University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, December 31
Jonesboro, Ark.
5 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Arkansas State
MBB Game 14 Preview: at Arkansas State
12/30/2016 8:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Louisiana opens SBC play against new-look Red Wolves
JONESBORO, Ark. – After an 11-day break for the Christmas holiday, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday when it opens Sun Belt Conference play against Arkansas State at the Convocation Center.
Tipoff for the New Year's Eve matchup is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9-FM and ESPN 1420-AM.
Louisiana (10-3), which tied for the best record among SBC schools in non-conference play, opens league play on the road for the fourth consecutive year. The Ragin' Cajuns open league play in the state of Arkansas for the second time in the past three seasons.
Frank Bartley (16.6 ppg.), Jay Wright (14.9), Bryce Washington (14.7) and Justin Miller (10.5) lead Louisiana in the scoring column with Washington leading the Sun Belt Conference in rebounds (11.8).
The Ragin' Cajuns pace the SBC in scoring offense (86.7), scoring margin (+14.8), field goal percentage (.482), rebound margin (+8.4) and turnover margin (+4.7).
GAME 14: Louisiana (10-3, 0-0 SBC) at Arkansas State (9-4, 0-0 SBC)
Date / Time: December 31, 2016 / 5 p.m.
Site: Jonesboro, Ark.
Arena: Convocation Center (10,475)
TV/Web: None
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM / ESPN 1420 AM
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
Video: RaginCajuns.com
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB
Series: Louisiana leads, 48-24
At Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 28-8
At Jonesboro: Arkansas State leads, 19-16
At Neutral Sites: Louisiana leads, 2-0
THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Career Record: 465-261 (24th season), Record at Louisiana: 117-95 (7th season)
ARKANSAS STATE
Head Coach: Grant McCasland (Baylor, 1999)
Career Record: 9-4 (first season), Record at A-State: Same
STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens Sun Belt Conference play on the road for the fourth straight year.
• The Ragin' Cajuns have won seven of the last 10 meetings in the series against Arkansas State and two of the last three contests in Jonesboro.
• Junior Bryce Washington is fourth among Division I players in total rebounds (154) and rebounds per game (11.8).
• Washington is second nationally in double-doubles (10) and is fifth in offensive rebounds per game (4.4).
RAGIN' CAJUNS NOTES
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 14th nationally in both scoring offense (86.7) and free throw attempts (359). Louisiana ranks eighth nationally in turnovers forced (18.2) and is 15th in steals per game (9.1).
• Jay Wright enters Saturday's game needing four assists to reach the 300-mark in his career, and is 18 shy of tying Dwayne Mitchell (314, 2003-06) for 10th-place in school history.
• Jay Wright (2.2 spg.) and Frank Bartley (2.1) are ranked 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference in steals per game with Bryce Washington (1.8) ranked fifth.
SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES
• Under first-year coach Grant McCasland, Arkansas State was one of four Sun Belt schools to win at least nine games during non-conference play.
• The Red Wolves rebounded from an opening night loss at North Dakota State to reel off seven straight victories, which included wins at Georgetown, vs. Chattanooga and Cleveland State.
• Preseason All-Sun Belt selection Devin Carter is second in the league in scoring (17.8 ppg.) with Deven Simms (13.2) averaging in double figures.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana will close out the opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play on Monday when it faces defending league champion Little Rock in a nationally-televised contest at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game can be seen live on ESPN2.
Tipoff for the New Year's Eve matchup is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9-FM and ESPN 1420-AM.
Louisiana (10-3), which tied for the best record among SBC schools in non-conference play, opens league play on the road for the fourth consecutive year. The Ragin' Cajuns open league play in the state of Arkansas for the second time in the past three seasons.
Frank Bartley (16.6 ppg.), Jay Wright (14.9), Bryce Washington (14.7) and Justin Miller (10.5) lead Louisiana in the scoring column with Washington leading the Sun Belt Conference in rebounds (11.8).
The Ragin' Cajuns pace the SBC in scoring offense (86.7), scoring margin (+14.8), field goal percentage (.482), rebound margin (+8.4) and turnover margin (+4.7).
GAME 14: Louisiana (10-3, 0-0 SBC) at Arkansas State (9-4, 0-0 SBC)
Date / Time: December 31, 2016 / 5 p.m.
Site: Jonesboro, Ark.
Arena: Convocation Center (10,475)
TV/Web: None
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM / ESPN 1420 AM
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
Video: RaginCajuns.com
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB
Series: Louisiana leads, 48-24
At Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 28-8
At Jonesboro: Arkansas State leads, 19-16
At Neutral Sites: Louisiana leads, 2-0
THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Career Record: 465-261 (24th season), Record at Louisiana: 117-95 (7th season)
ARKANSAS STATE
Head Coach: Grant McCasland (Baylor, 1999)
Career Record: 9-4 (first season), Record at A-State: Same
STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens Sun Belt Conference play on the road for the fourth straight year.
• The Ragin' Cajuns have won seven of the last 10 meetings in the series against Arkansas State and two of the last three contests in Jonesboro.
• Junior Bryce Washington is fourth among Division I players in total rebounds (154) and rebounds per game (11.8).
• Washington is second nationally in double-doubles (10) and is fifth in offensive rebounds per game (4.4).
RAGIN' CAJUNS NOTES
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 14th nationally in both scoring offense (86.7) and free throw attempts (359). Louisiana ranks eighth nationally in turnovers forced (18.2) and is 15th in steals per game (9.1).
• Jay Wright enters Saturday's game needing four assists to reach the 300-mark in his career, and is 18 shy of tying Dwayne Mitchell (314, 2003-06) for 10th-place in school history.
• Jay Wright (2.2 spg.) and Frank Bartley (2.1) are ranked 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference in steals per game with Bryce Washington (1.8) ranked fifth.
SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES
• Under first-year coach Grant McCasland, Arkansas State was one of four Sun Belt schools to win at least nine games during non-conference play.
• The Red Wolves rebounded from an opening night loss at North Dakota State to reel off seven straight victories, which included wins at Georgetown, vs. Chattanooga and Cleveland State.
• Preseason All-Sun Belt selection Devin Carter is second in the league in scoring (17.8 ppg.) with Deven Simms (13.2) averaging in double figures.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana will close out the opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play on Monday when it faces defending league champion Little Rock in a nationally-televised contest at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game can be seen live on ESPN2.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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