@RaginCajunsMBB Game 3 Preview: vs. Colorado State

ESTERO, Fla. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team returns to action on Monday when it faces Mountain West Conference opponent Colorado State on the first day of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena.

Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m., CT. The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT-FM (107.9) with Jay Walker (PxP) and former Ragin' Cajuns women's head coach Ross Cook (color) on the call.

Louisiana (1-2) looks to snap a two-game losing streak after dropping an 89-76 decision at No. 2 Kansas on Friday. The Ragin' Cajuns turned an eight-point deficit into a 12-point lead in the first half against the Jayhawks, and trailed 72-67 with under five minutes to play.

Justin Miller, who is second for the Ragin' Cajuns in scoring (14.5 ppg.), scored a career-high 22 points against Kansas to lead Louisiana while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. JaKeenan Gant added 18 points for the Ragin' Cajuns with Malik Marquetti scoring 14 and Cedric Russell 10.

Marcus Stroman, who is third nationally in assists per game, lead the Sun Belt Conference with 9.3 assists while averaging 8.0 points per game.

Colorado State (3-0), under first-year coach Niko Medved, opened the season with a 100-66 win over Colorado Christian in an on-campus game in the Gulf Coast Showcase. CSU added wins at home over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (92-67) and Montana State (81-77).

The meeting between Louisiana and Colorado State is the second between the schools on the hardwood with the Rams claiming a 78-68 victory over the visiting Ragin' Cajuns on Dec. 13, 1968.

GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (1-2) vs. COLORADO STATE (3-0)
Date / Time: November 19, 2018 / 4 p.m. CT
Site: Estero, Fla.
Arena: Hertz Arena (7,186)

Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM
Talent: Jay Walker (PxP); Ross Cook (color)

TV: www.GulfCoastShowcase.com ($)
Talent: TBA

Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns

SERIES INFORMATION
Overall: Colorado State leads, 1-0
In Lafayette: Never met
In Fort Collins: CSU leads, 1-0
Neutral: First meeting
Streak: CSU +1

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 156-113 (ninth season), Career Record: 504-279 (26th season)

COLORADO STATE
Head Coach: Niko Medved (Minnesota, 1997)
Record at CSU: 3-0 (first season), Career Record: 81-87 (sixth season)

STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens play in the Gulf Coast Showcase on Monday against Mountain West opponent Colorado State. The meeting with CSU marks the second consecutive season the Ragin' Cajuns face a MW squad in a Thanksgiving Week tournament (L, 71-61 vs. Wyoming at 2017 Cayman Islands Classic).
• The Ragin' Cajuns return three starters - JaKeenan Gant, Malik Marquetti, and Marcus Stroman - along with eight letterwinners from last season's team.
• Louisiana comes off a record-setting year where it won 27 games and captured its first regular-season Sun Belt Conference title since 2000.
• Against the Gulf Coast Showcase field, Louisiana is a combined 4-24 all-time with 24 games coming against in-state opponent Tulane (0-4 since 1958). The Ragin' Cajuns have never faced potential opponents Florida Gulf Coast, Toledo or UTSA.
• The Ragin' Cajuns return 54.2 percent of its scoring from 2017-18, along with 48.1 percent of its rebounds and 55.4 percent of their made field goals.

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring offense (83.2) for the sixth consecutive season while leading the league in scoring margin (+12.4), free throw percentage (.761), field goal percentage (464), rebound margin (+6.6), assists (17.4), steals (7.5) and assist-turnover ratio (1.3).
• Louisiana's 83.2 scoring average in 2017-18 was its best since the 1990-91 season (91.1) and was the highest by a Sun Belt Conference school since South Alabama (84.6) in 1994-95.
• The Ragin' Cajuns 297 3-pointers made in 2017-18 shattered the previous school record (251) set in 1989-90.
• Louisiana 14 3-pointers and 29 assists in its season-opener against UVI are the most among Sun Belt Conference teams in the first week of the 2018-19 season.
• Marcus Stroman became the 28th player in school history to reach the 200-assist mark. His 213 career assists in 2017-18 were the fourth most in a single-season in school history.

SCOUTING COLORADO STATE
• Colorado State rallied late to survive a pesky Montana State squad for a hard fought 81-77 win at Moby Arena, Nov. 13. With the win, CSU improved to 3-0 under first-year head coach Niko Medved.
• Overall, the Rams return three players with 23 or more starts from the 2017-18 campaign, led by Honorable Mention All-Mountain West selection Nico Carvacho. The redshirt-junior center will be expected to pace this squad along with senior guard J.D. Paige and redshirt-junior guard Anthony Masinton-Bonner.
• The Rams opened the season with a 100-66 win over Colorado Christian in an on-campus game in the Gulf Coast Showcase. CSU added wins at home over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (92-67) and Montana State (81-77).
• Paige has paced Colorado State in scoring, averaging 18.5 points in a pair of games. Masinton-Bonner (16.3), Carvacho (15.7), Kendle Moore (15.7) and Lorenzo Jenkins (12.3) all average in double figures as the Rams average 91.0 points per game.

CAJUNS PARTICIPATE IN FEAST WEEK AGAIN
• This year's Gulf Coast Showcase marks the second consecutive year Louisiana will play in a Thanksgiving Week tournament.
• In 2017-18, Louisiana competed in the inaugural Cayman Islands Classic, posting wins over Big 10 school Iowa and Atlantic 10 member Richmond to earn a third-place finish in the eight-team field.

SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
• Season tickets, beginning at $100, are available online at RaginCajuns.com using Account Manager, or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 265-2357.
• All current UL faculty and staff, along with recent graduates (within the last five years), can purchase season tickets at a 50-percent discount to cheer on the Ragin' Cajuns during the 2018-19 season at the Cajundome.
• The special package will allow recent graduates of Louisiana to purchase tickets in sections 101-103. Discounts will be applied upon confirmation of graduate status by the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office.

FOLLOW THE CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsMBB), Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsMBB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Men's Basketball.

@RaginCajunsMBB Game 3 Preview: vs. Colorado State

Players Mentioned

JaKeenan Gant

Malik Marquetti

Justin Miller

Cedric Russell

Marcus Stroman

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