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Coach Robert Lee changes scheduling {i-camera}
<blockquote><p align=justify><b>New coach unveils a different approach </b>
LOUISIANA La. — The first evidences of a change in the University of Louisiana men’s basketball head coaching office are already being noticed.
One year after playing two fewer games than allowed, new Ragin’ Cajun head coach Robert Lee confirmed on Thursday a full 27-game schedule that now includes just one non-Division I opponent.
And if Lee gets his way in the near future, there will be no non-Division I foes on the Cajuns’ 2004-05 schedule.
The most recent development is that reigning Missouri Valley Conference champion Southern Illinois will visit the Cajundome on Jan. 5 instead of hosting Division II Delta State.
“It just happened on Monday,’’ Lee said. “(UL assistant) coach (Bill) Pope talked to Southern Illinois, which also has a new coach. Southern Illinois just felt like it had enough home games and that this might be a good enough mid-major matchup that somebody might pick it up on TV.’’
The Cajuns will then return the visit next season in Carbondale, Ill.
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Division II St. Mary’s remains on this year’s schedule, but Lee said he’s talking to such schools as Memphis, Marquette and Southern Mississippi to drop that game as well. If successful, however, it may mean replacing a home game with a road game.
“I just would like to get to the point where we don’t have any non-Division I schools on our schedule,’’ said Lee, who added that the Southern Illinois game is still just a verbal agreement. It’s the only game where the contract hasn’t been returned.
If no other changes are made, the schedule will include 13 home and 14 road games. In addition to the Sun Belt games, the home schedule will consist of Southern Illinois, Rice, Lamar, Georgia State and St. Mary’s. The road schedule will include North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, McNeese State, Lamar, Georgia State and two games against state schools at LSU, starting with Louisiana Tech.
“It’s a competitive schedule, and yet one that we have a chance to have good success with,’’ Lee said. “I think there’s a good balance.’’
Lee hopes it quickly invokes a new approach to scheduling.
“If we want to be the best team in the Sun Belt year-in and year-out, I think we need to take the lead in scheduling,’’ he said. “Look at Kentucky in the SEC. They play tough teams night-in and night-out, while other teams in that league play patsies.’’
In Lee’s mind, it’s a matter of positive thinking.
“I want to be the best, so we’re going to play the best,’’ he said. “I think that will also help attract fans and better players. We’ve got to get out of that mindset of, “We might lose.’’ Naturally, we could lose.
“But in order to get to the point where we can’t make it to the NCAA without winning three games in March, you’ve got to play a tough schedule.’’
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