Louisiana Men's Basketball Set for Saturday Showdown with Jackson State

LAFAYETTE – Following a two-game road trip, Louisiana Men's Basketball returns home to face Jackson State at 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN+.

Louisiana enters the contest at 3-2 following their first two losses of the season last week. The Ragin' Cajuns are looking to preserve their perfect 2-0 home record.

On Sunday, Louisiana recorded 21 offensive rebounds against BIG 10 foe Indiana. The team ranks second in the Sun Belt conference averaging 12.3 boards on the offensive side of the floor per game.

The conference's reigning Defensive Player of the Year Theo Akwuba continued to find his footing in the early season, posting the team's first double-double of the year with a 10-point, 10-rebound effort against Marshall on Tuesday. The output marked the 13th double-double of the Montgomery, Ala. native's career.

Walk-on Kentrell Garnett has shown no signs of stopping his impactful play this season. Garnett scored a career-best 14 points behind a 4-of-4 performance from beyond the arc against the Thundering Herd.

Louisiana has continued their up-tempo offensive style of play in the early stretch, the Ragin' Cajuns rank first in the Sun Belt and ninth in the nation earning 73.9 possessions per game.

Jackson State enters the early morning contest at 0-5 after a tough early-season schedule that featured road matchups with then No. 11 Illinois and Indiana.

Fans can receive free admission to the game by displaying their ticket to the Ragin' Cajun football game against ULM.

CRASH THE BOARDS
In addition to their mark on the offensive end, Louisiana is second in the SBC with 39.5 total rebounds per game.

Individually, Louisiana's Theo Akwuba (9.3) and Dou Gueye (8.2) are ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Sun Belt in rebounds per game.

HBCU SCHEDULE
Saturday's game will be the second time Louisiana has faced an HBCU program this season. The Ragin' Cajuns defeated Xavier (La.), 84-27 on Nov. 17.

PLAYER TO WATCH: KENTRELL GARNETT
Having entered the season without making a start in his colligate career, Garnett has been in the opening lineup in each of the first five games. The second-year guard out of Donaldsonville, La. Is averaging 7.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.8 steals so far this season.

LOUISIANA LEGACY
Louisiana's 2021-22 roster features two second-generation talents in Julien and Brown. Julien's father Wayne was with the program from 1976-81 and was a member of the 1977 Southland Conference championship team.

Dion Brown lettered for the Ragin' Cajuns from 1980-84 and finished his career as one of the top scorers and rebounders in school history. Brown, a 1984 graduate of UL, earned All-Southland Conference honors in 1982 and was a two-time All-Louisiana selection.

He finished his career with 1,412 points and 926 rebounds (then second in school history) and helped then-USL to the championship of the 1982 Great Alaskan Shootout where he was named to the All-Tournament team.

Louisiana Men's Basketball Set for Saturday Showdown with Jackson State

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Players Mentioned

Theo Akwuba

Kentrell Garnett

Dou Gueye

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