Final: Louisiana (77) at Arkansas State (76)

[GeauxCajuns]

It means something, but it doesn't mean your excited. Nobody said you don't love the Cajuns. That's never been a question, but just because you buy tickets doesn't mean your excited. If a company buys tickets to basketball, it means they are excited about them right now?

You bought tickets to this year after losing 20 games last year, you were excited about basketball then?

I agree with jay, after a hard fought win in the road with some of our best guys fouled out we found a way to win and it is worth being excited over. When I read your post I didn't get that excited feeling

[Turbine]

I know you always take a season as a whole, but the only knocks I see (some claiming) are certain wins at the beginning of the season.

Well if the reach is found in flaws at the beginning and in scheduling? Then UL is in good shape and I'm a happy camper.

jmo

[Hudsheen#Fired]

Just for clarification, it was NOT a technical foul. It was a flagrant one called on Kelvin Downs for enough of an elbow to be ruled flagrant. In a technical foul, it's two shots and then you go back to the possession. In the case of a flagrant one foul, it's two shots PLUS possession of the ball.

It was Cajuns' ball anyway. But it wasn't a technical foul.

Good ol Kelvin, my boy hahah

[Cajunsmike]

Regarding the three non D1 wins, keep in mind that the staff would have preferred playing some D1 teams but we could get no one to come to the Dome and already had enough road games. Even with the three non D1 games on the home schedule, we still played more away from home than at the Dome. Personally, I don't think the scores would have been much different had we played Grambling, Nicholls, Southeastern, UNO, or Lamar. In fact, Central Methodist may be able to beat some of those teams as they have a coach who has win over 500 games. I know the UNO score would have been similar as we handled them easily in the November "secret" scrimmage. I can say that now as it is so long ago I can't get in trouble for talking about it. We went to UNO due to the fact we are playing in the tournament this weekend. Normally, you are allowed to play 29 games and we generally plan one non D1 in those. This year we played 31 as participation in an early season "exempt" tournament allowed extra games. We chose to play the two extra non D1 games simply to give the team some work and provide a little extra revenue. If we want to get away from the non D1 games, we will have to "buy" home games as many of the state schools won't do home and home. Many of those schools won't come here for a payday as schools from the TV conferences pay them more than we can afford to for the trip. This is completely tongue in cheek of course but if you don't want non D1 home games, donate about 60 grand to the Rebounders Club and we will buy a home game. Sorry for such a long post but just wanted to provide a little perspective to the scheduling issue.

[Boomer]

Regarding the three non D1 wins, keep in mind that the staff would have preferred playing some D1 teams but we could get no one to come to the Dome and already had enough road games. Even with the three non D1 games on the home schedule, we still played more away from home than at the Dome. Personally, I don't think the scores would have been much different had we played Grambling, Nicholls, Southeastern, UNO, or Lamar. In fact, Central Methodist may be able to beat some of those teams as they have a coach who has win over 500 games. I know the UNO score would have been similar as we handled them easily in the November "secret" scrimmage. I can say that now as it is so long ago I can't get in trouble for talking about it. We went to UNO due to the fact we are playing in the tournament this weekend. Normally, you are allowed to play 29 games and we generally plan one non D1 in those. This year we played 31 as participation in an early season "exempt" tournament allowed extra games. We chose to play the two extra non D1 games simply to give the team some work and provide a little extra revenue. If we want to get away from the non D1 games, we will have to "buy" home games as many of the state schools won't do home and home. Many of those schools won't come here for a payday as schools from the TV conferences pay them more than we can afford to for the trip. This is completely tongue in cheek of course but if you don't want non D1 home games, donate about 60 grand to the Rebounders Club and we will buy a home game. Sorry for such a long post but just wanted to provide a little perspective to the scheduling issue.

---I don't know if all on here appreciate the facts--but I thank you for your report--Great to have fans that are as knowledgeable and dig the game as much as you !!!

[Turbine]

I sure am glad UNO reversed their decision and decided to stay D1 because I don't know if I could handle beating 4 non D1 teams.

[Cajunsmike]

I sure am glad UNO reversed their decision and decided to stay D1 because I don't know if I could handle beating 4 non D1 teams.

Note, the UNO scrimmage was not a true game. Every school gets a chance for two exhibition games or one exhibition game and a scrimmage against another D1 team. We chose to do one exhibition and one scrimmage. Rules are that results of the scrimmage are not supposed to be publicized which is you don't hear about them in the press.

[BirdofParadise]

Ok Partner.sorry you think that I am not excited about last night or this seasonI guess the fact that in spite of living in Houston my wife and I have bought 4 Basketball priority season tickets for the last 3 seasons and have been able to attend a grand total of 2 games this year and 8 games total over those 3 seasons means nothing.and yes, we make sure that our tickets are used by family members when we cannot be in attendance. But that's okI am not excited about last night or this seasonhave a nice dayand Geaux Cajuns

I apologize for offending you. I know about your support for this university and this program. It's just hard to get a great win and get to 20 regular season wins for the first time in eleven years and then read (paraphrasing) "Yeah, but we should be better."

We've won eight of our last ten. The two losses were by three points each against the top two team sin the league ON THE ROAD with a chance to go to OT on the last possession.

I cannot ask for more out of this team.

The whole idea is to play your best basketball at the end of the season. And, we are. That may or may not be good enough to win the tournament. We'll see.

Since our league isn't close to being what it was, there's no longer a chance of being an "at large" NCAA team. MTSU won 28 last year and played in the NIT.

Therefore, it's all about the four days this weekend. The games against non-D1's don't matter. Neither do the losses to Jackson State and ULM. (Had we won that ULM game, we would still be the #3 seed.)

Now it's all about winning three in a row.

We can ALWAYS play better. But right now we are playing pretty damned well.

[MelRock]

Middle made the NCAA Tournament last year, they were an 11 seed. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask.nament/bracket
March 19, 2013
11 Middle Tennessee 54
11 Saint Mary's 67

[cajunfan337]

I think people are misinterpreting BB's comments. From what I can tell, imo, it seems like he/we all know what this team is truly capable of. When we are on absolute fire, we are wonderful and can DESTROY teams. He/We want to see that happen all the time but sometimes we stumble, hence narrow victories/defeats.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Mike be that as it may, I only count games that the NCAA counts for seeding. Those three are indeed wins, will forever be wins, and I am totally happy we easily beat them AT HOME. I still feel that for many, myself included, a twenty win season is very superior and I kind of want it against 1A foes.

Why won't teams come here? Do not know, Lord knows LTU@RustON has been able to get that job done for years. Absolutely I think there are plenty of teams we had a 99% probability of beating in the dome or in their places that are 1A teams. Maybe we just should have gone to those locations. To this day I never consider non 1A wins more than exhibitions emotionally.

You know if we had won 23 games I would say hey it really is more like 20. If we had won 31, I would say it is more like 28, and so would the NCAA for seeding. I may have been spoiled, but until we have a team that can get a at large bid there will be some level of disappointment.

[Turbine]

Mike be that as it may, I only count games that the NCAA counts for seeding. Those three are indeed wins, will forever be wins, and I am totally happy we easily beat them AT HOME. I still feel that for many, myself included, a twenty win season is very superior and I kind of want it against 1A foes.

Why won't teams come here? Do not know, Lord knows LTU@RustON has been able to get that job done for years. Absolutely I think there are plenty of teams we had a 99% probability of beating in the dome or in their places that are 1A teams. Maybe we just should have gone to those locations. To this day I never consider non 1A wins more than exhibitions emotionally.

You know if we had won 23 games I would say hey it really is more like 20. If we had won 31, I would say it is more like 28, and so would the NCAA for seeding. I may have been spoiled, but until we have a team that can get a at large bid there will be some level of disappointment.

I'm sure there are ranking arguments out there, but I have never read anywhere someone has looked back at past seasons with that viewpoint.

Watch it happen like crazy now.

[BirdofParadise]

Middle made the NCAA Tournament last year, they were an 11 seed. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask.nament/bracket
March 19, 2013
11 Middle Tennessee 54
11 Saint Mary's 67

You are correct. Thanks.

[Boomer]

You are correct. Thanks.

----Got to be careful on the RPin and cover your butt!!!

[Cajunsmike]

Mike be that as it may, I only count games that the NCAA counts for seeding. Those three are indeed wins, will forever be wins, and I am totally happy we easily beat them AT HOME. I still feel that for many, myself included, a twenty win season is very superior and I kind of want it against 1A foes.

Why won't teams come here? Do not know, Lord knows LTU@RustON has been able to get that job done for years. Absolutely I think there are plenty of teams we had a 99% probability of beating in the dome or in their places that are 1A teams. Maybe we just should have gone to those locations. To this day I never consider non 1A wins more than exhibitions emotionally.

You know if we had won 23 games I would say hey it really is more like 20. If we had won 31, I would say it is more like 28, and so would the NCAA for seeding. I may have been spoiled, but until we have a team that can get a at large bid there will be some level of disappointment.

No doubt having a team strong enough to garner an at large bid would be tremendous progress. When you are capable of doing that you will have a team people will want to watch. However I think that has only happened twice in our league in the last decade and perhaps longer. In fact, it has only happened to us once since the great teams of the 70's and that was in 1983 during the Paschal years. All our other NCAA tournament teams since the probation (82, 92, 94, 2000, 2004, 2005) were conference tournament winners Now that does not mean we cannot put together a team capable of garnering an at large bid. I only wanted to demonstrate how difficult it is for a southern mid major to have such a squad. Who knows, if all our guys come back and our recruits contribute early, we may be able to have such a squad as early as next season.