MBB Game 1 Preview: at Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball officially opens its 2017-18 season on Friday when it visits Southeastern Conference member Ole Miss in a 7 p.m. contest at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

The game will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus and can be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9 FM and on the RadioPup app.

Louisiana returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from a 2016-17 team that posted a 21-12 record – the school's third 20-win season in the past four years and its 24th 20-win season overall.

Seniors Bryce Washington, Frank Bartley and Johnathan Stove return to lead the Ragin' Cajuns with sophomore forward Justin Miller among the returning starters. Three Division I transfers – JaKeenan Gant (Missouri), Malik Marquetti (USC) and Marcus Stroman (South Carolina) – will each make their debuts for Louisiana after sitting out the 2016-17 season due to the NCAA Transfer Rule.

GAME 1: Louisiana (21-12 in 2016-17) at Ole Miss (22-14 in 2016-17)
Date / Time: November 10, 2017 / 7 p.m.
Site: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)

Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)

TV: SEC Network +
Talent: Seth Austin (pxp); Marc Dukes (color)

Video: RaginCajuns.com (FREE)
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB

Series History: Louisiana leads, 4-3
In Lafayette: Series tied, 1-1
In Oxford: Series tied, 2-2
At Neutral Sites: Louisiana leads, 1-0

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Career Record: 476-270 (25th season), Record at Louisiana: 128-104 (8th season)

OLE MISS
Head Coach: Andy Kennedy (UAB, 1991)
Career Record: 255-153 (13th year), Record at OM: 234-140 (12th year)

STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens its 104th season of basketball tonight when it faces Southeastern Conference member Ole Miss at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
• Louisiana returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from a team that finished 21-12 last season - the third 20-win season in the past four years.
• Three Division I transfers - JaKeenan Gant (Missouri), Malik Marquetti (USC) and Marcus Stroman (South Carolina) - will each make their debut in a Ragin' Cajuns uniform.
• Tonight's game marks the first time the schools will open the season against each other since 1989 (Nov. 24, 1989).
• Senior Bryce Washington is 34 points shy of becoming the 45th player in Ragin' Cajuns history to reach the 1,000-point scoring mark.
• Washington finished fifth nationally in double-doubles (22) in 2016-17.
• Washington enters the 2017-18 season on the Lou Henson Award Watch List, presented to the top mid-major player.
• Louisiana's 85 wins since the 2013-14 season are the most in a four-year span since winning 86 games from 1981-85.

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring offense (81.9) and rebound margin (+5.8) during the 2016-17 season.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return 75.6 percent of its scoring and 79.1 percent of its rebounds from the 2016-17 season.
• Bryce Washington's 369 rebounds in 2016-17 were the fifth-most in a single-season in school history.
• Washington is tied for ninth in school history with 746 rebounds. He enters tonight's game against Ole Miss four rebounds shy of passing Dion Rainey (749, 1977-80) for eighth-place.
• Ole Miss basketball coach Andy Kennedy and Louisiana football coach Mark Hudspeth were high school teammates at Winston Academy in Louisville, Miss.
• Johnathan Stove enters the 2017-18 season 212 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark.
• Louisiana went 7-5 last season in games decided by six points or less after going 0-6 in 2015-16. Under Bob Marlin, the Ragin' Cajuns are 41-41 overall in games decided by six points or less.

SCOUTING THE REBELS
• Ole Miss was picked to finish 10th in the 14-team SEC, despite the return of four starters, including Preseason All-SEC guards Deandre Burnett and Terence Davis.
• The Rebels have been one of two teams to finish .500 or better in SEC play in each of the last six seasons and has not finished worse than sixth in the league since the conference moved away from the divisional format in 2011-12.
• Ole Miss defeated Division II North Alabama, 94-53, in its exhibition game on Sunday.

UP NEXT
• Louisiana will play its next two games at the Cajundome beginning on Tuesday (Nov. 14) at 7 p.m. against D-III Louisiana College ... the Ragin' Cajuns will close out against Savannah State on Friday (Nov. 17) at 4 p.m., before departing to play in the inaugural Cayman Islands Classic, Nov. 20-22.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Frank Bartley

JaKeenan Gant

Malik Marquetti

Justin Miller

Johnathan Stove

Marcus Stroman

Bryce Washington

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