MBB G13 Final: Louisiana 73, SLU 72

[Cajunsmike]

While many of you are complaining about beating Southeastern ( we were in Hammond because it's a two for one, to answer one complainers question) back to the reality at hand.

Malik Marquetti's injury appears to be serious. He could be out a month or more.

And, that's a serious blow to this team.

As far as the scheduling is concern, remember we go to 20 conference games next year. Plus, if Mark Adams is successful with his scheduling consortium, that would make 22. We will continue to play Tech and McNeese and we have Southeastern coming back to Lafayette next year. That's 25. We play at Arizona State. 26. We'll play in an MTE. 27. And if they do the dreaded pair of non-D1's that concludes the schedule.

Hopefully they buy one more SWAC type team and go to one non D1 game. That would be progress and I have suggested that to administrators. Of course no non D1 games would be better. I have heard the MTE could be in Las Vegas as we have not been there in a few years. You get four games as one when you do that, three at the tournament and another which is often a road payday for us. That brings you to 31 total which is allowed with an MTE. Sorry to hear about the Marquetti injury. I was hopeful it would not be serious when I saw him walking with a slight limp behind the bench a few minutes after he left the court. Of course you can do that with a knee problem but no way can you play basketball until things improve. Hopefully we get better news on that tomorrow.

[cajun4life]

While many of you are complaining about beating Southeastern ( we were in Hammond because it's a two for one, to answer one complainers question) back to the reality at hand.

Malik Marquetti's injury appears to be serious. He could be out a month or more.

And, that's a serious blow to this team.

As far as the scheduling is concern, remember we go to 20 conference games next year. Plus, if Mark Adams is successful with his scheduling consortium, that would make 22. We will continue to play Tech and McNeese and we have Southeastern coming back to Lafayette next year. That's 25. We play at Arizona State. 26. We'll play in an MTE. 27. And if they do the dreaded pair of non-D1's that concludes the schedule.

I think people actually enjoy LaTurd, McNeese and SLU. It’s the Dillard’s, Loyola’s, Xavier Nola, Centenaries or Spring Hills that we have problems with.

I refuse to believe that good basketball and good football can’t be accomplished at the same time.

[Cajunsmike]

Maybe I misspoke. I like Big Fish, I don't think he's good enough by a lot. Actually hoping he proves my fears all wrong, he wins regular season, tournament, and gets deep into the NCAA. Heck even hope he somehow gets a bigger gig. But I'm going with his actual resume as for expectations.

This team is simply not good enough to accomplish all you hope for this season. Not a surprise to me considering the quality of the three senior leaders of last year. Injuries are a factor of course which indicates lack of depth as a problem. That would be the case regardless who was coaching them. Of course he recruited them so he is ultimately responsible.

[Cajunsmike]

I think people actually enjoy LaTurd, McNeese and SLU. It’s the Dillard’s, Loyola’s, Xavier Nola, Centenaries or Spring Hills that we have problems with.

I refuse to believe that good basketball and good football can’t be accomplished at the same time.

We only play two of those non D1 games per year and still get the allowed 29 against D1 schools due to the MTE's we annually participate in. That being said, that is two too many in almost everyone's view including mine. Now that we have shown we can buy SWAC games, let's buy those instead of the non D1 games. The new scheduling changes bringing us to 11 home games before we consider the state games should allow that. Of course we can have good basketball and football at the same time. It happened in 2013-2014.

[ManAboutTown]

My eyes can’t roll any further back into my head.

2017-18 RPI:
SLU: 150
UL: 65

2018-19 RPI
SLU: 275
UL: 138

We are head and shoulders above SLU as a team and as a program. Not even the SLU head coach himself would have the nerve to argue that their team is on par with ours.

I’ll never understand what compels you to constantly degrade and denigrate the team you supposedly root for.

Yet SLU has won an NCAA tournament game since the last time this program has...

[Cajunsmike]

Yet SLU has won multiple NCAA tournament games since the last time this program has...

I don't recall SLU ever winning an NCAA tournament game. When did that occur. The only Louisiana SLC team I remember winning one in recent years was when Northwestern State did back when Robert Lee was here and we were really struggling.

[ManAboutTown]

This team is exceeding my expectations after losing multiple minute-hogging-seniors from last years 27 win season.

Really? Your expectations must be laughably low. We return 3 starters from last year, supposedly the best recruit we’ve gotten in a long while in Russell (who also played plenty of minutes), added a decent transfer in Hayes and probably have the SBC player of the year on the roster.

This SHOULD NOT be a rebuild year. But many of you are acting like it is. Which again, is purely social club power hour.

Wake the hell up.

[ManAboutTown]

I don't recall SLU ever winning an NCAA tournament game. When did that occur. The only Louisiana SLC team I remember winning one in recent years was when Northwestern State did back when Robert Lee was here and we were really struggling.

My mistake, that was what I was thinking of.

[Cajunsmike]

Really? Your expectations must be laughably low. We return 3 starters from last year, supposedly the best recruit we’ve gotten in a long while in Russell (who also played plenty of minutes), added a decent transfer in Wesley and probably have the SBC player of the year on the roster.

This SHOULD NOT be a rebuild year. But many of you are acting like it is. Which again, is purely social club power hour.

Wake the hell up.

Wesley is a freshman, not a transfer. Jeremy Hayes is a JUCO tranfer brought on board due to the Kobe Julien injury. Jalen Johonson is a tranfer from St. Louis sitting out this year and he will be the team's best player next season. Johnson is originally from Baton Rouge and we recruited him out of HS. Cedric Russell's struggles this season are frustrating as he played better last season. Perhaps the off season surgery he has is affecting him.

[ManAboutTown]

Wesley is a freshman, not a transfer. Jeremy Hayes is a JUCO tranfer brought on board due to the Kobe Julien injury. Jalen Johonson is a tranfer from St. Louis sitting out this year and he will be the team's best player next season. Johnson is originally from Baton Rouge and we recruited him out of HS. Cedric Russell's struggles this season are frustrating as he played better last season. Perhaps the off season surgery he has is affecting him.

Hayes, my bad. Shooting from the hip this morning. You can see how much I’ve paid attention to basketball this season.

[Ragin4U]

Disagree that UL would be better off if football dominated and MBB was dropped. Researching Butler's program after our conversation last night, their 2011 and 2012 tourney runs got them an estimated $1.2 billion in publicity alone. Now, we would have to catch lightning in a bottle to get close to two NCG in a row but there is a lot of money to be made in basketball.

[MetryCajun]

I would rather us drop MBB & WBB before we lose a dime of financial support for football.

Thanks for posting this. Now we all know your opinions on men's basketball are meaningless and are not to be taken seriously.
I feel the same way about softball, which is why I never give my opinions.

[Crawfish]

CE has expressed the same opinion 450 different times in this thread. We get it, you don't like the coach.

[MetryCajun]

This team is simply not good enough to accomplish all you hope for this season. Not a surprise to me considering the quality of the three senior leaders of last year. Injuries are a factor of course which indicates lack of depth as a problem. That would be the case regardless who was coaching them. Of course he recruited them so he is ultimately responsible.

Spot on. This team has two difference makers and an above average PG. Everyone else are role players who have good games and bad games. Yesterday it was Hardy with some big plays and Miller who had a rough time. Next game it will probably be Miller who steps up. With only 3 players you can count on it will be tough for this team to string together wins. After watching the team yesterday I came away with the feeling that recruiting and not X's and O's coaching is our problem. The execution down the stretch shows Marlin knows what he is doing. He is just not getting good enough HS players. Right now all of our best players are p5 transfers. If he cant get more P5 transfers or more polished HS players ASAP he will not be here for long.

[cajun_lannister]

Thanks for posting this. Now we all know your opinions on men's basketball are meaningless and are not to be taken seriously.
I feel the same way about softball, which is why I never give my opinions.

Marlin has drove me to that opinion with the constant excuses and woe is me

And softball has had more national exposure on espn the last 10 years than MBB and WBB combined