Meanwhile, in Natchitoches

[cajun4life]

If Marlin keeps graduating juniors to the NBA, his teams will start out slow every year.

Doesn't phase Kentucky, really Callipari.

[CrazyCajun]

If Marlin keeps graduating juniors to the NBA, his teams will start out slow every year.

I rather lose A guy to the nba after 3 years than have a kid who only gives 3 years of production because it took him 2 to develop, I bet every coach would take that problem.

[Turbine]

Doesn't phase Kentucky, really Callipari.

Ultimate exception in the history of collegiate sports.

[epiccajun]

Yeah well I trust a Lotief and Robicheaux led team to bring it day in and day out. Not so much with Marlin and basketball.

Dismiss RPI all you want, but it does matter. We need a top 50 RPI for any chance at an at large bid.

I expect us to be like St Mary's, Gonzaga, Butler or any other mid major program that wins. Please don't tell me that is unrealistic. If you feel that way then we have dropped our expectations to a level that is depressing.

I'm not dismissing RPI come Tourney Selection time, I'm just saying only an idiot cares about RPI 10 games into the season. IF we happened to be Top 50 RPI right now, but didnt win the SunBelt regular season or tourney it wouldn't mean jack anyway 11 games in.

Again ... only an idiot ... basketball season is pretty long, let's talk it about near the end of the Sun Belt regualr season before the tourney.

The SBC is a one bid conference regardless.

Another reason we need outta here.

[ZoomZoom]

We need a top 50 RPI for any chance at an at large bid.

Better make that top 40 or better. Tons of one bid conferences and power conferences non automatic qualifiers take half the field. The last time we made it without the automatic bid was with Bobby P in the 80's.

Until we are in a conference where basketball is a league priority, most of us pine away for whatever we personally considered "good" Cajun basketball years back.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I'm not dismissing RPI come Tourney Selection time, I'm just saying only an idiot cares about RPI 10 games into the season. IF we happened to be Top 50 RPI right now, but didnt win the SunBelt regular season or tourney it wouldn't mean jack anyway 11 games in.

Again ... only an idiot ... basketball season is pretty long, let's talk it about near the end of the Sun Belt regualr season before the tourney.

The SBC is a one bid conference regardless.

Another reason we need outta here.

Your RPI at this point is baked in. We can pretty much win out and won't crack 250.

Your only goal seems NCAA tourney. I on the other hand want a good team, a team that can compete. One like Lee had inherited from Jesse that competed well against U of L.

Almost any bad team can win a NCAA trip. Please aim much higher. Clearly we are dealing with a group that never knew great teams we had.

[epiccajun]

Your RPI at this point is baked in. We can pretty much win out and won't crack 250.

Your only goal seems NCAA tourney. I on the other hand want a good team, a team that can compete. One like Lee had inherited from Jesse that competed well against U of L.

Almost any bad team can win a NCAA trip. Please aim much higher. Clearly we are dealing with a group that never knew great teams we had.

I've been watching Cajuns basketball since I was a kid and watched Toney play. I am as familiar with the Cajun's basketball teams as most.

I do want them to reach a higher level of success, and I think Marlin can do that. If we selfishly could have kept Elfrid off the Team USA teams and Marlin had not promoted him to others in the business, he might still be around for his senior year, and we'd be a Top 40 type team ...... however, Marlin did the right thing and developed Elfrid and got him to the NBA.

Marlin knows how to coach and win, and I believe he may have us in the tourney again this year. If he does that, woth Corey Davis coming here to run the point, the future may be brighter than you think.

[cajun4life]

I'm not dismissing RPI come Tourney Selection time, I'm just saying only an idiot cares about RPI 10 games into the season. IF we happened to be Top 50 RPI right now, but didnt win the SunBelt regular season or tourney it wouldn't mean jack anyway 11 games in.

Again ... only an idiot ... basketball season is pretty long, let's talk it about near the end of the Sun Belt regualr season before the tourney.

The SBC is a one bid conference regardless.

Another reason we need outta here.

Our record is 3-5 against D1 opponents. Only an idiot would count those NAIA programs as more than practice.

[epiccajun]

Our record is 3-5 against D1 opponents. Only an idiot would count those NAIA programs as more than practice.

It's more difficult (statistically and realistically) to make the NCAA tourney, so if it happens for the second time in 2 years, most could care less what our record was in the first 8 games.


By the way you talk about competing against U of L in '05 , go back and look and see how that team competed against Kansas, Vandy, and even the powerful University of Denver that same season.

Seems like you only want to focus on the postseason results anyway to determine success...... so what does a useless RPI have to do with anything so early in the season?

[Cajunsmike]

like duggie said, just can't help yourselves. haha. I kid. Merry Christmas everyone!

What Cajun4Life meant by his statement that we have a long way to go is that we have much improvement to make before we can play at such a level that will result in a tournament championship. I agree with that and I bet the coaching staff does as well. It is their job to help that improvment occur. That is a tough job because their greatest challenge is not physical but mental. The win over La. Tech shows the talent is there (Tech had a big lead on NC State earlier tonight). That mental work involves being focused enough to win on the road. Look, bad things are going to happen in road games. Shawn Long foul trouble is common in those. Successful teams learn to fight through that and play on. I know I harp on the road thing a lot but I don't think most realize how different playing at home and on the road is in college basketball. A team cannot reach their potential until they learn how to handle the road challenge. I will say conference play sees more road wins than non conference as the teams are familiar with each other and arenas.

As far as other teams in the league go, I have not looked in detail but I do know ULM was playing fairly well back in November. Ga. Southern has a guard that may be better than most and is a pro prospect (not necessarrily NBA). Georgia State is rightly the favorite and they come to the CajunDome on Thursday January 8.

[cajun4life]

It's more difficult (statistically and realistically) to make the NCAA tourney, so if it happens for the second time in 2 years, most could care less what our record was in the first 8 games.


By the way you talk about competing against U of L in '05 , go back and look and see how that team competed against Kansas, Vandy, and even the powerful University of Denver that same season.

Seems like you only want to focus on the postseason results anyway to determine success...... so what does a useless RPI have to do with anything so early in the season?

Well I didn't bring up the '05 team. I never saw a single game they played. I was in Iraq during that time.

Don't put words in my mouth either, I didn't say that post season was all that mattered. But a team is judged off of its RPI and 315 is garbage. No matter how you slice it.

We are 6-5 against a garbage schedule. How anyone cannot grasp that is beyond me. Realistically we are 3-5, because three wins are against crap non-scholly programs.

My realistic goals is to win 90% of the games we are suppose to win. I don't expect perfect seasons. IMO in a 25 ranked league I expect us to win 25 games a year given our tradition and facilities.