University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
ULM
Louisiana Basketball Preview: vs. ULM
1/7/2026 6:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Louisiana continues homestand with visit from in-state Warhawks
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team continues its five-game homestand on Thursday when it plays host to in-state opponent ULM in a Sun Belt Conference game at the Cajundome.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game, which will follow the UL-ULM women's game at 5 p.m., will be available on ESPN+ with fans able to listen to the game in the Lafayette area on KPEL-FM (96.5) and worldwide on the Varsity Network app. Live results will be available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com.
Single-game tickets for all Louisiana home games are available at RaginCajuns.com.
After a two-game win streak which began on December 20 at ULM, Louisiana (3-13, 1-3 SBC) looks to rebound from a two-game slide during its current homestand. The Ragin' Cajuns dropped a 74-67 contest to Southern Miss last Saturday while letting a late lead slip away in a 63-58 decision against South Alabama on New Year's Eve.
De'Vion Lavergne scored a career-high 18 points for Louisiana in its game against USM with Dorian Finister adding 13 points and Joshua Lewis 12.
Jaxon Olvera (17 points), Lavergne (16) and Finister (15) combined for 48 points in Louisiana's 76-62 win at ULM (3-13, 0-4 SBC). The Ragin' Cajuns led from wire-to-wire while setting season-highs in scoring, field goals made (28), 3-pointers made (10) and 3-point field goal percentage (.476).
Louisiana holds a 66-25 lead in the series with ULM, which dates back to the 1953-54 season and is 39-5 overall in games played in Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns have won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series and 16 of the last 20 dating back to 2016.
Season tickets for the 2025-26 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Men's Basketball season are available now at RaginCajuns.com/tickets or by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 482-GoUL (4685).
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest on Louisiana Men's Basketball, stay tuned to RaginCajuns.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB).
GAME 17 PREVIEW – Louisiana (3-13, 1-3 SBC) vs. ULM (3-13, 0-4 SBC)
Date/Time: January 8, 2026 / 7:30 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)
TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available at RaginCajuns.com
RADIO/TV
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Dan McDonald (pxp), Eric Mouton (color)
Radio: KPEL 96.5 FM/ The Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns
SERIES HISTORY
Overall – Louisiana leads, 66-25
In Lafayette – Louisiana leads, 39-5
In Monroe – Louisiana leads, 25-20
Neutral Sites – Series tied, 2-2
Last 10 – Louisiana, 9-1
Streak – Louisiana +4
STORY LINES
• Louisiana continues its five-game homestand on Thursday when it plays host to in-state rival ULM in a Sun Belt Conference game at the Cajundome.
• The game is the nightcap of a UL-ULM twinbill which starts with the women's game at 5 p.m.
Louisiana earned a 76-62 win over the Warhawks in the previous meeting between the schools on December 20 in Monroe.
• The victory snapped a 10-game losing streak for Louisiana, equaling the school record previously set in 1953-54 season.
• A win by Louisiana would complete a season sweep over ULM for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
QUICK HITS
• Louisiana's 32 points in the paint at ULM on December 20 are the second-most this season, following a 36-point effort at Stanford on November 18.
• The Ragin' Cajuns 20 points off turnovers against Southern Miss on January 3 were the most scored this season, breaking the previous high of 19 against Jackson State.
• Louisiana's 76 points scored at ULM on December 20 were a season high.
• Dorian Finister is ninth in the league in minutes played (32.1) and 21st in free throw percentage (.753).
• De'Vion Lavergne's eight assists against Norfolk State were the most by a Ragin' Cajun in 2025-26.
• Louisiana is second in the league scoring defense (65.3) through four games of league play and third (68.6) for the 2025-26 season.
• Starting point guard Jamyron Keller (Oklahoma State transfer) will miss the remainder of the season due to injury after averaging 17.0 points in games against Ball State and SLU.
• Louisiana used 11 different lineups in its first 12 games before settling with a lineup of Milan Mejia, Dorian Finister, De'Vion Lavergne, Joshua Lewis and Todd Jones Jr.
• Louisiana's average attendance (2,666) through seven games is sixth in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Eight teams on Louisiana's 2025-26 schedule – McNeese (NCAA), UNCW (NCAA), Norfolk State (NCAA), Troy (NCAA), Tulane (CBC), Stanford (NIT), Santa Clara (NIT), Arkansas State (NIT) – competed in the 2025 postseason.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana closes out its five-game homestand on Saturday at noon against Troy (Jan. 10) at the Cajundome.
• The Ragin' Cajuns will then head out on the road for four games beginning on Jan. 14 at Texas State before dates at South Alabama (Jan. 17), App State (Jan. 22) and Old Dominion (Jan. 24).
CAJUNS INK THREE IN '26 CLASS
• Louisiana inked its first three signees for the 2026-27 season with four-star recruit Tyshawn Duncan (Alexandria, La./ASH) leading the way.
• Duncan, the top-rated prospect in the state of Louisiana in the 2026 class, is ranked as the No. 104 national recruit by 247Sports.com.
• The Ragin' Cajuns added point guard Isaiah Wilks (Oklahoma City, Okla.) – the No. 2-rated player in the state of Oklahoma and son of OKC Thunder assistant coach Mike Wilks.
• Louisiana's third addition is 6-foot-7 wing player Zayson Salanoa (Humble, Texas/Atascocita HS).
NO. 1 IN THE SBC; NO. 45 NATIONALLY
• Louisiana's 2026-27 signing class for Louisiana is ranked No. 1 overall in the Sun Belt Conference and is No. 45 nationally (as of Jan. 6) by 247Sports.com.
• The incoming class is also nationally-ranked by Rivals.com with a No. 57 ranking (and No. 1 in the SBC).
