From the second UL men's basketball coach Robert Lee first saw North Texas freshman Josh White play at Baton Rouge Christian Life Academy, he liked what he saw.

But the feeling was not mutual. Now the two Sun Belt Conference rivals face off tonight as the Ragin' Cajuns (7-8 overall, 4-1 SBC) travel to play North Texas (11-4, 2-2) at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas.

"He told us he wasn't really interested early on (playing for us)," Lee said. "He was looking to go play in the SEC and Big 12."

Those dreams never materialized. The 5-foot-10 point guard put off his decision until the spring of his senior year.

The big-name programs eventually backed off, even after he was named the Class 1A most outstanding player after leading CLA to a second straight state title. The family even had a basketball pedigree after brother Quannas helped lead Oklahoma to the Final Four in the 2001-02 season.

Lee said the Ragin' Cajuns would have taken White, but they were out of scholarships. White ended up signing with the Mean Green last May.

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Joshua Parrott
jparrott@theadvertiser.com