Ragin' Cajuns await word on NCAA destination

<blockquote><p align=justify>When Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns held their annual men's basketball banquet on Friday night, they kept insisting there was plenty of action left in the 2004-2005 campaign.

The Cajuns, who repeated as Sun Belt Conference champions with last week's 88-69 thrashing of Denver in the Sun Belt Tournament finals in Denton, will find out today just how challenging it will be to keep things going when the NCAA Tournament announces its pairings for the opening round.

"It's been quite a ride," said Robert Lee, who has guided the Cajuns to a school-record 20 victories in his initial year at the helm. "I can't tell you how proud I am of what this team has accomplished.

"I've got my mind on St. Louis (site of this year's Final Four). I remember at Midnight Madness, when I was working the crowd and talking about the Sweet 16, and a guy said 'He's crazy.' Well, it's getting ready to happen."

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Bruce Brown
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If the Cajuns play with the poise they showed in Denton and get a favorable matchup, they could post UL's first postseason victory since the 1991-92 Cajuns surprised Oklahoma 87-83 in the first round in Tempe, Arizona.

UL was a No. 13 seed to OU's No. 4, and that kind of scenario could happen this time around as projections have the Cajuns in the 12-13 range.

That 1992 team was ousted 81-73 in the next round by No. 12-seeded New Mexico State, when the Aggies hit 27-of-35 free throws to 2-of-5 for UL, and the Cajuns have fallen in NCAA Tournament play since then in 1994, 2000 and 2004 as well as in the NIT in 2002 and 2003.

Last year, UL lost 61-52 to North Carolina State in Orlando.

This year's NCAA trip marks the first back-to-back berths for the Cajuns since 1981-82 and 1982-83.



A veteran team boasting four senior starters and junior Tiras Wade, the Most Outstanding Player in the Sun Belt Tournament, the Cajuns had a somewhat muted celebration after this year's victory.

"The first time you get in, you're so excited," senior Dwayne Mitchell said. "There's nothing to match it. Instead of just being happy this year, we're going in to try to win a game."

"This is a special time for our university," athletic director Nelson Schexnayder said. "It's special because one aspect of the university has shown what a great place this is and what great people we have."
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