University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, January 24
Lafayette
7:00 PM
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Florida International
Cajuns Host FIU On Thursday To Start Extended Home Swing
1/21/2013 3:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Contact: Brian McCann
Complete Release (PDF)
Game 22
FIU (10-8, 5-4) at Louisiana (7-14, 3-7)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: Louisiana Leads, 16-6
Last Meeting: FIU 75, UL 70 (1/5/13, Miami, Fla..)
Tickets: $8, $10 & $15
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 37-45 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 262-176 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 385-211 (20th year)
vs. FIU: 2-1
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
RICHARD PITINO (Providence '05)
At FIU: 10-8 (1st year)
Overall: 10-8 (1st year)
vs. Louisiana: 1-0
SETTING THE SCENE: Louisiana returns to the comfy confines of the Cajundome this week to start a stretch that will have them play six of their next eight contests on their home court when the Ragin' Cajuns host FIU on Thursday, Jan. 24 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Louisiana (7-14, 3-7) has played well in the Cajundome this year, winning six of the nine games it has played at home, including league wins over UALR (79-70) and Arkansas State (61-56) and a double overtime loss to South Alabama (91-89). The Cajuns are coming off of losses at WKU (72-49) and Middle Tennessee (82-60) last week. FIU (10-8, 5-4) has won six of its last seven games to enter the week in a third place tie in the east division. Five of those wins have come at home as the Panthers are just 4-6 on the road this year. Louisiana has a commanding 16-6 lead in the all-time series, including a 10-2 record in games played in Lafayette. The Panthers claimed the first meeting this year, a 75-70 decision in Miami on Jan. 5.
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring five freshmen and four sophomores, third year head coach Bob Marlin is excited about the possibilities for the 2012-13 season, knowing that the team that took the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns have leaned heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (14.7, 6.0, 5.0). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (6.0 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, is also playing an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (15.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.2, 3.6), a JC transfer from Lamar State, unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshman Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylon Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen trio of Steven Wronkoski (6.5, 3.0), Kasey Shepherd (3.8) and Josh Soto (3.9) also contribute, giving Louisiana a deep backcourt. Marlin is utilizing 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 IN THE NCAA STATS: The Cajuns received several mentions in the NCAA basketball statistics, which were released on Monday (Jan. 21) and include games through Jan. 20. Individually, Shawn Long ranked third nationally in double-doubles (12), 17th in rebounds (10.2) and 59th in blocks (2.0) while Elfrid Payton is 38th in steals (2.2) and 59th in assists (5.0).
LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 21-point, 13-rebound effort at Middle Tennessee on Saturday gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his 12th double-double in 21 games to move into third place nationally. Towson's Jerrelle Benimon and Mike Muscala from Bucknell share the national lead with 13 double-doubles with Long and Siena senior O.D. Anosike being one back with 12 double-doubles. Long has registered double-doubles in four straight games and has six double-doubles in nine league games this season.
MARLIN NEARS MILESTONE: Third-year Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin is quickly closing in on the 600th game of his coaching career with Thursday's game being his 597th with his 600th coming at home against UL-Monroe on Feb. 10. A 33-year coaching veteran, Marlin has served as a head coach for 20 seasons since taking over as head coach at Pensacola JC for the 1990-91 campaign. Marlin is 385-211 in those 20 seasons, going 123-35 in five seasons at Pensacola and 225-131 in 12 years at Sam Houston State. He is 37-45 in his third year at Louisiana.
FINALLY A SATURDAY OFF: After playing FIU on Thursday, the Cajuns will enjoy a much-needed Saturday off this week. After going through the month of November without playing any games on a Saturday, the Cajuns have played games on eight straight Saturdays since Dec. 1, with five of those contests coming on the road. The light schedule this week is also the first time since final exams were held during the first week of December that Louisiana will play just one game in a week.
PAYTON PASSES 500 POINT MARK: After reaching the 50-game milestone for his Cajuns career on Jan. 10, Elfrid Payton reached another milestone two days later (Jan. 12), scoring 13 points against Arkansas State to surpass the 500-point mark for his career. He heads into the FIU game having scored 537 points in 53 games at Louisiana, 32 as a starter. He has played 1,457 minutes.
AT HOME IN THE 'DOME: The Ragin' Cajuns are looking forward to playing six of their next eight games at home, a building where they have enjoyed great success since it opened in 1985-86. Louisiana is 6-3 at home this year, improving the Cajuns to 26-12 (14-6 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 264-110 in games played in the Cajundome since it opened.
. . . AND SOME TOUGH DECISIONS: One of the best examples of the youth of the Cajuns this season is that Louisiana has not fared well in close games, going 1-9 in games decided by six points or less, including a pair of overtime losses. The lone win came in their last home game when Louisiana outlasted Arkansas State, 61-56. For the year, the Cajuns are 0-1 in two-point games, 0-2 in three-point games, 1-4 in five-point games and 0-1 in six-point decisions.
LONG MAINTAINS FRESHMAN REBOUNDING LEAD: A 57-rebound effort in the last four games has allowed Shawn Long to take over the mantra as the top freshman rebounder in the country this year. Long has grabbed 214 rebounds in 21 games (10.2 rpg) to rank ahead of Longwood's Michael Kessens (9.5) and Eastern Washington's Jois (9.4).
. . . AND LONG CONTINUES TO RANK AMONG THE TOP FRESHMEN: A closer look at the recent NCAA stats shows that besides being the top freshman rebounder in the country this year, Shawn Long also ranks as seventh among freshmen in blocked shots (2.0) and eighth in scoring.
INJURIES ARE PILING UP: With at least 11 games left in the regular season, injuries are beginning to pile up with Louisiana heading into the FIU game having lost six different players this year for a total of 38 games. The Cajuns dressed just nine players for the Arkansas State game on Jan. 12, two of whom were walk-ons with only Elfrid Payton being the only player returning from last year to see action. Kevin Brown has missed 13 games with a broken foot while Donovan Williams has sat out the last 16 contests following knee surgery. In addition, Louisiana has lost three games from Bryant Mbamalu (thump) and Cornell Barnett (dental surgery), two from Braylon Lazare (eye) and one from Alan-Michael Thompson (ankle). The depth of the Cajuns has been limited by more than injuries as freshman Matt Moss left the program 12 games ago and Josh Soto missed the first six games while the NCAA clarified his eligibility.
. . . THAT MAKES THE ASU GAME A GREAT WIN: The win over Arkansas State on Jan. 12 is made a little more significant considering that the Cajuns had just nine players dressed in the game, with sophomore Elfrid Payton being the only player to see action who played last season. The victory allowed Louisiana to avenge a 87-70 loss to the Red Wolves in Jonesboro on Dec. 27.
. . . AND THE FRESHMEN CAME THROUGH: The freshman class turned in its most impressive performance against Arkansas State on Jan. 12 as the five Cajuns freshmen combined to score 43 of the 61 points and grab 28 of the 36 rebounds. The performance marked the third time this year that the freshmen class has scored 40 points or more. The group previously tallied a season-high 47 points in a 91-79 win over Duquesne and 41 points in a 76-66 victory over Southern-New Orleans.
SHEPHERD ENJOYS ROLE CHANGE: Freshman Kasey Shepherd celebrated his first career start against Arkansas State on Jan. 12 by setting his career highs for points (13), rebounds (7) and minutes played (37). He came back to score nine points with five rebounds in his second start at WKU on Jan. 17. In his three starts, he is averaging 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting .429 from three-point (6-14). For the season, Shepherd is averaging 3.8 points in 12.1 minutes a game.
THE MBAM HAS GONE OFF: Before being sidelined with a thumb injury, there was no hotter player in the Sun Belt than junior Bryant Mbamalu. Prior to missing the last three games, Mbamalu had scored 17 or more points in six of his last seven games. Mbamalu started the run with a 21-point effort against Robert Morris on Dec. 18 and then followed it up with 22 points vs. Duquesne on Dec. 22. After a season-low four points at Arkansas State on Dec. 27, he came back to score a season-high 26 vs. UALR on Dec. 29. He had 17 points at Florida Atlantic (Jan. 3) and 23 at FIU (Jan. 5) and 17 vs. South Alabama on Jan. 10. Over those seven games, Mbamalu averaged 18.9 points a game, shooting .583 from the field (49-84) and .500 from three-point (18-36). Those are considerably improved numbers over the .423 he shot from the field (41-97) and .340 from three-point (16-47) over the first 11 games.
THE SCORING TRIO: The Cajun trio of freshman Shawn Long (15.8 ppg), sophomore Elfrid Payton (14.7) and junior Bryant Mbamalu (14.0) have led the Louisiana offense, combining to score 61-percent of the points this season (891 of 1,461). Together, they have reached double figures 50 of the possible 60 times this year, including 13 games of 20-points or more. The Jan. 10 game vs. South Alabama was no different as the trio tallied 59 points, their third-highest total this season. They previously scored a season-best 62 points at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 when Payton scored 23, Mbamalu 22 and Long 17 and 60 points at North Texas on Dec. 1. The trio has totaled 50 points or more five times this year.
PAYTON IS CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton's quest for the first triple-double by a Cajun in almost a decade came one rebound short at FIU on Jan. 5, scoring 13 points with a career-high 10 assists and a career-high matching nine rebounds against the Golden Panthers. This was not the first time that Payton came close. He closed the 2011-12 season with a 13-point, eight-rebound and nine-assist game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship. He toyed with the stat in the season opener against Oakland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), SUNO (11,7 , 7) and on Dec. 1 at North Texas (14, 6, 9) and posted 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8). For the record, the last triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player came on Jan. 5, 2006 when Michael Southall scored 19 points with 12 rebounds and 11 blocks at North Texas.
. . . BUT PAYTON MUST WALK BEFORE HE RUNS: Although Elfrid Payton has flirted with a triple-double, it took him until the McNeese State game on Dec. 8 in his 41st career game to record the first of his three career double-doubles. Payton scored 17 points with 10 rebounds in the contest. It only took him three days to get the second, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds vs. Lamar on Dec. 11.
PAYTON PASSES STEAL TOTAL: Sophomore Elfrid Payton recorded one steal against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, giving him 46 steals in 21 games this year to rank second in the Sun Belt and ranks 38th nationally averaging 2.2 steals a game. Payton, who had 37 steals in 32 games last year, had a career high seven steals at Michigan State on Nov. 25, falling one steal short of the school record, and came back to make four steals vs. Middle Tennessee.
THOMPSON FINDS HIS ROLE: After starting out the season slowly, senior Alan-Michael Thompson has found his niche by providing the Cajuns with an offensive spark off the bench. He returned to the lineup last week after missing the Arkansas State game with an ankle sprain and scored eight points against both WKU and Middle Tennessee. Over his last six games, Thompson is averaging 9.7 points, scoring in double figures three times. He has shot .474 from the floor (18-38) and .333 from three-point (10-30) during that span.
MASTERING THE SUN BELT: Ragin' Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin has produced back-to-back double digit win totals in Sun Belt play in his first two seasons on Louisiana's bench (11 in 2010-11 and 10 in 2011-12). His SBC winning percentage of .571 (24-18) is second amongst all active coaches.
SUPPORTING CAST THE DIFFERENCE: The Louisiana bench has proven to be an important factor in determining success on the court this year. The Cajun bench has scored 20 points or more five times this year with UL going 4-1 in those games. In the seven Cajun wins, the reserves have totalled 130 points (18.6 ppg). At the other end of the spectrum, the bench has produced 189 points in the 14 losses (13.5 ppg), including seven points against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 and nine vs. South Alabama on Thursday.
CAJUNS BENEFIT FROM LATE FREE THROW SHOOTING: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 100-for-140 (.714) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Alan-Michael Thompson (13-14), Shawn Long (17-22) and Steven Wronkoski (12-16) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .761 shooter (35-46), is 14-for-17 this year (.824). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
LONG TRIES TO EQUAL FRESHMAN SCORING FEAT: With a 15.8 scoring average through 20 games and a 1.1 points per game average ahead of second-leading scorer Elfrid Payton (14.7 ppg), freshman Shawn Long is on pace to become just the fifth freshman to lead the team in scoring. He would join Tim Thompson (14.2 ppg in 1957-58), Jerry Flake (17.6, 1965-66), Andrew Toney (21.0, 1976-77) and Chris Gradnigo (9.6, 2007-08).
. . . AND A SCORING, REBOUNDS & BLOCKS ACCOMPLISHMENT: Shawn Long's impact is more than just being a scorer. Ranking second in the Sun Belt in rebounding (10.2), third in scoring (15.8) and fourth in blocks (2.0), Long is on a pace to become just the third player in school history to lead the team in all three stat categories in a single season. Tyren Johnson was the most recent, averaging 17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2009-10. Reginald Poole is the other to accomplish it, doing it in both 1996-97 (16.0, 10.3, 1.7) and 1998-99 (14.7, 7.1, 0.9).
IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING: The exhibition win over Loyola-New Orleans marked the Cajuns debut for forward Shawn Long. Long transferred to Louisiana last December after spending the fall semester at Mississippi State. The 6-9 native of Morgan City, La. practiced with the Cajuns during the final three months of the year but was not eligible to play. During the summer, he was granted a waiver of transfer rule that would have made him ineligible until early December, allowing him to play immediately. Eager to make up for the lost season, Long scored 11 of UL's first 18 points against Loyola, finishing the night with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, going seven-for-11 from the field with a pair of blocks.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (15.8), rebounding (10.2) and blocks (2.0), shooting .449 from the field (127-283) and .700 from the line (56-80). He ranks second in the league in rebounding, third in scoring and fourth in blocks. He has 12 double-doubles and seven 20-point games. He had a career-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: With a third of the basketball season left to play (UL has played 21 of at least 32 games), Shawn Long's seven 20-point games remains on a pace to record the most 20-plus point performances by a Cajun since former Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson accomplished it 12 times in 2009-10.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 105 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.0 assists per game. He set a career high with 10 assists at FIU on Jan. 5 and previously had nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1 and against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
NEXT UP: Louisiana takes its first Saturday off since November before resuming play next Thursday (Jan.31) with a 7:00 p.m. home game against North Texas that will be televised by the Ragin' Cajuns Network.
Complete Release (PDF)
Game 22
FIU (10-8, 5-4) at Louisiana (7-14, 3-7)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: Cajundome (11,550), Lafayette, Louisiana
Radio: KPEL (1420 AM) & KHXT (107.9 FM) (Jay Walker)
TV: None Live, Streaming available on the internet via RaginCajuns.com.
Series: Louisiana Leads, 16-6
Last Meeting: FIU 75, UL 70 (1/5/13, Miami, Fla..)
Tickets: $8, $10 & $15
THE COACHES:
LOUISIANA
BOB MARLIN (Mississippi State '81)
At Louisiana: 37-45 (3rd year)
4-Year Overall: 262-176 (15th year)
All Collegiate: 385-211 (20th year)
vs. FIU: 2-1
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
RICHARD PITINO (Providence '05)
At FIU: 10-8 (1st year)
Overall: 10-8 (1st year)
vs. Louisiana: 1-0
SETTING THE SCENE: Louisiana returns to the comfy confines of the Cajundome this week to start a stretch that will have them play six of their next eight contests on their home court when the Ragin' Cajuns host FIU on Thursday, Jan. 24 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Louisiana (7-14, 3-7) has played well in the Cajundome this year, winning six of the nine games it has played at home, including league wins over UALR (79-70) and Arkansas State (61-56) and a double overtime loss to South Alabama (91-89). The Cajuns are coming off of losses at WKU (72-49) and Middle Tennessee (82-60) last week. FIU (10-8, 5-4) has won six of its last seven games to enter the week in a third place tie in the east division. Five of those wins have come at home as the Panthers are just 4-6 on the road this year. Louisiana has a commanding 16-6 lead in the all-time series, including a 10-2 record in games played in Lafayette. The Panthers claimed the first meeting this year, a 75-70 decision in Miami on Jan. 5.
PREVIEWING LOUISIANA: With a lineup featuring five freshmen and four sophomores, third year head coach Bob Marlin is excited about the possibilities for the 2012-13 season, knowing that the team that took the court in November will grow and improve all season. As the new faces get acclimated to the collegiate game, the Cajuns have leaned heavily on junior Bryant Mbamalu (14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and sophomore sensation Elfrid Payton (14.7, 6.0, 5.0). Guard Alan-Michael Thompson (6.0 ppg), the lone senior on the squad, is also playing an increased role this year. Freshman forward Shawn Long (15.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg), a transfer from Mississippi State, and power forward Elridge Moore (5.2, 3.6), a JC transfer from Lamar State, unite to form the nucleus of the inside game with freshman Cornell Barnett and walk-on Braylon Lazare providing the depth inside. Although Payton, Mbamalu and Thompson provide the athleticism, quickness and leadership, the freshmen trio of Steven Wronkoski (6.5, 3.0), Kasey Shepherd (3.8) and Josh Soto (3.9) also contribute, giving Louisiana a deep backcourt. Marlin is utilizing 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 IN THE NCAA STATS: The Cajuns received several mentions in the NCAA basketball statistics, which were released on Monday (Jan. 21) and include games through Jan. 20. Individually, Shawn Long ranked third nationally in double-doubles (12), 17th in rebounds (10.2) and 59th in blocks (2.0) while Elfrid Payton is 38th in steals (2.2) and 59th in assists (5.0).
LONG IS DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE: A 21-point, 13-rebound effort at Middle Tennessee on Saturday gave redshirt freshman forward Shawn Long his 12th double-double in 21 games to move into third place nationally. Towson's Jerrelle Benimon and Mike Muscala from Bucknell share the national lead with 13 double-doubles with Long and Siena senior O.D. Anosike being one back with 12 double-doubles. Long has registered double-doubles in four straight games and has six double-doubles in nine league games this season.
MARLIN NEARS MILESTONE: Third-year Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin is quickly closing in on the 600th game of his coaching career with Thursday's game being his 597th with his 600th coming at home against UL-Monroe on Feb. 10. A 33-year coaching veteran, Marlin has served as a head coach for 20 seasons since taking over as head coach at Pensacola JC for the 1990-91 campaign. Marlin is 385-211 in those 20 seasons, going 123-35 in five seasons at Pensacola and 225-131 in 12 years at Sam Houston State. He is 37-45 in his third year at Louisiana.
FINALLY A SATURDAY OFF: After playing FIU on Thursday, the Cajuns will enjoy a much-needed Saturday off this week. After going through the month of November without playing any games on a Saturday, the Cajuns have played games on eight straight Saturdays since Dec. 1, with five of those contests coming on the road. The light schedule this week is also the first time since final exams were held during the first week of December that Louisiana will play just one game in a week.
PAYTON PASSES 500 POINT MARK: After reaching the 50-game milestone for his Cajuns career on Jan. 10, Elfrid Payton reached another milestone two days later (Jan. 12), scoring 13 points against Arkansas State to surpass the 500-point mark for his career. He heads into the FIU game having scored 537 points in 53 games at Louisiana, 32 as a starter. He has played 1,457 minutes.
AT HOME IN THE 'DOME: The Ragin' Cajuns are looking forward to playing six of their next eight games at home, a building where they have enjoyed great success since it opened in 1985-86. Louisiana is 6-3 at home this year, improving the Cajuns to 26-12 (14-6 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 264-110 in games played in the Cajundome since it opened.
. . . AND SOME TOUGH DECISIONS: One of the best examples of the youth of the Cajuns this season is that Louisiana has not fared well in close games, going 1-9 in games decided by six points or less, including a pair of overtime losses. The lone win came in their last home game when Louisiana outlasted Arkansas State, 61-56. For the year, the Cajuns are 0-1 in two-point games, 0-2 in three-point games, 1-4 in five-point games and 0-1 in six-point decisions.
LONG MAINTAINS FRESHMAN REBOUNDING LEAD: A 57-rebound effort in the last four games has allowed Shawn Long to take over the mantra as the top freshman rebounder in the country this year. Long has grabbed 214 rebounds in 21 games (10.2 rpg) to rank ahead of Longwood's Michael Kessens (9.5) and Eastern Washington's Jois (9.4).
. . . AND LONG CONTINUES TO RANK AMONG THE TOP FRESHMEN: A closer look at the recent NCAA stats shows that besides being the top freshman rebounder in the country this year, Shawn Long also ranks as seventh among freshmen in blocked shots (2.0) and eighth in scoring.
INJURIES ARE PILING UP: With at least 11 games left in the regular season, injuries are beginning to pile up with Louisiana heading into the FIU game having lost six different players this year for a total of 38 games. The Cajuns dressed just nine players for the Arkansas State game on Jan. 12, two of whom were walk-ons with only Elfrid Payton being the only player returning from last year to see action. Kevin Brown has missed 13 games with a broken foot while Donovan Williams has sat out the last 16 contests following knee surgery. In addition, Louisiana has lost three games from Bryant Mbamalu (thump) and Cornell Barnett (dental surgery), two from Braylon Lazare (eye) and one from Alan-Michael Thompson (ankle). The depth of the Cajuns has been limited by more than injuries as freshman Matt Moss left the program 12 games ago and Josh Soto missed the first six games while the NCAA clarified his eligibility.
. . . THAT MAKES THE ASU GAME A GREAT WIN: The win over Arkansas State on Jan. 12 is made a little more significant considering that the Cajuns had just nine players dressed in the game, with sophomore Elfrid Payton being the only player to see action who played last season. The victory allowed Louisiana to avenge a 87-70 loss to the Red Wolves in Jonesboro on Dec. 27.
. . . AND THE FRESHMEN CAME THROUGH: The freshman class turned in its most impressive performance against Arkansas State on Jan. 12 as the five Cajuns freshmen combined to score 43 of the 61 points and grab 28 of the 36 rebounds. The performance marked the third time this year that the freshmen class has scored 40 points or more. The group previously tallied a season-high 47 points in a 91-79 win over Duquesne and 41 points in a 76-66 victory over Southern-New Orleans.
SHEPHERD ENJOYS ROLE CHANGE: Freshman Kasey Shepherd celebrated his first career start against Arkansas State on Jan. 12 by setting his career highs for points (13), rebounds (7) and minutes played (37). He came back to score nine points with five rebounds in his second start at WKU on Jan. 17. In his three starts, he is averaging 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting .429 from three-point (6-14). For the season, Shepherd is averaging 3.8 points in 12.1 minutes a game.
THE MBAM HAS GONE OFF: Before being sidelined with a thumb injury, there was no hotter player in the Sun Belt than junior Bryant Mbamalu. Prior to missing the last three games, Mbamalu had scored 17 or more points in six of his last seven games. Mbamalu started the run with a 21-point effort against Robert Morris on Dec. 18 and then followed it up with 22 points vs. Duquesne on Dec. 22. After a season-low four points at Arkansas State on Dec. 27, he came back to score a season-high 26 vs. UALR on Dec. 29. He had 17 points at Florida Atlantic (Jan. 3) and 23 at FIU (Jan. 5) and 17 vs. South Alabama on Jan. 10. Over those seven games, Mbamalu averaged 18.9 points a game, shooting .583 from the field (49-84) and .500 from three-point (18-36). Those are considerably improved numbers over the .423 he shot from the field (41-97) and .340 from three-point (16-47) over the first 11 games.
THE SCORING TRIO: The Cajun trio of freshman Shawn Long (15.8 ppg), sophomore Elfrid Payton (14.7) and junior Bryant Mbamalu (14.0) have led the Louisiana offense, combining to score 61-percent of the points this season (891 of 1,461). Together, they have reached double figures 50 of the possible 60 times this year, including 13 games of 20-points or more. The Jan. 10 game vs. South Alabama was no different as the trio tallied 59 points, their third-highest total this season. They previously scored a season-best 62 points at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 when Payton scored 23, Mbamalu 22 and Long 17 and 60 points at North Texas on Dec. 1. The trio has totaled 50 points or more five times this year.
PAYTON IS CHASING A TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore Elfrid Payton's quest for the first triple-double by a Cajun in almost a decade came one rebound short at FIU on Jan. 5, scoring 13 points with a career-high 10 assists and a career-high matching nine rebounds against the Golden Panthers. This was not the first time that Payton came close. He closed the 2011-12 season with a 13-point, eight-rebound and nine-assist game in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship. He toyed with the stat in the season opener against Oakland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), SUNO (11,7 , 7) and on Dec. 1 at North Texas (14, 6, 9) and posted 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists at McNeese State (Dec. 8). For the record, the last triple-double by a Ragin' Cajuns player came on Jan. 5, 2006 when Michael Southall scored 19 points with 12 rebounds and 11 blocks at North Texas.
. . . BUT PAYTON MUST WALK BEFORE HE RUNS: Although Elfrid Payton has flirted with a triple-double, it took him until the McNeese State game on Dec. 8 in his 41st career game to record the first of his three career double-doubles. Payton scored 17 points with 10 rebounds in the contest. It only took him three days to get the second, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds vs. Lamar on Dec. 11.
PAYTON PASSES STEAL TOTAL: Sophomore Elfrid Payton recorded one steal against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, giving him 46 steals in 21 games this year to rank second in the Sun Belt and ranks 38th nationally averaging 2.2 steals a game. Payton, who had 37 steals in 32 games last year, had a career high seven steals at Michigan State on Nov. 25, falling one steal short of the school record, and came back to make four steals vs. Middle Tennessee.
THOMPSON FINDS HIS ROLE: After starting out the season slowly, senior Alan-Michael Thompson has found his niche by providing the Cajuns with an offensive spark off the bench. He returned to the lineup last week after missing the Arkansas State game with an ankle sprain and scored eight points against both WKU and Middle Tennessee. Over his last six games, Thompson is averaging 9.7 points, scoring in double figures three times. He has shot .474 from the floor (18-38) and .333 from three-point (10-30) during that span.
MASTERING THE SUN BELT: Ragin' Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin has produced back-to-back double digit win totals in Sun Belt play in his first two seasons on Louisiana's bench (11 in 2010-11 and 10 in 2011-12). His SBC winning percentage of .571 (24-18) is second amongst all active coaches.
SUPPORTING CAST THE DIFFERENCE: The Louisiana bench has proven to be an important factor in determining success on the court this year. The Cajun bench has scored 20 points or more five times this year with UL going 4-1 in those games. In the seven Cajun wins, the reserves have totalled 130 points (18.6 ppg). At the other end of the spectrum, the bench has produced 189 points in the 14 losses (13.5 ppg), including seven points against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3 and nine vs. South Alabama on Thursday.
CAJUNS BENEFIT FROM LATE FREE THROW SHOOTING: The free throw shooting by the Cajuns has been at its best late in the game as Louisiana has gone 100-for-140 (.714) from the line in the final 5:00 minutes and overtime. Alan-Michael Thompson (13-14), Shawn Long (17-22) and Steven Wronkoski (12-16) lead the team while Bryant Mbamalu, a career .761 shooter (35-46), is 14-for-17 this year (.824). That is a considerable improvement from the .617 (121-196) that the Cajuns shot during the 2011-12 season.
LONG TRIES TO EQUAL FRESHMAN SCORING FEAT: With a 15.8 scoring average through 20 games and a 1.1 points per game average ahead of second-leading scorer Elfrid Payton (14.7 ppg), freshman Shawn Long is on pace to become just the fifth freshman to lead the team in scoring. He would join Tim Thompson (14.2 ppg in 1957-58), Jerry Flake (17.6, 1965-66), Andrew Toney (21.0, 1976-77) and Chris Gradnigo (9.6, 2007-08).
. . . AND A SCORING, REBOUNDS & BLOCKS ACCOMPLISHMENT: Shawn Long's impact is more than just being a scorer. Ranking second in the Sun Belt in rebounding (10.2), third in scoring (15.8) and fourth in blocks (2.0), Long is on a pace to become just the third player in school history to lead the team in all three stat categories in a single season. Tyren Johnson was the most recent, averaging 17.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2009-10. Reginald Poole is the other to accomplish it, doing it in both 1996-97 (16.0, 10.3, 1.7) and 1998-99 (14.7, 7.1, 0.9).
IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING: The exhibition win over Loyola-New Orleans marked the Cajuns debut for forward Shawn Long. Long transferred to Louisiana last December after spending the fall semester at Mississippi State. The 6-9 native of Morgan City, La. practiced with the Cajuns during the final three months of the year but was not eligible to play. During the summer, he was granted a waiver of transfer rule that would have made him ineligible until early December, allowing him to play immediately. Eager to make up for the lost season, Long scored 11 of UL's first 18 points against Loyola, finishing the night with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, going seven-for-11 from the field with a pair of blocks.
. . . AND LONG HASN'T SLOWED: Shawn Long's steady play has allowed the freshman to lead the Cajuns in scoring (15.8), rebounding (10.2) and blocks (2.0), shooting .449 from the field (127-283) and .700 from the line (56-80). He ranks second in the league in rebounding, third in scoring and fourth in blocks. He has 12 double-doubles and seven 20-point games. He had a career-high 27 points in the win at North Texas (Dec. 1) and added 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds at McNeese State (Dec. 8) the following week.
. . . AND LONG SCORES THE BASKETBALL: With a third of the basketball season left to play (UL has played 21 of at least 32 games), Shawn Long's seven 20-point games remains on a pace to record the most 20-plus point performances by a Cajun since former Sun Belt Player of the Year Tyren Johnson accomplished it 12 times in 2009-10.
MISTER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?: Elfrid Payton has shown his continued development as the Cajuns' point guard by handing out 105 assists this year to lead the Sun Belt averaging 5.0 assists per game. He set a career high with 10 assists at FIU on Jan. 5 and previously had nine assists at North Texas on Dec. 1 and against North Texas in the Sun Belt Championship last year.
NEXT UP: Louisiana takes its first Saturday off since November before resuming play next Thursday (Jan.31) with a 7:00 p.m. home game against North Texas that will be televised by the Ragin' Cajuns Network.
Quannas White Media Availability (Nov 11, 2025)
Wednesday, November 12
De'Vion Lavergne and Milan Mejia Media Availability (Nov 11, 2025)
Wednesday, November 12
Quannas White Media Availability (Nov 10, 2025)
Monday, November 10
Quannas White, Jaxon Olvera, and Dorian Finister Media Availability (Nov 7, 2025)
Saturday, November 08
