University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, November 23
Las Cruces, N.M.
8:30 PM
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
New Mexico State
Cajuns Travel To New Mexico State For Friday Matchup
11/22/2012 1:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Game 5
Louisiana (2-2) at New Mexico State (2-3)
Date: Friday, Nov. 23, 2012
Time: 7:30 p.m. MST
Site: Pan American Center (8,994), Las Cruces, N.M.
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None
Series: Louisiana leads, 10-4
Last Meeting: NMSU 82, Louisiana 76 (at NMSU, 12/21/10)
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 32-33 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 257-164 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 380-199 (20th year)
NEW MEXICO STATE
MARVIN MENZIES (UCLA '87)
At NMSU: 104-71 (6th year)
Overall: 104-71 (6th year)
SETTING THE SCENE: Louisiana continues the stretch that has it playing five games in 10 days, including four on the road in four different states, when the Cajuns travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico to face New Mexico State on Friday, Nov. 23 beginning at 7:30 p.m. MST (8:30 p.m. in Lafayette) in the Pan American Center on the NMSU campus. The Cajuns improved to 2-2 on the season by getting some timely second half shooting to dispatch Southern of New Orleans, 76-66 on Wednesdy night (Nov. 21) in the Cajundome. After Friday's game, Louisiana remains on the road, playing at No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday (Nov. 25). New Mexico State, which was a member of the Sun Belt Conference with Louisiana from 2000-05, is 2-3 this year. The Aggies defeated Northern New Mexico, 67-37, at home on Wednesday night.
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 takes the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns will lean heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (13.0, 4.8, 6.0). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (5.8 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, should also play an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (8.3, 4.8, 2.0 steals), a JC transfer from Lamar State, will unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshmen Matthew Moss, Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylan Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson will provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the trio of Tulane transfer Kevin Brown (5.3 ppg) and freshmen Kasey Shepherd (3.3) and Steven Wronkoski (7.5, 4.5) 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.
CAJUNS ADD TWO FOR 2013-14: Hours before the Cajuns tipped off with Texas Southern on Nov. 16, head coach Bob Marlin announced the signing of high school standouts Kimani Jackson (Arlington, TX/Seguin) and Hayward Register (Lafayette, La./Comeaux) to National Letters of Intent to attend Louisiana and play basketball starting next fall. Jackson, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, was a pre-season all-league selection this year. Ranked as the No. 88 player in the State of Texas by TexasHoops.com, he is averaging 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 1.8 blocks this season at Arlington's Seguin High. Register, a 6-2, 170-pound shooting guard, earned second team all-state honors a year ago after averaging 20.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, helping Comeaux High to a 23-11 record. He was named the 2011-12 All-Acadiana MVP by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. “This is a very good start to our recruiting effort for the year. They both should fit into our system well” Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin said.
A RETURN TO THE PAN AM CENTER: Although the Cajuns have won four of the six games they have played against New Mexico State in the Pan American Center, those are not the only games that Louisiana has played on its distinct parquet floor. After going 21-2 during the 1971-72 regular season under legendary head coach Beryl Shipley, the Cajuns earned their first-ever NCAA Championship bid, defeating Marshall, 112-101 in a first round game played in the Pan American Center. The game was later vacated as part of NCAA sanctions.
. . . AND A HISTORIC NCAA MEETING: Twenty-one years later, Louisiana and NMSU crossed paths in the NCAA Championship again, this time in Tempe, Ariz. On March 20, 1992, the Aggies, the No. 12 seed, dispatched fifth-seeded DePaul, 81-73, in the first game of the day. The 13th-seeded Cajuns followed suit, outlasting fourth-seeded Oklahoma, 87-83. The victories marked just the second time in the eight years since the NCAA bracket had been expanded to 64 teams that the No. 12 and No. 13 teams won at the same sub-regional. Two days later NMSU and the Cajuns met with the Aggies winning 81-73 to advance to the Sweet 16 round.
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. Long came back against Oakland to score 14 points with a game-high six rebounds.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (15.0), rebounding (8.5) and blocks (2.0), shooting .542 from the field (26-48) and .750 from the line (6-8). After a modest 14 point, six rebounds effort in the season opener against Oakland, he exploded for 20 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at Texas Southern on Nov. 16. In the second home game of his career, he posted his second double-double in less than a week, tallying a career-best 22 points with a dozen rebounds against SUNO.
MORE MOORE: Junior forward Elridge Moore has quickly earned a place for himself in the lineup, starting all four games and averaging 8.3 points. He leads the team in both field goal percentage (.565) and steals (8) and is second with 4.8 rebounds a game. He made his Cajuns debut a memorable one against Oakland on Nov. 11, sharing the team scoring lead with 15 points while adding five rebounds, five steals and a pair of blocks. Moore, who played one season at Nicholls State before transferring to Lamar State last season, missed just two shots in the game, going six-for-seven from the field and three-for-four from the line.
AT HOME IN THE 'DOME: Wednesday's win over SUNO improved Louisiana to 32-13 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season, which includes an impressive 21-4 mark against Sun Belt opponents. The Ragin' Cajuns are 22-9 (12-4 SBC) in the three seasons under Bob Marlin. Winning at home is nothing new as Louisiana has recorded a winning record in 25 of the 27 seasons since the Cajundome opened its doors in the 1985-86 season. The Cajuns are currently on a string of 17 consecutive seasons with a .500 mark or better at the Cajundome. Louisiana is 260-107 in games played in the Cajundome.
. . . AND CAJUNS REACH 2-0: The victory over SUNO on Wednesday allowed the Cajuns to claim back-to-back wins at home to open a season for the first time since 2003-04.
FIRST TIME SUCCESS: The Cajuns were perfect this year against first time opponents, claiming home wins over Oakland (90-79) and SUNO (76-66), the only two teams on the 2012-13 slate that Louisiana had not played before.
. . . AND THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME: After averaging 64.0 points in road losses at Texas Southern (74-71) and Boise State (63-57), the Cajuns were happy to get back to the Cajundome where they have thrived offensively this year. In the two games in the 'Dome this year, Louisiana has averaged 83.0 points a game, upending Oakland, 90-79, and SUNO, 76-66. In the three games, the Cajuns have shot .516 from the field (63-122), forcing 43 turnovers and handing out 30 assists.
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.
CAJUNS HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH (RECRUITING) HOUSTON: The Cajuns have made Houston one of their recruiting hot spots with three members from the city. Starters Bryant Mbamalu (Dulles HS) and Kevin Brown (Alief Elsik HS) and reserve guard Kasey Shepherd (Dekaney HS) have combined to average 23.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The Cajuns made the first of two trips to Houston last week with Mbamalu scoring 18 points with six rebounds and Brown adding nine points and four boards in an overtime loss to Texas Southern. Louisiana will be back in a month, playing at Houston on Dec. 15.
THE BREAKOUT CONTINUES: Known primarily for his defense during his first season-and-a-half with the Cajuns, Bryant Mbamalu emerged as an offensive threat late in the 2011-12 season. Over the final 12 games, Mbamalu averaged 9.8 points a game with five double figure efforts, including a career-high 27 at Troy. The junior guard has started 2012-13 with at least nine points in all four games, scoring 15 vs. Oakland and 18 at Texas Southern to rank third on the team averaging 12.8 points a game.
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 two of the four games, entering the NMSU game having gone 51-for-74 (.689). 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).
. . . ESPECIALLY LATE: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 19-for-26 (.731) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes of game and overtime. That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) performance during the 2011-12 season. Bryant Mbamalu, a career .758 shooter in the final 5:00 (25-33), leads the team making all four attempts this year.
PAYTON FINDS THE RANGE: One statistic that stood out on an otherwise glowing report card for Elfrid Payton in 2011-12 was three-point shooting. Payton missed all eight three-point attempts during the year, finishing the year with just one attempt in the last 11 games. Payton put an end to that streak this year, making a three-pointer in each of the first three games before being shutout on Wednesday against SUNO. He is 3-for-9 overall (.375).
. . . AND PAYTON WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO STRUGGLE: A quick check of the freshman statistics for Bryant Mbamalu will show that the talented guard, like Payton did a year ago, struggled from long range, going just 1-for-14 from three-point (.071). Mbamalu improved significantly to 19-for-49 (.388) last year and leads the team with seven treys (in 19 attempts) and a.368 percentage).
NO LUCK ON THE ROAD: The loss at Boise State on Sunday extended the Louisiana streak of consecutive losses in true non-conference road games to 15, including 14 under head coach Bob Marlin. The Cajuns have won non-conference road games over that span, including an 83-66 win over Northern Arizona in last season's opener, but that came in San Francisco on a neutral floor. Louisiana's last true non-conference road win was a 68-60 win on Dec. 19, 2009 at Lamar.
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.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton showed his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 24 assists in the first four games to ranklead the Sun Bekt averaging 6.0 assists per game. He had eight assists in the season opener against Oakland, which was one short of his career high of nine set against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
TURNING TO THE BENCH: Although the 2012-13 season is less than two weeks old, the play of the Cajuns bench has been the deciding factor in all four games to date. The UL reserves are averaging 24.0 points in the two victories this year and just 11.5 points in the two losses. With four of the five starters scoring in double figures against Oakland, the bench came through as freshmen Steven Wronkoski (9 points) and Kasey Shepherd (7) and transfers Kevin Brown (6) and Braylon Lazare (4) helped Louisiana own a 28-3 lead in bench points. Against SUNO, Steven Wronkoski scored a career-high 12 points as part of a 20-point effort by the UL reserves.
TURNING UP THE TEMPERATURE: Bob Marlin said all pre-season that the Cajuns would take advantage of the quickness that the squad has this year by applying more pressure. The initial returns have been good as Louisiana forced 70 turnovers in the first four games (17.5 per game), turning those miscues into a 61-45 advantage in points off turnovers. The Cajuns are averaging 8.5 steals a game, including a season-high 12 in the opener against Oakland.
IT WAS RAINING THREES: Head coach Bob Marlin said throughout the preseason that the three-point shot would play a more important role in the Cajuns offensive game plan this year. That was certainly the case against Loyola-New Orleans as UL made 16 of its 31 three-point attempts (.516) en route to a 20-point win. The total, had it occurred in a regular season game, and not an exhibition, would have broken the school record of 15 three-point field goals in a game set against Troy (1/10/09), Western Kentucky (3/2/96) and Ohio State (12/1/96). Even more impressive was the Cajuns did most of the damage in the first half, going 14-for-18 from beyond the stripe (.778) with seven different players knocking down treys in the game.
SHIPLEY BUST DEDICATED: A bust honoring legendary Ragin' Cajuns basketball coach Beryl Shipley was dedicated prior to the season opener Oakland on Nov. 10. The bust, which is located just inside the main entrance of the Cajundome, honors a coach who compiled a 293-126 record (.699) in 16 seasons from 1958-73, setting records for most victories and career winning percentage. His teams won 20 or more games seven times. In 1970, Shipley guided the Cajuns as they moved to the NCAA Division I competition level, winning 71 games in the next three seasons.
SOTO AWAITS DECISION: Freshman guard Josh Soto is out indefinitely as he awaits a ruling from the NCAA on whether a course he took as a freshman in San Juan, Puerto Rico allow him to meet the NCAA initial eligibility guidelines. The NCAA has already approved a waiver allowing him to be on scholarship and practice with the team. No time table on a decision regarding his eligibility is available.
RAGIN' CAJUNS CELEBRATE 100TH SEASON: The Cajuns are celebrating the 100th season of basketball during the 2012-13 season. The first season was in 1911-12 when the Cajuns posted a 4-1 record. Louisiana has gone on to win 20 or more games 21 times since, entering the year with a 1,296-984 overall record. Louisiana did not have a team in either 1973-74 or 1974-75 because of NCAA sanctions. In the first 99 seasons, the Cajuns have advanced to postseason play 18 times, including 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning 16 conference titles. Eight UL players have earned All-America honors with 94 being named all-conference.
A NEW LOOK: Not only do the Cajuns have a new look on their bench this year, but they have a new look on the floor as well. . . literally. This fall, the court in the Cajundome was resurfaced, changing the outline color from red to black. The new design features "Louisiana" written along both sidelines, a fleur-de-lis in the lane next to both foul lines. The center court design utilizes the split level Ragin' Cajuns logo.
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE FOR CAJUN FANS: Cajuns basketball fans will once again have the opportunity to see the men's and women's squads in action on the same day as Louisiana will play five home doubleheaders in the Cajundome this year. The first doubleheader comes on Dec. 29 when the Cajuns host UALR. Arkansas State is the guest on Jan. 12 and UL plays ULM (Feb. 10), Florida Atlantic (Feb. 16) and Western Kentucky (Feb. 23) on successive weekends in February. In addition, the two squads will also play road twinbills at North Texas (Dec. 1), FIU (Jan. 5), Middle Tennessee (Jan. 19) and Troy (Feb. 2).
REBOUNDERS CLUB TO MEET: The third meeting of the Rebounders Club, a group of supporters of the Ragin' Cajuns basketball team, will be held on Tuesday (Nov. 27) beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Petroleum Club (111 Heymann). Information on becoming a Rebounds Club member is available by contacting Karren Hays at (337) 988-4557.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns complete the stretch of five games in 10 days with the fourth coming on the road when Louisiana heads to East Lansing, Mich. to face No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday, Nov. 25 beginning at 12:00 noon EST. Louisiana returns home to open Sun Belt play against Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Nov. 29 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Cajundome.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Game 5
Louisiana (2-2) at New Mexico State (2-3)
Date: Friday, Nov. 23, 2012
Time: 7:30 p.m. MST
Site: Pan American Center (8,994), Las Cruces, N.M.
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None
Series: Louisiana leads, 10-4
Last Meeting: NMSU 82, Louisiana 76 (at NMSU, 12/21/10)
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 32-33 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 257-164 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 380-199 (20th year)
NEW MEXICO STATE
MARVIN MENZIES (UCLA '87)
At NMSU: 104-71 (6th year)
Overall: 104-71 (6th year)
SETTING THE SCENE: Louisiana continues the stretch that has it playing five games in 10 days, including four on the road in four different states, when the Cajuns travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico to face New Mexico State on Friday, Nov. 23 beginning at 7:30 p.m. MST (8:30 p.m. in Lafayette) in the Pan American Center on the NMSU campus. The Cajuns improved to 2-2 on the season by getting some timely second half shooting to dispatch Southern of New Orleans, 76-66 on Wednesdy night (Nov. 21) in the Cajundome. After Friday's game, Louisiana remains on the road, playing at No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday (Nov. 25). New Mexico State, which was a member of the Sun Belt Conference with Louisiana from 2000-05, is 2-3 this year. The Aggies defeated Northern New Mexico, 67-37, at home on Wednesday night.
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 takes the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns will lean heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (13.0, 4.8, 6.0). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (5.8 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, should also play an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (8.3, 4.8, 2.0 steals), a JC transfer from Lamar State, will unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshmen Matthew Moss, Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylan Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson will provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the trio of Tulane transfer Kevin Brown (5.3 ppg) and freshmen Kasey Shepherd (3.3) and Steven Wronkoski (7.5, 4.5) 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.
CAJUNS ADD TWO FOR 2013-14: Hours before the Cajuns tipped off with Texas Southern on Nov. 16, head coach Bob Marlin announced the signing of high school standouts Kimani Jackson (Arlington, TX/Seguin) and Hayward Register (Lafayette, La./Comeaux) to National Letters of Intent to attend Louisiana and play basketball starting next fall. Jackson, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, was a pre-season all-league selection this year. Ranked as the No. 88 player in the State of Texas by TexasHoops.com, he is averaging 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 1.8 blocks this season at Arlington's Seguin High. Register, a 6-2, 170-pound shooting guard, earned second team all-state honors a year ago after averaging 20.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game, helping Comeaux High to a 23-11 record. He was named the 2011-12 All-Acadiana MVP by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. “This is a very good start to our recruiting effort for the year. They both should fit into our system well” Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin said.
A RETURN TO THE PAN AM CENTER: Although the Cajuns have won four of the six games they have played against New Mexico State in the Pan American Center, those are not the only games that Louisiana has played on its distinct parquet floor. After going 21-2 during the 1971-72 regular season under legendary head coach Beryl Shipley, the Cajuns earned their first-ever NCAA Championship bid, defeating Marshall, 112-101 in a first round game played in the Pan American Center. The game was later vacated as part of NCAA sanctions.
. . . AND A HISTORIC NCAA MEETING: Twenty-one years later, Louisiana and NMSU crossed paths in the NCAA Championship again, this time in Tempe, Ariz. On March 20, 1992, the Aggies, the No. 12 seed, dispatched fifth-seeded DePaul, 81-73, in the first game of the day. The 13th-seeded Cajuns followed suit, outlasting fourth-seeded Oklahoma, 87-83. The victories marked just the second time in the eight years since the NCAA bracket had been expanded to 64 teams that the No. 12 and No. 13 teams won at the same sub-regional. Two days later NMSU and the Cajuns met with the Aggies winning 81-73 to advance to the Sweet 16 round.
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. Long came back against Oakland to score 14 points with a game-high six rebounds.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (15.0), rebounding (8.5) and blocks (2.0), shooting .542 from the field (26-48) and .750 from the line (6-8). After a modest 14 point, six rebounds effort in the season opener against Oakland, he exploded for 20 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at Texas Southern on Nov. 16. In the second home game of his career, he posted his second double-double in less than a week, tallying a career-best 22 points with a dozen rebounds against SUNO.
MORE MOORE: Junior forward Elridge Moore has quickly earned a place for himself in the lineup, starting all four games and averaging 8.3 points. He leads the team in both field goal percentage (.565) and steals (8) and is second with 4.8 rebounds a game. He made his Cajuns debut a memorable one against Oakland on Nov. 11, sharing the team scoring lead with 15 points while adding five rebounds, five steals and a pair of blocks. Moore, who played one season at Nicholls State before transferring to Lamar State last season, missed just two shots in the game, going six-for-seven from the field and three-for-four from the line.
AT HOME IN THE 'DOME: Wednesday's win over SUNO improved Louisiana to 32-13 record at the Cajundome since the 2009-10 season, which includes an impressive 21-4 mark against Sun Belt opponents. The Ragin' Cajuns are 22-9 (12-4 SBC) in the three seasons under Bob Marlin. Winning at home is nothing new as Louisiana has recorded a winning record in 25 of the 27 seasons since the Cajundome opened its doors in the 1985-86 season. The Cajuns are currently on a string of 17 consecutive seasons with a .500 mark or better at the Cajundome. Louisiana is 260-107 in games played in the Cajundome.
. . . AND CAJUNS REACH 2-0: The victory over SUNO on Wednesday allowed the Cajuns to claim back-to-back wins at home to open a season for the first time since 2003-04.
FIRST TIME SUCCESS: The Cajuns were perfect this year against first time opponents, claiming home wins over Oakland (90-79) and SUNO (76-66), the only two teams on the 2012-13 slate that Louisiana had not played before.
. . . AND THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME: After averaging 64.0 points in road losses at Texas Southern (74-71) and Boise State (63-57), the Cajuns were happy to get back to the Cajundome where they have thrived offensively this year. In the two games in the 'Dome this year, Louisiana has averaged 83.0 points a game, upending Oakland, 90-79, and SUNO, 76-66. In the three games, the Cajuns have shot .516 from the field (63-122), forcing 43 turnovers and handing out 30 assists.
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.
CAJUNS HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH (RECRUITING) HOUSTON: The Cajuns have made Houston one of their recruiting hot spots with three members from the city. Starters Bryant Mbamalu (Dulles HS) and Kevin Brown (Alief Elsik HS) and reserve guard Kasey Shepherd (Dekaney HS) have combined to average 23.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The Cajuns made the first of two trips to Houston last week with Mbamalu scoring 18 points with six rebounds and Brown adding nine points and four boards in an overtime loss to Texas Southern. Louisiana will be back in a month, playing at Houston on Dec. 15.
THE BREAKOUT CONTINUES: Known primarily for his defense during his first season-and-a-half with the Cajuns, Bryant Mbamalu emerged as an offensive threat late in the 2011-12 season. Over the final 12 games, Mbamalu averaged 9.8 points a game with five double figure efforts, including a career-high 27 at Troy. The junior guard has started 2012-13 with at least nine points in all four games, scoring 15 vs. Oakland and 18 at Texas Southern to rank third on the team averaging 12.8 points a game.
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 two of the four games, entering the NMSU game having gone 51-for-74 (.689). 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).
. . . ESPECIALLY LATE: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 19-for-26 (.731) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes of game and overtime. That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) performance during the 2011-12 season. Bryant Mbamalu, a career .758 shooter in the final 5:00 (25-33), leads the team making all four attempts this year.
PAYTON FINDS THE RANGE: One statistic that stood out on an otherwise glowing report card for Elfrid Payton in 2011-12 was three-point shooting. Payton missed all eight three-point attempts during the year, finishing the year with just one attempt in the last 11 games. Payton put an end to that streak this year, making a three-pointer in each of the first three games before being shutout on Wednesday against SUNO. He is 3-for-9 overall (.375).
. . . AND PAYTON WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO STRUGGLE: A quick check of the freshman statistics for Bryant Mbamalu will show that the talented guard, like Payton did a year ago, struggled from long range, going just 1-for-14 from three-point (.071). Mbamalu improved significantly to 19-for-49 (.388) last year and leads the team with seven treys (in 19 attempts) and a.368 percentage).
NO LUCK ON THE ROAD: The loss at Boise State on Sunday extended the Louisiana streak of consecutive losses in true non-conference road games to 15, including 14 under head coach Bob Marlin. The Cajuns have won non-conference road games over that span, including an 83-66 win over Northern Arizona in last season's opener, but that came in San Francisco on a neutral floor. Louisiana's last true non-conference road win was a 68-60 win on Dec. 19, 2009 at Lamar.
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.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton showed his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 24 assists in the first four games to ranklead the Sun Bekt averaging 6.0 assists per game. He had eight assists in the season opener against Oakland, which was one short of his career high of nine set against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
TURNING TO THE BENCH: Although the 2012-13 season is less than two weeks old, the play of the Cajuns bench has been the deciding factor in all four games to date. The UL reserves are averaging 24.0 points in the two victories this year and just 11.5 points in the two losses. With four of the five starters scoring in double figures against Oakland, the bench came through as freshmen Steven Wronkoski (9 points) and Kasey Shepherd (7) and transfers Kevin Brown (6) and Braylon Lazare (4) helped Louisiana own a 28-3 lead in bench points. Against SUNO, Steven Wronkoski scored a career-high 12 points as part of a 20-point effort by the UL reserves.
TURNING UP THE TEMPERATURE: Bob Marlin said all pre-season that the Cajuns would take advantage of the quickness that the squad has this year by applying more pressure. The initial returns have been good as Louisiana forced 70 turnovers in the first four games (17.5 per game), turning those miscues into a 61-45 advantage in points off turnovers. The Cajuns are averaging 8.5 steals a game, including a season-high 12 in the opener against Oakland.
IT WAS RAINING THREES: Head coach Bob Marlin said throughout the preseason that the three-point shot would play a more important role in the Cajuns offensive game plan this year. That was certainly the case against Loyola-New Orleans as UL made 16 of its 31 three-point attempts (.516) en route to a 20-point win. The total, had it occurred in a regular season game, and not an exhibition, would have broken the school record of 15 three-point field goals in a game set against Troy (1/10/09), Western Kentucky (3/2/96) and Ohio State (12/1/96). Even more impressive was the Cajuns did most of the damage in the first half, going 14-for-18 from beyond the stripe (.778) with seven different players knocking down treys in the game.
SHIPLEY BUST DEDICATED: A bust honoring legendary Ragin' Cajuns basketball coach Beryl Shipley was dedicated prior to the season opener Oakland on Nov. 10. The bust, which is located just inside the main entrance of the Cajundome, honors a coach who compiled a 293-126 record (.699) in 16 seasons from 1958-73, setting records for most victories and career winning percentage. His teams won 20 or more games seven times. In 1970, Shipley guided the Cajuns as they moved to the NCAA Division I competition level, winning 71 games in the next three seasons.
SOTO AWAITS DECISION: Freshman guard Josh Soto is out indefinitely as he awaits a ruling from the NCAA on whether a course he took as a freshman in San Juan, Puerto Rico allow him to meet the NCAA initial eligibility guidelines. The NCAA has already approved a waiver allowing him to be on scholarship and practice with the team. No time table on a decision regarding his eligibility is available.
RAGIN' CAJUNS CELEBRATE 100TH SEASON: The Cajuns are celebrating the 100th season of basketball during the 2012-13 season. The first season was in 1911-12 when the Cajuns posted a 4-1 record. Louisiana has gone on to win 20 or more games 21 times since, entering the year with a 1,296-984 overall record. Louisiana did not have a team in either 1973-74 or 1974-75 because of NCAA sanctions. In the first 99 seasons, the Cajuns have advanced to postseason play 18 times, including 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, winning 16 conference titles. Eight UL players have earned All-America honors with 94 being named all-conference.
A NEW LOOK: Not only do the Cajuns have a new look on their bench this year, but they have a new look on the floor as well. . . literally. This fall, the court in the Cajundome was resurfaced, changing the outline color from red to black. The new design features "Louisiana" written along both sidelines, a fleur-de-lis in the lane next to both foul lines. The center court design utilizes the split level Ragin' Cajuns logo.
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE FOR CAJUN FANS: Cajuns basketball fans will once again have the opportunity to see the men's and women's squads in action on the same day as Louisiana will play five home doubleheaders in the Cajundome this year. The first doubleheader comes on Dec. 29 when the Cajuns host UALR. Arkansas State is the guest on Jan. 12 and UL plays ULM (Feb. 10), Florida Atlantic (Feb. 16) and Western Kentucky (Feb. 23) on successive weekends in February. In addition, the two squads will also play road twinbills at North Texas (Dec. 1), FIU (Jan. 5), Middle Tennessee (Jan. 19) and Troy (Feb. 2).
REBOUNDERS CLUB TO MEET: The third meeting of the Rebounders Club, a group of supporters of the Ragin' Cajuns basketball team, will be held on Tuesday (Nov. 27) beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Petroleum Club (111 Heymann). Information on becoming a Rebounds Club member is available by contacting Karren Hays at (337) 988-4557.
NEXT UP: The Cajuns complete the stretch of five games in 10 days with the fourth coming on the road when Louisiana heads to East Lansing, Mich. to face No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday, Nov. 25 beginning at 12:00 noon EST. Louisiana returns home to open Sun Belt play against Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Nov. 29 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Cajundome.
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Derrick Zimmerman Media Availability (Feb 17, 2025)
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