MBB NIT Preview: Louisiana at LSU (First Round - NIT)

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UL will play a first-round NIT game Wednesday night at Baton Rouge; ticket information has been released by LA Athletics.

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Let the name games begin.

Louisiana State, commonly known as simply LSU throughout the nation but not everywhere, will host the Ragin' Cajuns, which is getting to be known more and more commonly as simply_"Louisiana" in several national statistical listings and rankings and national networks, in a National Invitation Tournament — commonly known as the NIT — game at 6 p.m. Wednesday.___

Or actually, the name games already have begun.

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[Frenchie35]

Look's like Mr. Glenn "LSU" Guilbeau had a field day with the name game in his spread in the DA today. He wasn't quoting anyone either. This from is little fingers on his little key board. "Know by LSU throughout the nation, but not everywhere", meaning Cajun Land. He is bought and paid for and can't except that we are being excepted by most as "Louisiana".....

[Duggie35]

It look's like Mr. Guilbeau and just a few others are the only one's who have not yet received the memo that Louisiana-Lafayette has branded their athletic programs as "Louisiana". It's really not that difficult (unless you want it to be)!!!

[Turbine]

First article in forever where an LSU writer leads with "Louisiana State."

How COinkyDinky.

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The Cajuns are tall and talented inside, and LSU has struggled against those teams this season.

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When the shot came on the ESPNU screen that No. 6 Louisiana was playing at No. 3 LSU in the opening round of the NIT Tournament, it verified a few suspicions floating around in recent weeks.

It also unearthed some frustrating old questions that don't have easy answers

"Why is UL having to travel to LSU?"

"Why_have UL and LSU only played four times since 1937 in men's basketball?"

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The questions for invitees to the much more glittering and coveted NCAA Tournament are_easy. They are usually just, "When? Where?"

For the off Broadway National Invitation Tournament, however, the usual question is more complicated._"Who really wants to play?"

Sometimes that answer rests_with how close a team got to the NCAA Tournament, which gauges its disappointment and mindset entering the second line NIT.

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Johnathan Stove and Frank Bartley IV do not understand why it has taken so darn long.

Bartley, a senior shooting guard and the Ragin’ Cajuns leading scorer, has spent three seasons at UL, one as a redshirt after transferring in from BYU.

Stove, a senior swingman, has played four seasons for the Cajuns.

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The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team opens play in the 2018 NIT on Wednesday when it visits in-state opponent LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game can be heard in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9 FM and worldwide on RaginCajuns.com and the Hot 107.9 app. The game will also be available on ESPN3 with Drew Fellios (pxp) and Bob Valvano (color) providing the commentary.
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Louisiana (27-6) makes its sixth appearance in the NIT and first since 2003. The Ragin' Cajuns earned one of 12 automatic bids to the NIT after claiming the Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship.
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The meeting against LSU (17-14) is the first between the schools since Dec. 1, 2009 and just the sixth on the hardwood since World War II.
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The winner will advance to face the winner of Utah and UC Davis this weekend.

The rest of the story

LOUISIANA AC

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On Wednesday night, the UL basketball team plays a first-round NIT game against LSU (in Baton Rouge)

Why the 27-6 Ragin’ Cajuns aren’t playing the 17-14 Tigers at the Cajundome is something they seemingly cannot comprehend for the life of them, especially considering their much-better RPI rank of 63 vs. 94.

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