The Book: 2007-08 Ragin' Cajuns Basketball

[Cajunsmike]

Back to reality.....




And theres no way they beating W. Kentucky and South Al so they will be 4-4 in conference in a week.

We don't play USA until the 24th. Therefore we will be above 0.500 conference for at least 11 more days which is more than a week. We may surprise you against WKU.

[NewsCopy]

After back-to-back SBC road losses that snapped their four-game winning streak, Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns take a break from Sun Belt Conference play when they host NCAA Division I Independent Utah Valley University Tuesday at the CAJUNDOME... Tuesday’s game will mark the first-ever meeting between Louisiana and UV. However, the contest will mark a reunion for Louisiana center Abray Milson, who played his freshman season at Utah Valley in 2003-04... Louisiana puts its three-game home winning streak on the line against the Wolverines Tuesday. UV will be the fourth first-time opponent to play at the CAJUNDOME this season. Louisiana is 1-2 in non-conference home games this season... Tuesday’s game will serve as the fourth game against Sun Belt Conference competition for Utah Valley University. In November, Utah Valley defeated Arkansas State 67-63 in Jonesboro before knocking off Troy 72-51 in Orem. On Jan. 5, UV lost 80-67 in its return visit to Troy... In his last four home games, sophomore guard Randell Daigle is averaging 11.8 points per game, while making three triples in each contest. Daigle is shooting 50 percent from three-point range (13-of-26) in six home games...Following Tuesday’s non-conference affair with the Wolverines, six of the Cajuns’ next nine games will be on the road - all in conference...In the final five minutes of their last two losses, the Cajuns shot a combined 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) from the field. Saturday, Louisiana was held scoreless in the game’s last 3:59... Since shooting a season-high 78.6 percent from the free throw line (22-of-28) vs. McNeese State on Dec. 13, the Cajuns have shot less than 67 percent in eight of the nine games. After the Utah Valley game...Louisiana returns to Sun Belt Conference action to host Western Kentucky in a pivotal Sun Belt tilt Saturday night at the CAJUNDOME. Saturday’s game will also be highlighted by the return of the Fabulous Cajun Chicken. A Win by Louisiana...would improve the Ragin’ Cajuns’ record to 8-9 overall, snapping Louisiana’s two-game losing streak and extend its home winning streak to four games. A Loss by Louisiana...would drop the Cajuns to 7-10 overall, extending Louisiana’s losing streak to three games and snap its three-game home winning streak. First Half Meltdown. Nearly 17 minutes into the first half Thursday night at UALR, Louisiana opened up the Sun Belt contest with an 11-point lead, 31-20, and appeared to be well on its way to its fifth straight win in league play. However, the Trojans made a furious rally, rattling off 13 straight points, as the Cajuns committed five turnovers down the stretch. UALR entered the break with a 33-31 lead - its first lead of the first half... Thursday’s 11-point lead was the second-largest lead Louisiana has blown this season. Last month, the Cajuns blew a 15-point lead to East Tennessee State at the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. UL would eventually tie the game late to force overtime, ultimately winning 82-80. RaginCajuns.com

[CajunCherokee]

Yay! I'll be in for the Fabulous Chicken! I hope he messes with the refs during timeouts like the old days.

Ahhh.... memories....

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA – For just the second time this season, senior guard David Dees (Dayton, Ohio) posted a 20-point effort, as Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns snapped a two-losing streak with a 67-59 win over Utah Valley Tuesday at the CAJUNDOME. Louisiana (8-9) extended its home court winning streak to four games, while Utah Valley (6-13) lost for fourth straight time. Senior David Dees (Dayton, Ohio) led all scorers with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 28 minutes. Dees’ 20 points are the second-highest by the senior this season. Sophomore guard Elijah Millsap (Grambling, La.) chipped in 16 points, while Courtney Wallace (New Orleans, La.) added a career-high 14. Freshman forward Travis Bureau (Gonzales, La.) made his first career start for the Cajuns, but only tallied three points and two rebounds in 19 minutes. Josh Olsen paced the Wolverines with 13 points, while Brett Ravenberg and Jordan Brady each added 10. Louisiana held Ryan Toolson to just nine points on 1-of-12 shooting in 38 minutes. Louisiana’s first-half nine-point lead quickly dissipated as the Wolverines pulled to within three, 33-30, before La’Ryan Gary (Lafayette, La.) converted a three-point play, bringing the Cajuns’ lead back to six, 36-30. The Cajuns’ lead grew to as many as eight, 40-32. However, a 13-2 run by Utah Valley gave the Wolverines a 45-42 advantage with 10:15 remaining in the second half. Wallace provided the equalizer at 47 with 7:18 on the clock. Two possessions later, the Wolverines extended their lead to four, 53-49, on a Richard Troyer three-point in the corner. The Cajuns answered with a wide-open triple from Dees, cutting the deficit to one, 53-52. Then, Millsap buried a three-pointer at the 4:59 mark to give the Cajuns their first lead in more than seven minutes as Louisiana took a 55-53 lead. Millsap followed with a tip-in on a Dees miss to put the Cajuns up four, 57-53. Two Wallace free throws extended the Cajuns’ lead to six, 61-55. Dees then sealed the victory with a 22-footer for a 65-57 Cajuns lead with 40 seconds remaining the game. After two early Louisiana turnovers, Bureau drilled a three from the top of key, giving the Cajuns an early 3-2 lead. However, Utah Valley would rebound to take a 9-7 edge on a Toolson trey. On the ensuing Louisiana possession, Randell Daigle (Lafayette, La.) drained his first triple of the night to extend his streak to 15 consecutive games with a three-point basket. Utah Valley continued to have an answer for each Louisiana bucket. The Wolverines again relied on Toolson, who calmly converted two free throws for an 11-10 lead. Trailing by one, 13-12, Louisiana went on an 8-1 run to take a 20-14 lead with 9:47 left in the first half. The Cajuns eventually extended their lead to seven, 23-16, on a Dees triple from the left wing. A second Dees triple provided Louisiana with a commanding 10-point edge, 26-16, at the 5:07 mark. Louisiana took its largest lead of the first half, 31-19, with just under three minutes remaining until halftime. But, Jabir Jinna’s triple from the right side to cut lead to single digits, 31-22. The Cajuns had an opportunity to post a double-digit lead heading into the locker room, but Daigle’s triple try at the buzzer hit the back of the iron. However, the Cajuns held a 33-24 edge at the break. Dees led all scorers at the half with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor, while Millsap chipped in seven. Toolson and Matt Komenda paced Utah Valley with five points each as the Cajuns held Toolson to just 1-of-6 from the floor. Louisiana shot 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from the field in the first half, while holding the Wolverines to just 35 percent (7-of-20). Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns continue their brief homestand Saturday when they welcome Sun Belt Conference East Division rival Western Kentucky at the CAJUNDOME. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. RaginCajuns.com

[NewsCopy]

Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, UL coach Robert Lee inserted senior David Dees into his starting lineup Tuesday. The move worked. Making his first start since Dec. 19, Dees scored a game-high 20 points and helped the Ragin' Cajuns hold off Utah Valley University, 67-59, to win their fourth straight game at the Cajundome. "It's my responsibility to be aggressive," said Dees, who is averaging 17 points in his last three home games. "When coach calls on me to make plays I feel like it's my job to make plays. "I just feel like I did my job today." UVU coach Dick Hunsaker said Dees did his job well. "He hit some big shots," Hunsaker said. "He had a great game. He was probably a little too physical for us to handle." The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Three weeks ago, UL guard David Dees saw his senior season take a turn for the worst. With the Ragin' Cajuns trailing at halftime of their Sun Belt Conference opener at UL-Monroe, Dees was benched for the second half in favor of freshmen Chris Gradnigo and Travis Bureau. After UL rallied for a thrilling 68-67 win over ULM, his time on the pine continued, despite the fact he was averaging double figures in scoring. The player who led the Cajuns last season in five different categories - including points per game (17.4) - and graced the cover of the team's media guide after earning third-team all-conference honors as a junior was now fighting for court time on one of the youngest NCAA Division I teams. With his season slipping away from him, Dees thought about a lot of things. He had graduated in December, so he could have gone home to Dayton, Ohio, to start the next phase of his life. But quitting was the last thing on his mind. The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Even when he was surrounded by basketball talent in a state known for its hoops hysteria, Courtney Lee found a way to stand out from the crowd. It was supposed to be just another 6 a.m. practice for head coach Larry Bullington at Pike High School, a traditional basketball power in Indianapolis. Looking across the gym, he saw a dozen or so sleepy-eyed players, all of whom dreamed of being the next big star for the Red Devils. Then, from across the gym, he noticed a skinny sophomore with a sweet shooting touch. "I saw him shooting the ball from the baseline, and he hit a 15-footer just so effortlessly," Bullington said. "I asked the guy next to me, 'Who is that?' He said, 'That's Courtney Lee.' "At that moment I knew he was a basketball player." The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

The first thing Courtney Lee did when he went into Western Kentucky's locker room at halftime Saturday was apologize to his teammates. Wasn't necessary. All he had to do was do what he did in the second half to UL's basketball team. The host Ragin' Cajuns had held Lee - generally considered the Sun Belt Conference's best pro prospect - to zero points in the game's first 16 minutes and to a sole three-pointer in the first half. But the Hilltopper standout hit a driving basket 13 seconds into the second half, a harbinger of things to come for a Cajun squad that had matched its own high standard for defensive intensity in the first 20 minutes. Before it was over, Lee had 18 second-half points and seven in a row in one key stretch, and Western had escaped the Cajundome with a 69-66 victory. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee showed UL why he's loved so much by NBA scouts. After struggling in the first half Saturday, Lee pumped in 20 of his game-high 23 points in the second half as the Hilltoppers grabbed a 69-66 win and handed the Ragin' Cajuns their third straight Sun Belt Conference loss. "Courtney Lee is a good player," UL coach Robert Lee said. "He showed what he could do in the second half. It was a matter of Courtney Lee just making plays." After leading by as many as six points in the first half, UL trailed 64-52 with 4:32 left. The Cajuns cut it to 67-66 on Travis Bureau's 3-pointer with 1:14 left, but WKU's A.J. Slaughter answered with two free throws to make it a three-point game with 41 seconds left. UL (8-10 overall, 4-3) had the ball with 9.6 seconds left in front of a raucous crowd of 6,190 at the Cajundome looking to force overtime, but WKU's Tyrone Brazelton forced an off-balance shot by Cajun guard Randell Daigle, whose 3 bounced off the right side of the backboard as time expired. The rest of the story Joshua Parrott jparrott@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) -- Courtney Lee made 20 of his 23 points in the second half as Western Kentucky broke away to beat Louisiana-Lafayette 69-66 on Saturday. The teams were tied 27-27 at halftime, but Lee was 7-of-17 from the field and 7-of-9 at the free throw line in the second half. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-10, 4-3 Sun Belt) led most of the first half, but only four times in the second -- the last time at 37-36 with 15:16 left. The rest of the story

[Zeebart21]

Before we all get bent up today about last nights loss, lets not forget what Dan said in his article:

In case any of the 6,190 on hand didn't notice, UL played most of that late stretch with two natural freshmen and two sophomores on the floor against an all-upperclassman Hilltopper lineup. No one on the Cajun bench was even around when Western beat the Cajuns in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals 22 months ago.

These dudes don't want to see us again anytime soon.

Z

[RaisingCajun08]

_ Before we all get bent up today about last nights loss, lets not forget what Dan said in his article:

In case any of the 6,190 on hand didn't notice, UL played most of that late stretch with two natural freshmen and two sophomores on the floor against an all-upperclassman Hilltopper lineup. No one on the Cajun bench was even around when Western beat the Cajuns in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals 22 months ago.

These dudes don't want to see us again anytime soon.

Z _

I am not a person who thinks moral victories are worth a damn. But I am very impressed with the heart of this team. There never die attitude will take them a long way in the coming years. This team is the definition of team character.

[Zeebart21]

I am not a person who thinks moral victories are worth a damn. But I am very impressed with the heart of this team. There never die attitude will take them a long way in the coming years. This team is the definition of team character.

I told Hammer last night when we got down by 12 that we had one more run left in us... sho' nuff.... Hadn't been in a while. Home games always seem to coincide with me being in Tuscaloosa. Had a great time last night.

Z

[Cajunsmike]

Before we all get bent up today about last nights loss, lets not forget what Dan said in his article:

In case any of the 6,190 on hand didn't notice, UL played most of that late stretch with two natural freshmen and two sophomores on the floor against an all-upperclassman Hilltopper lineup. No one on the Cajun bench was even around when Western beat the Cajuns in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals 22 months ago.

These dudes don't want to see us again anytime soon.

Z

The two sophomores at the end, (Daigle/Gary) are freshman in my book. I expect them to get the year they sat out back as they continue academic progress. I have said that a lot but I will continue to say it as some may not realize it. I agree that the loss was still disappointing. We need stronger inside play so we don't get killed on the boards like last night.

[Zeebart21]

The two sophomores at the end, (Daigle/Gary) are freshman in my book. I expect them to get the year they sat out back as they continue academic progress. I have said that a lot but I will continue to say it as some may not realize it. I agree that the loss was still disappointing. We need stronger inside play so we don't get killed on the boards like last night.

Inside play is coming Mike. Still a year away, though.