Louisiana Faces Southern Miss in Opener

[NewsCopy]

  Louisiana begins its 25th season in the Cajundome. Since 1990-91, the Cajuns have lost only three times in a home opener at the Cajundome.

GAME CENTER
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: Southern Miss (0-0)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:15 p.m.
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
Radio: SportsRadio ESPN 1420 AM (KPEL), 107.9 FM (KRKA)

Game Night Story Lines
● Louisiana tips off the 97th season of competition in school history Saturday, Nov. 14 hosting Conference-USA member Southern Miss in the Cajundome.

● The Cajuns start the season at home for the fourth straight season. Tonight's game is the first of 14 regular season contests at the Cajundome.
● Head coach Robert Lee enters his sixth (6th) season as head coach of Louisiana and 14th season overall with the program (began as assistant in 1996-97).

● Louisiana begins its 25th season in the CAJUNDOME. The Cajuns hold a 228-94 all-time record in the facility and have posted a winning record in 22 seasons.

● The Ragin' Cajuns hosted West Alabama in an exhibition contest Tuesday and won 90-69. Southern Miss did not play any exhibition games.

● UL has won nine of the last 10 home openers held at the Cajundome - the lone loss during streak was last season vs. Louisiana Tech. Since 1990-91, the Cajuns have lost only three times in a home opener at the Cajundome.

● Louisiana and Southern Miss meet on the hardwood for the first time since Jan. 18, 2001 (USM won 76-61 in Hattiesburg). USM is making its first appearance at the Cajundome since Dec. 11, 1999 (USM won 65-47).

● Tonight's game is the first of a home-and-home between the two teams. UL will visit Hattiesburg for a meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at Reed Green Coliseum.

● Both head coaches meet the opposition for the first time in their career.

SEASON OPENERS
● Since joining the Division I ranks in 1971-72, Louisiana is 19-17 in season openers.

● Louisiana has won six of its last nine season openers.

● Louisiana is 3-2 in season openers under Robert Lee.

HOME, SWEET DOME
● The Ragin' Cajuns are 18-5 in home openers at the Cajundome.

TIME TO GET TO WORK
● The Ragin' Cajuns take to the court at the Cajundome for the second time this week, but this is the first game that will count toward the 2009-10 win-loss record.

ENJOYING THE COMFORTS OF HOME
● Tonight's game marks the first of three straight home games to begin the season.

● UL hosts Louisiana College on Monday, Nov. 16 and Mobile on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

● The first road contest isn't until Saturday, Nov. 28 (at McNeese) and the Cajuns won't leave the State of Louisiana until Saturday, Dec. 5 (at Sam Houston State).

UL BASKETBALL REACHES A MILESTONE AT THE CAJUNDOME
● It might be hard to believe, but Louisiana men's basketball is entering the 25th anniversary season at the Cajundome.

● The facility opened its doors on Nov. 22, 1985 and since then a total of 337 regular season games have been contested.

NO PLACE LIKE THE 'DOME
● Last season the Ragin' Cajuns posted a 9-7 record in the Cajundome - the 14th consecutive season with a .500 mark or better.

● In 22 of the previous 24 seasons, the Cajuns have recorded a winning record.

● Since the turn of the century, UL's on-court record at the 'Dome is 95-31 (.754)

THE "EXPERIENCE" FACTOR
● Louisiana returns 12 letterwinners - all upperclassmen - of which nine are seniors.

● The main core of the squad - Travis Bureau, Randell Daigle, La'Ryan Gary, Chris Gradnigo and Tyren Johnson - has two years experience working together.

PLAYING IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD
● Continuing a trend which started in the 2007-08 season, the Ragin' Cajuns roster is loaded with talent from the State of Louisiana.

● A total of 14 of 15 players on the roster call Louisiana home. Louisiana has three players from Lafayette - Colby Batiste, Randell Daigle and La'Ryan Gary.

● The lone player not from Louisiana is Ryan McCoy (Houston, Texas).

THESE GUYS CAN SCORE
● They're dubbed the "Triple Threat" and they do a good job of living up to that billing.

● The combination of Travis Bureau, Randell Daigle and Chris Gradnigo combined to average 37 points of the Cajuns' 66.6 average (55%) a year ago.

● They combined for 148 three-point field goals made out of UL's 205 (72%).

WELCOME TO THE RAGIN' CAJUNS FAMILY
● Two new assistant coaches were added to Robert Lee's staff in the offseason. Tonight they will coach their first regular season game with the Ragin' Cajuns.

● Nate Dixon is no stranger to the State of Louisiana or Sun Belt Conference. He spent the past four seasons in the SBC - two each at in-state rivals New Orleans (2007-08 & 2008-09) and UL Monroe (2005-06 & 2006-07). He served as recruiting coordinator at UNO and ULM, the same position he holds at UL.

● James Williams was a teammate of Robert Lee at Nicholls State in the late 1980s. Williams played and coached on the international level following his career at Nicholls.

UL SI

[Tripple Threat]

What do we know about USM?

[awadelewis]

Finished towards middle to bottom last year in C-USA, a bunch of new players coming in from juco ranks, expected to be physical in the forecourt. Tough match-up for us and should give us a much better read for how the year will go as opposed to how things went against W. Alabama.

[Tripple Threat]

They've got some size for sure.Our guards are a little bigger

2 Daryl Arnold 6-5/200 G RS SO Jackson, Miss. (Southeastern Louisiana)
25 Buchi Awaji 6-3/185 G GS Los Angeles, Calif. (Kansas State)
3 Josimar Ayarza 6-9/235 F RS JR Panama City, Panama (Cuesta College)
1 Maurice Bolden 6-10/200 G RS SO Jackson, Miss. (Marion Military Institute)
10 Bryson Brewer 6-3/180 G SR Waynesboro, Miss. (Wayne County HS)
11 Jerome Clyburn 6-1/180 G RS FR Orange Park, Fla. (Orange Park HS)
4 Gary Flowers 6-8/214 F JR Dallas, Texas (Chipola College)
15 R.L. Horton 6-0/180 G JR Jackson, Miss. (Lanier HS)
23 Angelo Johnson 6-0/180 G RS SO Minneapolis, Minn. (USC)
20 Gustavo Lino 7-1/240 C RS SR Sao Paulo, Brazil (Universidade Anhmebi Morumbi)
13 Kenneth Ortiz 5-11/180 G FR Newark, N.J. (Science Park HS)
5 Torye Pelham 6-6/225 F JR Nashville, Tenn. (Chipola College)
24 LaVanne Pennington 6-4/175 G SO San Bernardino, Calif. (Genesis One Prep)
32 Andre Stephens 6-8/235 F SR Heidelberg, Miss. (Heidelberg HS)
14 Sai'Quon Stone 6-6/225 G RS JR Brooklyn, N.Y. (Laurinburg Prep)

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/auto_pd.mulative-stats

[Cajunsmike]

_ They've got some size for sure.Our guards are a little bigger

2 Daryl Arnold 6-5/200 G RS SO Jackson, Miss. (Southeastern Louisiana)
25 Buchi Awaji 6-3/185 G GS Los Angeles, Calif. (Kansas State)
3 Josimar Ayarza 6-9/235 F RS JR Panama City, Panama (Cuesta College)
1 Maurice Bolden 6-10/200 G RS SO Jackson, Miss. (Marion Military Institute)
10 Bryson Brewer 6-3/180 G SR Waynesboro, Miss. (Wayne County HS)
11 Jerome Clyburn 6-1/180 G RS FR Orange Park, Fla. (Orange Park HS)
4 Gary Flowers 6-8/214 F JR Dallas, Texas (Chipola College)
15 R.L. Horton 6-0/180 G JR Jackson, Miss. (Lanier HS)
23 Angelo Johnson 6-0/180 G RS SO Minneapolis, Minn. (USC)
20 Gustavo Lino 7-1/240 C RS SR Sao Paulo, Brazil (Universidade Anhmebi Morumbi)
13 Kenneth Ortiz 5-11/180 G FR Newark, N.J. (Science Park HS)
5 Torye Pelham 6-6/225 F JR Nashville, Tenn. (Chipola College)
24 LaVanne Pennington 6-4/175 G SO San Bernardino, Calif. (Genesis One Prep)
32 Andre Stephens 6-8/235 F SR Heidelberg, Miss. (Heidelberg HS)
14 Sai'Quon Stone 6-6/225 G RS JR Brooklyn, N.Y. (Laurinburg Prep)

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/auto_pd.mulative-stats _

USM was 15 and 17 last year. In their final game of the CUSA tourney, they were beaten by UAB by a score of 74 to 73. You guys may recall that UAB give us quite a whipping on the road last year. I think that indicates we have a big challenge tomorrow night in the CajunDome.

[Parrott]

Lost 11 of 13 to end the season amid a flurry of injuries. Had to replace 65 percent of its scoring just from losing top three guards. Horton averaged 12 ppg. Flowers and Pelham were among the nation's top JUCO recruits. Johnson was an All-Pac 10 Freshman player at USC. Long, physical and tough defensively and on the glass. Could be a sleeper in Conference USA. Should be a big challenge to open the season.


igeaux.mobi

[Cajunsmike]

_ Lost 11 of 13 to end the season amid a flurry of injuries. Had to replace 65 percent of its scoring just from losing top three guards. Horton averaged 12 ppg. Flowers and Pelham were among the nation's top JUCO recruits. Johnson was an All-Pac 10 Freshman player at USC. Long, physical and tough defensively and on the glass. Could be a sleeper in Conference USA. Should be a big challenge to open the season.


igeaux.mobi _

Josh, are you willing to give a prediction on tomorrow night's basketball game. By your post above, I sense you would be surprised if the Cajuns win.

[Parrott]

Depends on if Southern Miss can develop some team chemistry with nine newcomers. I'm not sure the Cajuns are strong enough at the point and inside. Gradnigo is money, but Daigle and Bureau are coming off injuries and aren't in great playing condition. The Golden Eagles by 10.


igeaux.mobi

[Tripple Threat]

_ Depends on if Southern Miss can develop some team chemistry with nine newcomers. I'm not sure the Cajuns are strong enough at the point and inside. Gradnigo is money, but Daigle and Bureau are coming off injuries and aren't in great playing condition. The Golden Eagles by 10.


igeaux.mobi _

Thanks for your input Josh.