The University of Louisiana tips off the 96th season of Ragin' Cajuns basketball this Saturday. UL is hosting in-state rival Louisiana Tech in the CAJUNDOME.

• The Cajuns start the season at home for the third straight season. Tonight’s game is the first of 15 regular season contests at the CAJUNDOME.
• Head coach Robert Lee enters his fifth (5th) season as head coach of Louisiana and his 13th season overall with the program (began as assistant in 1996-97).
• UL has won 10 of its past 11 home openers – only loss during streak was to Charlotte in 2005-06 season at Blackham Coliseum. Last loss in a CAJUNDOME home opener was to SW Missouri State (L, 74-81 in OT on Nov. 25, 1996).
• Louisiana begins its 24th season in the CAJUNDOME. The Cajuns hold a 219-87 all-time record in the facility (79-26 last 10 seasons).
• Louisiana opens the regular season after having played two (2) exhibition contests. UL topped Millsaps College 87-57 on Nov. 4 and Texas-Tyler 84-55 on Nov. 11. Louisiana Tech won its only exhibition game, besting Oklahoma Panhandle 91-73.
• The Cajuns and Bulldogs are meeting for the fourth and final time in the current four-game series which began in 2005-06. The home team has won each time.
• Louisiana meets a Division I foe in a regular season opener for the first time since the 2005-06 season (at Southern Illinois – L, 47-65).

SEASON OPENERS
• Since joining the Division I ranks in 1971-72, Louisiana is 19-16 in season openers.
• Louisiana has won six of its last eight season openers.
• Louisiana is 3-1 in season openers under Robert Lee.

HOME, SWEET DOME
• The 2008-09 campaign marks the 24th season of Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball at the 11,550-seat CAJUNDOME. Louisiana is 219-87 (.716) all-time at the facility.
• In the past 10 seasons, Louisiana has posted a 79-26 record in the CAJUNDOME (.752 winning percentage).
• The Ragin’ Cajuns are 18-4 in home openers at the CAJUNDOME.

WE’VE GOT EXPERIENCE NOW
• Last season the Ragin’ Cajuns fielded one of the youngest rosters in the nation with 10 sophomores, three freshmen and only three seniors (13 underclassmen). Fast forward to this season and the Ragin’ Cajuns’ roster is loaded with one (1) senior and 10 juniors (11 upperclassmen).

HOMEGROWN TALENT
• The Ragin’ Cajuns roster will have a homegrown feel again this season. A total of 13 players from the state of Louisiana are on the 2008-09 roster.
• Louisiana has three players from Lafayette – Colby Batiste, Randell Daigle and La’Ryan Gary.

LOUISIANA GREAT RETURNS AS ASSISTANT COACH
• The Cajuns welcome a new assistant coach this season as former Louisiana standout Byron Starks replaces Johnny Simmons.
• Starks played for Louisiana from the 1990-91 through 1993-94 seasons. He ended his career with 1,592 points which ranks him 10th all-time in school history. Starks garnered All-Sun Belt honors in 1994 and was named the Chevrolet Player of the Game in the Cajuns’ 1992 NCAA Tournament upset victory over Oklahoma.
• Starks is the first former men’s basketball student-athlete to return to UL as an assistant coach since his former teammate Eric Mouton served under Marty Fletcher from 1994-97.

LAST TIME VS. LOUISIANA TECH (Nov. 16, 2007 in Ruston – Tech won 64-56)
• Louisiana pulled to within a point, 55-54, with 2:38 remaining in the game, but a 9-2 run by Louisiana Tech put the game out of reach for the Cajuns.

LAST TIME VS. LOUISIANA TECH IN THE CAJUNDOME (Dec. 2, 2006 – UL, 65-60)
• David Dees scored six points in the final three minutes to help UL post a 65-60 victory. Dees led the Cajuns with 23 points, scoring 17 in the second half.

• Trailing 57-55, Dees made three field goals from the 3:18 mark through the 1:28 mark to put the Cajuns in front 61-58.

EXHIBITION TIDBITS
• La’Ryan Gary topped 20 points twice (25 vs. Millsaps/21 vs. UT-Tyler).
• Chris Gradnigo, recovering from a minor ankle injury, did not play in either game.
• The Cajuns posted 14 blocks and collected 20 steals. Tyren Johnson had nine (9) steals; Travis Bureau posted six (6) blocked shots.

• Newcomers Colby Batiste, Jeremy Barr and Ryan McCoy saw their first action in a UL uniform. Barr averaged 7.0 points and Batiste averaged 5.0 points.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns face former Sun Belt-and American South Conference-rival Lamar on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7:05 p.m., in the CAJUNDOME. It's the first meeting between the two schools since Dec. 14, 1999.

GAME CENTER
Date: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008
Opponent: Louisiana Tech (0-0)
Site: CAJUNDOME (11,550)
Game Time: 7:05 p.m. CT
Television: None
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KRKA)

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