Inside The Birdcage - Remembering '92
The Voice of the Ragin' Cajuns talks basketball
Jay Walker, Special to RaginCajuns.com
History is being much kinder to Marty Fletcher than fans were during his tenure.
The redhead won two Sun Belt Conference Tournament championships, had multiple 20-win seasons and put some of the more exciting teams on the court at this school, especially when you think about the more recent history of Ragin’ Cajuns Men's Basketball.
The Cajuns got up and down the court. They scored in the 90s on a regular basis. And, something that was true of just about every one of Marty’s teams … they could shoot the rock.
Think about these guys: Earl Watkins, Sydney Grider, Kevin Brooks, Aaron Mitchell, Michael Allen, Todd Hill, Byron Starks, Tony Moore, Casey Green and Chris Manuel.
Every one of them could shoot the rock. And, that made them fun to watch.
Marty’s biggest drawbacks? Well, he wasn’t the most sociable guy. He wasn’t very trusting. But, worst of all, he had trouble beating Tim Floyd.
Back in the days of the old American South Conference, and the early days of the Sun Belt, the Cajuns, UNO and Louisiana Tech made for quite a three-way rivalry. But UNO was the team that got in the craw of the Cajun faithful. And, Tim Floyd had the Cajuns’ number. Some fans acted like UNO had no talent. Nothing could be further from the truth. But Floyd’s teams played a different style, a team that relied more on its defense than its scoring. And, for Floyd and the Privateers, it worked.
But finally, in 1992, it all came together for the Ragin' Cajuns.
Marty’s club had quickness. Marty’s club had size. Marty’s club had a strong inside presence, both defense and rebounding.
And, yes, Marty had shooters.
The Cajuns were led by two great leaders in seniors Marcus Stokes and Eric Mouton. Stokes was, inch for inch, as good a rebounder as the Cajuns have ever had. He was listed at 6-6, but I’m not sure he was that big. Yet he hauled in more than 1,000 rebounds and scored more than 1,000 points. Mouton was a hard-nosed, blue collar guy. You may have had more talent. But he outworked you. And, he had the attitude that he was better than you. For a good part of the season, Mouton came off the bench. But down the stretch, Marty inserted him into the starting lineup, bringing Michael Allen off the bench. And the move paid off.
It was the Ragin' Cajuns’ first year in the Sun Belt Conference. In addition to UNO, Louisiana Tech and a disciplined Arkansas State team, now the Cajuns also had to deal with Western Kentucky and South Alabama. It was a tough league.
This particular year, Tech and the Cajuns had proven themselves to be the two best teams. UNO had slipped a bit. But the Privateers beat the Cajuns at the ‘Dome (again), and they would never be too far out of things. Tech had more wins at the end of the season, but had used an ineligible player in a win over UNO. The league ruled Tech and the Cajuns would be co-champions, with Tech as the No. 1 seed.
It was time to go to Biloxi for the Sun Belt Tournament. And, guess who the Cajuns drew in the quarterfinals?
Yep. Tim Floyd and UNO. The Cajuns managed to prevail in overtime and advanced to the semifinals to play Little Rock, who had upset Arkansas State in the quarterfinals. Again, the Cajuns won a one possession game to set up a meeting with Louisiana Tech for the championship.
USL, as they were known then, fell behind by 12 at the half, and it looked like the Cajuns would have to hope for an NIT bid. But junior Todd Hill put the Cajuns on his back in the second half, and the Cajuns won it in the final 30 seconds to claim their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1983, as Hill took home Most Outstanding Player honors.
At the selection show party at Pete’s, Marty pointed at the screen as the Ragin' Cajuns’ name came up while holding baby Allison in his arms. The Cajuns were a No. 13 seed and would face fourth-seeded Oklahoma.
All Marty could do was smile. The Cajuns were familiar with the Sooners, having beaten them at Lloyd Noble Arena the year before on a Stokes baseline jumper with four seconds left. The Cajuns and Sooners were sent to Tempe, Arizona.
There are many who say they remember me during the broadcast, but, in fact, this was the year before I joined the broadcast team. Don Allen did the play-by-play with Julius Meaux. But I was there for the game and sat right next to Don.
This Cajuns squad was eight deep. Starks, Hill, Stokes and Mouton were joined by Carroll Boudreaux in the starting lineup with Allen, Moore and Cedric Mackyeon coming off the bench. The three big men were all good defenders, something sometimes lacking in Marty’s clubs. The game went back and forth. The Cajuns led by two as the clock went down to 5:00 to play. The Cajuns had the ball and time was running out on the 45-second clock (yes, the shot clock was :45 back then) when Moore hit a three-pointer with a defender hanging on him to give the Cajuns a five-point lead.
As the ball went in, Don grabbed my arm and squeezed. Yeah, that left a bruise.
Amazingly, that was the last Cajun field goal of the game. USL used its defense down the stretch and were deliberate on offense. The Ragin' Cajuns hit 12 consecutive free throws without a miss in the final four minutes. Mouton’s pair with 2.3 seconds to go iced an 87-83 Cajuns’ win. It remains the last Ragin' Cajuns’ victory in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cajuns drew No. 12 New Mexico State in the second round. The Aggies had upset No. 5 seed DePaul in the opening round. It was another tight game, but the Cajuns were outshot 34-6 at the free throw line.
And, after the game, Marty Fletcher showed why he was a players’ coach and beloved by many of those who wore the Vermilion and White. With just under a minute to go, Michael Allen took an ill-advised shot. In the postgame press conference, Allen was asked about the shot. Marty interrupted and said “We want Michael to take that shot. He puts up every shot with confidence and we always think it’s going in.”
Naturally, some of the fan base was less than happy with that comment and pointed to it as the reason Marty wasn’t a great coach. If Marty liked a shot like that one, he couldn’t be a good coach, right?
But I’ve said something for years and years and I think that day was the day I realized it.
You can always tell when a coach is lying. His lips move.
Because when the press conference was over, Marty walked up to me and looked me in the eye. Marty never cursed, but he used his strongest expletive.
“Jeezy Peezy,” he said. “I can’t believe he took that shot.”
Marty said he’d wear it and take the blame. The fans were more than happy to oblige.
The Cajuns have made five trips to the NCAA Tournament since then. And they’re still looking for that elusive next NCAA victory.
