Ryan McCoy Signs with Louisiana

[NewsCopy]

  With the NCAA's late signing period starting today, many college basketball teams across the country are looking to put the final touches on their 2008 recruiting classes.

As reported Tuesday night at theadvertiser.com, UL's last piece to the puzzle for next season appears to be Houston native Ryan McCoy. The 6-foot point guard pledged to sign with the Cajuns after making an on-campus visit last weekend.

McCoy, who could not be reached on Tuesday, can sign a binding letter of intent as early as today and has two years of eligibility left. He won back-to-back NJCAA national titles at Arkansas-Fort Smith and Midland (Texas) College before signing with North Texas in April 2007 but sat out last season for personal reasons.

"He's a multi-dimensional guard," Midland coach Grant McCasland said. "He can shoot it and is a shot-maker. And obviously, he's a winner."

NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from publicly commenting on recruits until they have signed a letter of intent.

Coming out of Madison High, McCoy was ranked the 40th-best player in Texas in the class of 2005 by Texashoops.com. He signed with Tulsa but did not meet entrance requirements.

At Arkansas-Fort Smith in 2005-06, McCoy led the team in 3-point shooting (.467) and ranked second in assists (2.9 per game) and free-throw shooting (.711).

He was injured for most of 2006-07 at Midland but still shot 54.8 percent from the floor and 53.9 percent from 3-point range. For the season he averaged 5.1 points and 1.4 assists in 14 games. He logged seven points and one assist in the national title game against Chipola (Fla.) College.

"I think he's more of a playmaker than anything," McCasland said. "Ryan is a really talented basketball player who really didn't get to fulfill all of his potential for us because of an injury."

Despite the one-year layoff, McCoy will be expected to bring stability to the point guard position for the Sun Belt Conference West Division co-champion Cajuns, who lacked a consistent playmaker last season. As a team, the Cajuns committed 121 more turnovers than assists and averaged 65 points per game - the fewest in program history since moving up to NCAA Division I in 1971.

McCoy will likely compete for the starting job with Randall Daigle, who started 18 of 30 games last season. As a sophomore, Daigle led the Cajuns with 76 assists and 61 3-pointers and was third in scoring at 8.5 points per game in his first year of college ball. But Daigle, limited at times in practices and games because of blood-sugar issues related to his diabetes, is still learning how to run a team after playing off the ball at Northside High.

The Cajuns add McCoy to a recruiting class that already includes junior-college big men Jeremy Barr, Lester Ferguson and Lafayette native Colby Batiste. UNLV transfers Emmanuel Adeife and Lamar Roberson are expected to become eligible in December.

Barr averaged 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds at San Jacinto (Texas) College this season. Ferguson shot 60.8 percent from the floor and averaged 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds for an Arkansas-Fort Smith team that was ranked 12th in the final NJCAA national poll. Batiste averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds at Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College.

Joshua Parrott

[HoustonCajun]

_ _

This should be the final piece to the puzzle for UL basketball next season. We now have a seasoned team, several big men coming in and a point guard. No more excuses. I don't want to hear these guys need to learn to play together and it might take a while to jell, or they have never played Div. 1 basketball or we are still young, etc., etc. This is the year that UL needs to turn basketball around and get back to our winning and dominating ways. Nothing short of winning the conference and going to the NCAA tournament will make this coming year a success. We have been patient for several years. It is now time for the payoff. Coach Lee needs to produce a winner this year.

[anhil8tor]

no excuses?


what shall we talk about then?

[HoustonCajun]

_ no excuses?


what shall we talk about then? _

I can't believe no one is talking about this signee. I fear that apathy among UL basketball fans may have taken hold.

[NCAA or BUST]

He is well traveled for sure, if he is the answer I will be his biggest supporter.

[CajunAmos]

I'm taking this signing cautiously. He was well respected out of high school, but neither of his JUCO years were overly impressive numbers wise. He shot the ball well, but 2-3 assists a game isn't what you'd expect from a great distributer of the basketball. I'd expect top notch point guards to have 5-6 assists a game on average at least. I'll take a wait and see attitude until I see him in uniform practicing or playing in games to determine his ability.

[cajuns67]

This should be the final piece to the puzzle for UL basketball next season. We now have a seasoned team, several big men coming in and a point guard. No more excuses. I don't want to hear these guys need to learn to play together and it might take a while to jell, or they have never played Div. 1 basketball or we are still young, etc., etc. This is the year that UL needs to turn basketball around and get back to our winning and dominating ways. Nothing short of winning the conference and going to the NCAA tournament will make this coming year a success. We have been patient for several years. It is now time for the payoff. Coach Lee needs to produce a winner this year.

No excuses you!! You mean we wont be young for the 99th year in a row like the football team

[cajun4life]

_ This should be the final piece to the puzzle for UL basketball next season. We now have a seasoned team, several big men coming in and a point guard. No more excuses. I don't want to hear these guys need to learn to play together and it might take a while to jell, or they have never played Div. 1 basketball or we are still young, etc., etc. This is the year that UL needs to turn basketball around and get back to our winning and dominating ways. Nothing short of winning the conference and going to the NCAA tournament will make this coming year a success. We have been patient for several years. It is now time for the payoff. Coach Lee needs to produce a winner this year. _

We won the West this year and I think we showed vast improvement over last years performance. This upcoming season will be very dissapointing if we do not win 20-25 games and make a run at the finals of the conference tourny.

[Tripple Threat]

_ We won the West this year and I think we showed vast improvement over last years performance. This upcoming season will be very dissapointing if we do not win 20-25 games and make a run at the finals of the conference tourny. _

I'm with you and your expectations. I don't expect them to win the Sun Belt and go to the NCAA tourney next year, it would be nice, but I don't expect it. I just don't expect this team to dominate like in the past. I like the way we've gone young, but young in the Sun Belt and young in the conferences such as the ACC are two different things. This team will have to be well coached to succeed, because I don't think we have any game breakers or the type of players that will take over, so...let's see how our coach progresses...

[Tripple Threat]

_ I'm taking this signing cautiously. He was well respected out of high school, but neither of his JUCO years were overly impressive numbers wise. He shot the ball well, but 2-3 assists a game isn't what you'd expect from a great distributer of the basketball. I'd expect top notch point guards to have 5-6 assists a game on average at least. I'll take a wait and see attitude until I see him in uniform practicing or playing in games to determine his ability. _

Yeah...those point guard stats didn't make me jump for joy either.

[Just1More]

Happy to have him on board... but I'm not saddling my hopes on one additional player to restore our 20 plus wins/season requirement. Overall, I do have loftier expectations for next year, but that is due to the experience carry-over (not so young anymore) and the additional big men coming in. I like an experienced point guard/shooting guard coming in... not worried about the low assists... will have to see him in action with this squad before rendering a verdict <---- about as worthless/meaningful as the rest of yours.

I'm just down due to baseball... I thought it would partially patch this large hole in my heart over football, but it just added to it's size. I've almost lost my criticism and/or joy over anything UL specific, until I know for a fact that our new admin is going to substantially over-reach my anticipated roll-out of a new private funding system. I have little hope otherwise. I didn't say I don't have the love... I just said that my hope is dwindling.

[IHateLaState]

I agree with most of this thread.... No more "Young" excuses in foosball (not a typo..lol) nor hoops.... I do worry however over the cohesiveness aspect... Seems we have several "well traveled" (to copy another poster's term) and I will accept a slow start... The General has chosen this route however and it is his to produce... Once the conference starts, it is time to win.... and I agree win big... I am expecting a Conference Championship... short of that only the NIT will be considered progress in my humble opinion

As to the young football team, I have made my reservations in New Orleans based on the apologists telling me to be patient that things were not so bad and next year is the year.... short of New Orleans we need a new regime...

Baseball has earned it's right to say be patient.... I too am disappointed but I have faith in Coach Robe.... Things will be better.... if not this year soon...

The others have to earn that patience