Louisiana retires Jerry Flake's #20

Jerry Flake, one of the most decorated players in Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns basketball history, will become the fifth player to have his jersey retired when he will be honored at halftime during the Cajuns' game against Houston on Saturday (7:05 p.m.) in the Cajundome.

Flake, a two-time All-American who wore No. 20 for the Cajuns from 1965-69 under legendary coach Beryl Shipley, will join Dwight "Bo" Lamar (10), Dean Church (12), Marvin Winkler (14) and Andrew Toney (24) as the lone players in school history to have their respective jerseys retired.

"It's an opportunity to retire the number of one of the great shooters in school history," head coach Bob Marlin said. "Visiting with coach Shipley, he shared with me many times that he (Flake) was the best shooter that he had ever coached. He could really shoot the basketball and is still our best free throw shooter. We're honored to represent him and we're looking forward to the (Dec.) 14th."

One of only five players in school history to record 2,000 career points, Flake finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,058 points. Currently ranked fifth in school history in scoring, Flake averaged 19.2 points a game over the course of his 107-game career. The 6-foot-6 Flake led the Cajuns to four Gulf States Conference titles and an appearance in the 1967 NAIA National Tournament.

The Washington, Ind., native currently holds three of the top four season free throw percentage marks in Cajuns history, including a single-season record 90 percent (90-for-100) clip in 1967-68 and an 85.4 percent career average (458-for-536).

As a freshman in 1965-66, Flake averaged 17.6 points per game while shooting 50 percent (169-for-338) from the floor and 81 percent (103-for-127) from the free throw line en route to earning first-team All-GSC honors.

Flake averaged 19.4 and 19.1 points in his following years with the Cajuns before averaging a career-best 20.7 points as a senior in the 1968-69 campaign. Flake posted a career-best 51.4 percent mark from the floor (221-for-443) from the floor and was 84.7 percent (116-for-137) from the free throw line.

Following his career, Flake was inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.

TOP HONORS:
• First Team All-Gulf States Conference (1966, '67 & '69 )
• Second Team All – Gulf States Conference ( 1968 )
• First Team NABC All-District Team (1967)
• Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame Member (1985)
• UL Athletics Hall of Fame Member (1982)
• Second Team All American ( 1967 )
• Honorable Mention All-American (1969)
• One of only five players to score 2,000 points in UL Basketball history (1911-present)
• Holds school record for Career Free Throw Percentage (85.4%)
• Holds school record for a Season Free Throw Percentage (90.0%)

BIO BASICS:
• The Indiana native helped then-USL Bulldogs to Gulf States Conference championships all four seasons (1965-66 through 1968-69) and an apperance in the NAIA National Tournament in 1967.
• Jerry Flake is one of only five Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball players to reach 2,000 career points. He posted 400-plus points all four seasons, the high watermark coming in 1966-67 when he produced 601 points (19.4 ppg).
• The most notable free throw shooter in the UL annals, Flake still holds the record for season and career free throw percentage – nearly 50 years after his career was completed. Flake's 90 percent showing in 1967-68 (90-for-100) and 85.4 percent (458-of-536) remain the Ragin' Cajuns standard for free throw accuracy.
• The Washington, Ind., product holds three of the top four season free throw shooting percentage marks. He shot above 80 percent at the charity stripe all four seasons.
• His career points total (5th) and career scoring average (7th) rank Top 10 all-time.