MBB Game 3 Preview: at Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team returns to action on Friday when it travels to face SEC opponent Alabama in a 7 p.m. contest at Coleman Coliseum.

The game can be seen on SEC Network Plus and ESPN3. The game can also be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9-FM and on the internet at RaginCajuns.com.

Louisiana (1-1), which is wrapping up a two-game roadtrip, fell at Miami (Fla.) on Monday, 93-77, despite 21 points and 13 rebounds from senior Shawn Long. The Morgan City, La., native, the NCAA active leader in double-doubles (53) and rebounds (1,054), enters the game against Alabama (1-1) needing 11 rebounds to pass Roy Ebron as the Ragin' Cajuns all-time leader.

The game will also mark a homecoming for Ragin' Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin, who was an assistant under former Crimson Tide coach David Hobbs from 1995-98. Current Ragin' Cajuns assistant coach Neil Hardin served as a graduate assistant for the Crimson Tide from 1995-98 while Director of Basketball Operations Mike Murphy was an administrative assistant from 1995-97 before serving as a women's assistant coach at Alabama from 1998-2002.

GAME 3: Louisiana (1-1, 0-0 SBC) at Alabama (1-1, 0-0 SEC)
November 20, 2015 | 7:00 p.m. | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Coleman Coliseum (15,383)
TV/Web: SEC Digital + / WatchESPN
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM

Series History: Alabama leads, 3-0 | First Meeting: UA 78, UL 75 - 1/26/59| Last Meeting: UA 61, UL 44 - 12/7/2008

STORY LINES
• Current Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin (Assistant Coach, 1995-98), assistant coach Neil Hardin (Graduate Assistant, 1995-98) and Director of Basketball Operations Mike Murphy (Men's Admininstrative Assistant, 1995-97; Women's Assistant Coach, 1998-02) all served on the Alabama staff for former Crimson Tide head coach David Hobbs.
• The game against Alabama is the second of three non-conference games this season for the Ragin' Cajuns against schools from the Power 5. Louisiana faced Miami (L, 93-77) on Monday and will travel to face UCLA at historic Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 15.

THE SERIES
• The schools have played three times on the hardwood (all in Tuscaloosa) with Alabama claiming each meeting. The Crimson Tide earned a 61-44 victory in the previous meeting on Dec. 7, 2008 at Coleman Coliseum. The series dates back to the 1958-59 season.

THE SEASON PREVIEW
• Louisiana returns all five starters and nine letterwinners from the 2014-15 squad that posted a 22-14 overall record and 13-7 mark in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns earned a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, falling to eventual champion Evansville, in the quarterfinals at Blackham Coliseum.

THE OPPONENT
• Under New Orleans native and longtime NBA coach Avery Johnson, Alabama (1-1) picked up a win over Kennesaw State (77-64) last Friday before falling at Dayton (80-48) on Tuesday in the ESPN Tip-Off Marathon.

UP NEXT
• Louisiana will close out the month of November when it returns home to face in-state opponent Loyola of New Orleans in a 7 p.m. contest at the Cajundome.

QUICK HITS
• Shawn Long (1,054 rebounds) needs 11 rebounds to pass Roy Ebron (1,064 rebounds) as the school's all-time leader in school history. Long's 13 caroms at Miami on Monday moved him past Marcus Stokes (1,046) into second-place.

• Long is the NCAA Division I active leader in double-doubles (53) and rebounds (1,054). As of Nov. 15, Long is second among active players in rebound average (10.2.) and field goals made (645), is third in field goal attempts (1,298) and fourth in points scored (1,714).

• Kasey Shepherd's career 82.8 percentage from the free throw line is 27th among active NCAA players.

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Players Mentioned

Shawn Long

Kasey Shepherd

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