the opener.
>The Cajuns have shot above 50 percent or better from three-point range in the last two games and have made nine 3-pointers in both games.
>Last Saturday's loss at Xavier marked the first time this season the Cajuns lost when scoring 70-plus points. UL Lafayette is 3-1 this season when putting up at least 70 points.
>UL Lafayette has kept all of its opponents below 80 points this season.
>The last time the Cajuns allowed an opponent to score over 100 points was Dec. 6, 1997 at Texas Tech – a span of 184 straight games. In fact, opponents have hit the century mark just three times in the last 10 years.
>The Cajuns are 4-2 in overtime games under head coach Jessie Evans and have won the last three. The last time the Cajuns went into overtime was Feb. 11, 2003 in the Cajundome against Denver (W, 72-69).
>Valparaiso (NIT) is the fourth of five postseason teams which the Cajuns are guaranteed to face this season...The Cajuns have already faced this year's Pre-Season NIT champion Georgia Tech, Dayton (NCAA) and Xavier (NCAA)...The Cajuns will face Western Kentucky (NCAA) later this season. The Cajuns also have the possiblity of facing Arizona (NCAA) at the Fiesta Bowl Classic.
A Cajuns Win Would...
Improve the team's record to 4-3 and move them back over the .500 mark for the second time this season...Advance the Cajuns into the championship game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic at 8:30 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, Dec. 30...Avoid the first losing streak of the season...Give UL Lafayette its first road win of the season and make them 1-0 on neutral courts this season...Give the Cajuns a 1-0 lead in the series with Valparaiso.
A Cajuns Loss Would...
Drop the team's record to 3-4...Mark the first losing streak of the season and be the Cajuns second straight defeat...Put the Cajuns into the consolation game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic at 6 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, Dec. 30...Make them 0-1 in the series with Valparaiso.
Next on the Schedule...
Louisiana-Lafayette wraps up its stay in Tucson, Ariz., in either the consolation or championship game of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 30...The Cajuns will face either host-Arizona or Liberty...If it's the consolation game then UL Lafayette will play at 6 p.m. (CT); if it's the championship game, then the Cajuns will take the court at 8:30 p.m. (CT).
Next Time at Home...
The Cajuns next game at the Cajundome is set for Saturday, Jan. 3, 2004, against the University of Houston at 7:05 p.m.
Homegrown Talent
Of the 13 rostered players for Louisiana-Lafayette this season, eight (8) hail from the Bayou State...The Cajuns have two Lafayette natives in freshmen Adam James and Ross Mouton while Opelousas native Brad Boyd gives Louisiana-Lafayette three players from the Acadiana area...The Cajuns list of Louisiana natives includes: Brad Boyd (Opelousas), Laurie Bridges (New Orleans), Rhett Hebert (Erath) Adam James (Lafayette), Antoine Landry (New Orleans), Dwayne Mitchell (New Orleans), Ross Mouton (Lafayette) and Alphonso Williams (Cecilia).
Cajuns Picked To Defend Sun Belt Crown
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team was picked to defend its back-to-back Sun Belt Conference West Division titles according to the preseason coaches poll released at the conclusion of the annual Sun Belt basketball media days. The Cajuns received seven-first place votes to edge out New Mexico State's four first-place votes as the favorite in the West. In the Sun Belt East, three-time defending champion Western Kentucky was the front-runner with eight of 11 first-place votes. Louisiana-Lafayette has won the SBC West the past two seasons and since the league split into divisions prior to the 2000-01 season has claimed two of the three championships. The Cajuns enter the 2003-04 season having won 23 of their last 30 SBC games.
Boyd Earns Pre-Season Sun Belt Honor
Senior guard Brad Boyd (Opelousas, La. - St. Thomas More HS) represented the Cajuns on the 2003-04 All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team, earning first team honors. It marks the first time in his career he received such honor. Boyd's pick comes as no surprise as he is coming off a career year in which he led the team in scoring with a 16.8 points per game average and ranked fourth in the nation in three-pointers per game with 3.9. He made a personal single-season best 104 three-point baskets last season and scored in double-digits in 23 of 27 games played...Boyd was a member of the 2002-03 All-Sun Belt Team.
Cajuns Selected To Participate In Bracket Buster
ESPN announced in September the field of 46 teams which will participate in the second annual Bracket Buster Saturday men's college basketball extravaganza to be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette men's basketball program was one of the 46 teams chosen for the event as one of three representatives from the Sun Belt Conference. UL Lafayette will face an opponent, to be announced on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, on Saturday, Feb. 21. As part of the agreement, the Cajuns will host a “return” game at the Cajundome against their Bracket Buster Saturday opponent in November or December of the 2004-05 season. Ten of the 23 match-ups pitting potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other will be televised nationally, highlighted by five games on ESPN or ESPN2. The other five televised games will be produced and distributed in the markets of the competing teams through ESPN Regional Television and will be available nationally on ESPN FULL COURT, an out-of-market pay-per-view service.
In A League of Their Own
Louisiana-Lafayette is the only team in the Sun Belt to win at least 10 conference games in each of the last four years...The Cajuns are 65-29 under head coach Jessie Evans in Sun Belt play and have won double-digit league games in five of six seasons under his direction.
Year-By-Year Sun Belt Record
Under Evans
1997-98 – 12-6
1998-99 – 7-7
1999-00 – 13-3
2000-01 – 10-6
2001-02 – 11-4
2002-03 – 12-3
2003-04 - 0-0
Overall Record – 65-29
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
