The Book: 2006-2007 Ragin' Cajuns Basketball

[Cajunsmike]

we all understand that. Just having difficulty getting the memory of a winning tradition out of our system. As long as Lee is coach of this program, it will be no better than middle of the pack sunbelt and at best .500 overall record, with some very inconsistent results and sometimes getting blown out by lesser teams.

I advise that you get aspirations of a bright next few years of Cajuns basketball out of your system, so you will not be as dissapointed and let down.

If Lee is here to stay because of the ridiculous long-term contract then just expect the losses to mount. My frustration is more with salvaging the long-term future of the program. How does the program keep its long-term winning tradition after the next few years of losing records and embarassing play.

I certainly don't have the answers. But perhaps it is an interesting subject to consider in a fan forum. Let's look ahead to 2 or 3 years from now, when Lee is finally gone, and think of ways to rebound from 4 years of losing and very little fan support. How do we get the pride back in the program, to the level it was after decades of winning tradition (up until the Lee experiment)? How should the program make sure that the next hire is qualified for the job? How can UL attract high level coaching candidates a few years from now, after such a bad run of losing games and fan support (those on this forum and many other Cajuns fans will keep caring, but a lot of long-time supporters will just stop caring I imagine).

We all know that Lee is here to stay for at least 2 more years of losing. Thankfully, Tiras Wade did not come back last year or UL administration would have responded after another NCAA run with another contract extension. Just 2 or 3 more years of losing and inconsistency and excuses and bs propoganda about how things are actually better than before. But it is 2 or 3 years too many....

There is nothing fans can do to improve the situation now or three years from now. Better players need to be brought in. Are the six guys on line to come on board next year good enough to make a significant impact, I don't know. I do know that we will probably stay with the bulk of these for awhile. If Coach Lee is let go in a couple of years, the new guy will have to coach the guys recruited last year for awhile. The guys we ran off last year were JC guys who were not going to get us to the tournament this year and had other issues.

[Cajunsmike]

Maybe so. But when are these "quality commitments" final?

There are no "quality" commitments. Four guys are in school as they did not qualify last year. They all did well in the fall semester. One guy signed-signed-not committed in the fall period while another transfer from U of H is sitting out.

[Cajunsmike]

Let us not keep using youth as an excuse here. We do have youth, and they are seemingly talented, but our core players this year are NOT young.

Dees-Junior
Mouton-Senior
Hebert-Junior
James-Senior
Milson-Junior
Gray-3rd year Sophmore

Now we have relied, at times, on Milsap, Lago, and Wallace just like we have relied at times on Hart and (I can't belive I'm saying this) Alphonso, just like every other team in D1 some veterans and some newcomers. What I am saying is we are not as young as we say we are. We may not be talented enough in our veterans, and we may have to wait til next year for that talent. But we are not young this year. I am a huge Lee fan, and I agree with BOP that his x's and o's are better than his predecessors, but it does seem that his teams lack his intensity and therefore are not having any fun dealing with his intensity. I say if there is a shortcoming in Lee, that is it, but the players knew what kind of coach Lee was when they signed up to play for him. Now most of these core players were brought in by Evans and Cyprien, so we will see if Lee's recruits live up to this. But remember Lee does not have a uniform on and it is still up to the players to produce. I believe that this group of young players we have waiting this year and the new additions next year are talented enough to continue the Cajun bball tradition. If they cannot, then maybe it is time for Lee to go. But I will reserve judgement till then. Lee's signature teams are to play hard, fundemental, defensive basketball and maybe that is not what these kids want or maybe Lee is having trouble relating that to them, but it does not seem to be happening this year. But I will not blame that on youth!

I agree we are not that young. However, we are definitely inexperienced as the only one of those guys who played significant minutes for an entire season before this year is Dees who did it at another school.

[scotto_25]

I like dome foam!!!!!!!!!!! Can't figure out why I don't attend basketball games anymore????? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

We need to revoke the free lunches and get new players, top to bottom except for Dees and Millsap

[Doyle]

I like dome foam!!!!!!!!!!! Can't figure out why I don't attend basketball games anymore????? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

We need to revoke the free lunches and get new players, top to bottom except for Dees and Millsap

I tried explaining the whole free lunches thing, but I don't think the people on this site understand that. Some athletes only come here to get that Free Lunch and to say that they are part of a team, in hopes of getting some female friends.

[Tripple Threat]

Let us not keep using youth as an excuse here. We do have youth, and they are seemingly talented, but our core players this year are NOT young.

Dees-Junior
Mouton-Senior
Hebert-Junior
James-Senior
Milson-Junior
Gray-3rd year Sophmore

Now we have relied, at times, on Milsap, Lago, and Wallace just like we have relied at times on Hart and (I can't belive I'm saying this) Alphonso, just like every other team in D1 some veterans and some newcomers. What I am saying is we are not as young as we say we are. We may not be talented enough in our veterans, and we may have to wait til next year for that talent. But we are not young this year. I am a huge Lee fan, and I agree with BOP that his x's and o's are better than his predecessors, but it does seem that his teams lack his intensity and therefore are not having any fun dealing with his intensity. I say if there is a shortcoming in Lee, that is it, but the players knew what kind of coach Lee was when they signed up to play for him. Now most of these core players were brought in by Evans and Cyprien, so we will see if Lee's recruits live up to this. But remember Lee does not have a uniform on and it is still up to the players to produce. I believe that this group of young players we have waiting this year and the new additions next year are talented enough to continue the Cajun bball tradition. If they cannot, then maybe it is time for Lee to go. But I will reserve judgement till then. Lee's signature teams are to play hard, fundemental, defensive basketball and maybe that is not what these kids want or maybe Lee is having trouble relating that to them, but it does not seem to be happening this year. But I will not blame that on youth!

Excellent post!

[Tripple Threat]

I tried explaining the whole free lunches thing, but I don't think the people on this site understand that. Some athletes only come here to get that Free Lunch and to say that they are part of a team, in hopes of getting some female friends.

[Just1More]

I tried explaining the whole free lunches thing, but I don't think the people on this site understand that. Some athletes only come here to get that Free Lunch and to say that they are part of a team, in hopes of getting some female friends.

So you're saying you ate a lot, and you met a lot of ladies as a "student/athlete". Any other confessions worthy of forum entertainment during your career as a Cajun athlete? Just kidding (I think), but you opened yourself up for that one.

[Just1More]

Let us not keep using youth as an excuse here. We do have youth, and they are seemingly talented, but our core players this year are NOT young.

Dees-Junior
Mouton-Senior
Hebert-Junior
James-Senior
Milson-Junior
Gray-3rd year Sophmore

Now we have relied, at times, on Milsap, Lago, and Wallace just like we have relied at times on Hart and (I can't belive I'm saying this) Alphonso, just like every other team in D1 some veterans and some newcomers. What I am saying is we are not as young as we say we are. We may not be talented enough in our veterans, and we may have to wait til next year for that talent. But we are not young this year. I am a huge Lee fan, and I agree with BOP that his x's and o's are better than his predecessors, but it does seem that his teams lack his intensity and therefore are not having any fun dealing with his intensity. I say if there is a shortcoming in Lee, that is it, but the players knew what kind of coach Lee was when they signed up to play for him. Now most of these core players were brought in by Evans and Cyprien, so we will see if Lee's recruits live up to this. But remember Lee does not have a uniform on and it is still up to the players to produce. I believe that this group of young players we have waiting this year and the new additions next year are talented enough to continue the Cajun bball tradition. If they cannot, then maybe it is time for Lee to go. But I will reserve judgement till then. Lee's signature teams are to play hard, fundemental, defensive basketball and maybe that is not what these kids want or maybe Lee is having trouble relating that to them, but it does not seem to be happening this year. But I will not blame that on youth!

I give you two thumbs up on this one. I believe "youth" as a description of this team should have been "inexperience". In reality our current dilema is a mix of experience (lack of), talent (moderate at best), and player make-up (the 5 players on the floor at any given time are not a true starting five... sorry). Coach Lee is not the blame for that (IMO - the grand debate). The cries that the "sky is falling" on the entire MBB program are overboard. It is one sport that you can rebound (no pun intended) very quickly.

And, for all of you who argue that some of us are willing to accept mediocrity... I expect... expect... to be in the NCAA every year... only waiting to see how high we get seeded... and consider an invite to the NIT as a "down year". I will wait to see how Lee does with the rest of this year, and next... and will fire both barrels, if appropriate, at that time.

[Doyle]

So you're saying you ate a lot, and you met a lot of ladies as a "student/athlete". Any other confessions worthy of forum entertainment during your career as a Cajun athlete? Just kidding (I think), but you opened yourself up for that one.

Never said I was a Cajun Athlete. Played elsewhere. And you're right, I did leave myself open for that. Nice One

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. – Willie Lago hit a jump shot from the free throw with 19 seconds remaining to provide the winning points as Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball team defeated New Orleans 67-64 here Saturday evening in the Cajundome. Lago’s shot helped the Cajuns complete a game-ending rally which saw the Cajuns outscore UNO 25-9 in the final 10 minutes of the game to rally from a 55-42 deficit. UNO pushed its lead to 64-61 with 1:51 remaining in the contest after Jamie McNeilly hit two free throws. The Ragin’ Cajuns (6-17, 4-9 Sun Belt) got a leaning jumper from Ross Mouton on the baseline at 1:26 to cut the Privateers lead to 64-63. Bo McCalebb missed an inside shot on the ensuing possession and Courtney Wallace cleared the defensive rebound for the Cajuns. UL nearly threw the ball away as a pass got away from David Dees with 30 second left. Mouton recovered in time and head coach Robert Lee called a timeout. After the timeout, the inbounds pass went to Lago who retreated near the halfcourt line before driving into the lane and stopping to nail a jumper at the free throw line to put UL on top 65-64. UNO (10-13, 6-6 Sun Belt) walked the ball up the court and McCalebb held for the last shot. His attempt hit the front of the rim and Dees grabbed the rebound and threw an outlet pass to Elijah Millsap for the finishing points on a dunk just before the clock ran out. Louisiana-Lafayette defeated UNO for the 10th consecutive time in the Cajundome. The Ragin’ Cajuns won at home for the second straight outing and for the fourth time in the last five games. Millsap led UL with 19 points off the bench. He was joined in double figures by Dees (12 points), Mouton (11 points) and Wallace (10 points). UNO received a game-high 23 points from McNeilly who also made a game-high 10 field goals. McCalebb followed him up with 20 points. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who were 4-of-16 from the floor in the second half with 10:25 remaining, converted on 11-of-16 (68 percent) in the final 10 minutes to complete the comeback. The two teams traded baskets in the first two minutes and the game was knotted at 4-all. After a scoreless 17-minute mark McCalebb broke the tie at 16:51 with a three-pointer on the left wing giving the Privateers a 7-4 edge. The Cajuns missed a three-pointer on the ensuing trip and UNO came down and found Asrangue Souleymane at the free throw line for a jumper making it 9-4. The lead reached double figures only one minute after the first media timeout. A pair of UL turnovers led to two baskets from McNeilly and the Privateers lead grew to 14-4 at the 14:07 mark. The Cajuns broke into the double digit lead getting three-point makes from Dees and Rhett Hebert at 13:05 and 12:23 that cut the UNO lead to 14-10. When Millsap scored in the paint at 11:51 the Cajuns run reached eight points and UL was within two points 14-12. The Privateers answered quickly with a three-pointer in the right corner from Dusty Driggs at 11:37 that increased the lead to 17-12. The Ragin’ Cajuns completed the comeback off the fingers of Millsap as the freshman accounted for eight straight UL points. Trailing 19-14, Millsap hit two free throws at 10:34 cutting the deficit to 19-16. After a defensive stop it was Millsap burying a triple on the right wing at 9:38 to even the score at 19-all. After McCalebb gave UNO the lead at 9:03, it was Millsap cutting into the paint and getting a layup to roll to draw another tie at the 8:51 mark. After the seven-minute media timeout, Millsap made the second of a two-shot foul to give the Cajuns their first lead since the 18-minute mark at 22-21 with 7:52 remaining. The Privateers drew even eight seconds later when McCalebb drew a foul and made one freebie. A missed three-pointer by Lago and defensive rebound by James Parlow led to Shaun Reynolds knocking down a jumper at 7:05 to help UNO reclaim the lead 24-22. On the ensuing possession a turnover by Millsap led to a fastbreak layup for McCalebb at 6:35 and all of a sudden the Privateers were beginning to reopen their lead. The Cajuns crept within three points at 28-25 by the 4:06 mark, but UNO took advantage of a pair of UL misses and a turnover to rattle off four unanswered points to take a 32-25 edge with 2:50 left in the opening stanza. The second half was slow to develop with each team scoring only one basket through the first three minutes and the Privateers lead was 36-30. Wallace was took a dish on a give-and-go at 16:36 and hit the layup to trim the UNO lead to 36-32. Patience on offense paid off for the Privateers who found Reynolds for a triple in the right wing at 16:04 that reestablished the seven point lead that UNO brought into the locker room at the half. UL closed the deficit to 39-34 at the 15:07 mark before UNO scored four straight to take a nine-point lead. After a Millsap miss following a deadball rebound at 15:07, UNO pushed the basketball back up the court where Reynolds was found streaking in for the fastbreak basket at 14:51 to make it 41-34. The Cajuns tried an alley-oop to Mouton on the ensuing possession, but Hebert’s pass was too long and Mouton saved the pass and tried a reverse layup which he missed. After a scramble for the basketball, McCalebb hit a shot over Hebert upping the Privateers advantage to 43-34 at the 13:55 mark. The Cajuns got a free throw from Mouton to trim the lead to 43-35. McCalebb then pushed the Privateers advantage into double figures for the first time since the first half when he hit a driving layup as he was fouled at 13:25 and hit the free throw increasing the UNO lead to 46-35. The lead got up to 13 points and two different occasions over the next minute. UL cut the lead to 10 points, 50-40, at 11:48 when Mouton curled around a screen and hit a triple at the top of the key. UNO reciprocated the points total and reclaimed a 13-points edge when McCalebb hit a three-pointer of his own at 11:10 making it 53-40. Millsap jumpstarted a run that helped UL pull back within single digits. Trailing 55-42 at the 8:53 mark, Millsap hit one free throw and missed the second. On the rebound Millsap grabbed the loose ball and made a quick layup that made it 55-45. Millsap then came up with a steal on the next UNO possession and it led to a long pass down the floor where Dees was found for a slam dunk that trimmed the UNO lead to 55-47 at 8:22. After a UNO timeout, the Cajuns full-court press forced a UNO turnover and the result was an inside basket for Wallace that pulled the Cajuns within 55-49 at 8:05. UNO continued to spiral out of control on the ensuing possession as McCalebb was called for an offensive charge. A pair of free throws from Dees after the charge made it 55-51 at 7:25. The Privateers continued to turnover over the ball and it led to an inside basket from Wallace at 5:55 that stretched the Cajuns run to 11-0 and cut the UNO lead to 55-53. After trading baskets and creating a 57-55 game, it was McNeilly who hit a leaning three-pointer at the top of the key to stretch the UNO lead to 60-55. UL came back with a string of six straight points capped off by an inside basket from Wallace at 3:10 that gave the Cajuns their first lead of the second stanza at 61-60. The Privateers went back in front only 22 seconds later as McNeilly hit a fadeaway jumper in the lane giving UNO a 62-61 edge with 2:48 left in the contest. The Ragin’ Cajuns return to action on Thursday, Feb. 8, as the squad visits Arkansas State for a 7:05 p.m., game at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark. LOUISIANA SI

[RonMexico]

a sweet win. 3 freshmen on the court most of the second half. Just might be bringing the fair weather fans back to the dome next year.

I promise. I wont say, I told you so. That'd be rude.

L'Ronte'

[Clutch0364]

Great game I loved the way Lago, Dees, Mouton, Wallace, and Milsap played together.

[Cajunsmike]

Great game I loved the way Lago, Dees, Mouton, Wallace, and Milsap played together.

That lineup worked because UNO only played one inside guy. It probably would not work against teams with stronger inside games.

[NewsCopy]

Just when it looked the bleakest, just when UL’s basketball team was headed for oblivion to end the season, three young kids stepped up to keep hope alive Saturday night. Elijah Millsap’s 19 points, Courtney Wallace’s career-high 10 points and key late rebounds, and Willie Lago’s teardrop jumper with 19 seconds left combined to give the Cajuns an unlikely 67-64 victory over long-time rival New Orleans Saturday at the Cajundome. Three freshmen, all three never leaving the court in the game’s final 13 minutes. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com