First Basketball Game

[Policarp]

very young age.....Watched my neighbor and faux cousin Edwin "sparerib" Lawrence vs USL. An amazing experience at Blackham. Dad always called Edwin "sparerib" as when he was growing up as a kid, long and lean you could see his ribs. Funny site to see a 7+ ft guy standing up on an old Minneapolis Moline plowing a field. When standing steering wheel was near his knees.

Can still remember the excitement buzz the day when Coach Shipley was out on the rice field levees looking for Edwin's dad. Same for LSU's Coach Brown.

[Duggie35]

Someone asked me what is the first Cajuns Basketball Game I ever attended. My first one was on December 11 of 1971. It was the finals of the Basketball Bayou Classic. We were actually still the USL Bulldogs at the time. Story of that game is shown below from the Sports Illustrated archives. The article gives you a sense of how special basketball was here at that time. Hooked me for life. Of course you were lucky to see 20 college games a year on TV in those days so going to the games was an event.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1971/12/2...-cajun-country

Anyone else remember their first game ? If so, what do you recall about it?

Mike, I still have a copy of that Sports Illustrated! I started going to watch USL Basketball in 1970-71 when I was still in high school. The battles against LA Tech with Coach Scotty Robertson with Mike Green, Glen Duhon and his McNeese teams with Edmond Lawrence and the Lamar teams led by Billy Tubbs were epic. Watching Bo Lamar drop 30, 40 points a night was unbelievable, and Ebron, Freddie Saunders, "Tree" Loftin, Payton Townsend and the rest of the crew were also special. After the Cajuns came off of probation and the program was reinstated, I remember Ted Lyles was the first to commit to Coach Hatfield and the program quickly got back on track, especially when Andrew Tony arrived. USL Basketball in the 70's and 80's was special.

Because there was no shot clock or 3 point shot, it seems like the game was much "prettier" to watch back then. Not as much one-on-one and more of a team game IMHO.

Thanks for bringing up those memories.

[ZoomZoom]

Mike, I still have a copy of that Sports Illustrated! I started going to watch USL Basketball in 1970-71 when I was still in high school. The battles against LA Tech with Coach Scotty Robertson with Mike Green, Glen Duhon and his McNeese teams with Edmond Lawrence and the Lamar teams led by Billy Tubbs were epic. Watching Bo Lamar drop 30, 40 points a night was unbelievable, and Ebron, Freddie Saunders, "Tree" Loftin, Payton Townsend and the rest of the crew were also special. After the Cajuns came off of probation and the program was reinstated, I remember Ted Lyles was the first to commit to Coach Hatfield and the program quickly got back on track, especially when Andrew Tony arrived. USL Basketball in the 70's and 80's was special.

Because there was no shot clock or 3 point shot, it seems like the game was much "prettier" to watch back then. Not as much one-on-one and more of a team game IMHO.

Thanks for bringing up those memories.

Clear out basketball didn’t exist, was a much more team sport which allowed a player to flourish without turning his teammates into pawns. Can you imagine Alonzo, George or Fig being allowed to call a clear out back then...think they would of found the bench in a hurry. We've had some guys that could throw it down thru the years, but those guys were special.

I won't get on the ESPN killed non P-5 soapbox, but it was great to be nationally known in basketball. Kind of like baseball a few years back. We're still known in baseball, just not in the way we were 5-10 years ago.

[IHateLaState]

Lamar, Ebron, Saunders from the 70's team were guys that people today cannot envision how good they were.

I try to explain to my kids about how good those teams were but it is really hard to put into context. I have an article from in SI where they said one of the ONLY teams with a chance to beat UCLA (in those days NOBODY beat UCLA) was "tiny South West Louisiana" and they talked about Lamar etal.

I started going to games in the late 60's on campus but I remember best the 1971 - 1973 teams ( i was in high school then and we would show up at Blackham around 3 to make sure we would get in) as the most entertaining basketball I have ever seen. The finals of the Bayou Classic were.... well Classic.

If the 3 point line was in place Bo would probably still be the highest scorer in NCAA history. If I recall correctly there was no shot clock and that was why we lost in Houston in 1973 (Kansas/Kansas St ??) No racial intents here but they had a bunch of technically sound white boys who just passed and passed the ball after walking down the court. Our guys wanted to run

Great memories

[60swerethebest]

We beat NW state 25-21 or so at their house using slow down. Miserable game to listen to. Bo held to fewest points of his career. They did the slow part.

[60swerethebest]

Love Elfrid but I would put Winkler with Toney. Winkler could drive to basket, hit from outside, pass and play point. Of course, Toney could do same. And both played defense. But Payton was really good. I prefer era teams. Game is so different now. Dean Church was as good a pure shooter as we have ever had and just deadly at free throw line. But different era. Our center was 6’4”.

[fanof71]

I try to explain to my kids about how good those teams were but it is really hard to put into context. I have an article from in SI where they said one of the ONLY teams with a chance to beat UCLA (in those days NOBODY beat UCLA) was "tiny South West Louisiana" and they talked about Lamar etal.

I started going to games in the late 60's on campus but I remember best the 1971 - 1973 teams ( i was in high school then and we would show up at Blackham around 3 to make sure we would get in) as the most entertaining basketball I have ever seen. The finals of the Bayou Classic were.... well Classic.

If the 3 point line was in place Bo would probably still be the highest scorer in NCAA history. If I recall correctly there was no shot clock and that was why we lost in Houston in 1973 (Kansas/Kansas St ??) No racial intents here but they had a bunch of technically sound white boys who just passed and passed the ball after walking down the court. Our guys wanted to run

Great memories

Kansas St. Lon Kruger was on that team. There was an over and back call in the game that just killed us...

[ZoomZoom]

We beat NW state 25-21 or so at their house using slow down. Miserable game to listen to. Bo held to fewest points of his career. They did the slow part.

Have a friend that went to NSU and attended that game. He brings it up every once in awhile, Cajuns were the best college team he saw back then. Said the NSU crowd was pumped at half and thought they had the game won. But as it was put to me, "they made us (NSU) look like the Washington Generals the second half". Cajuns played keep away just like them the second half...a testimony to how good they were.

[BeauCajun]

My first games to attend was the first year back post probation. Was that the 74-75 team? Pascal Mitchell, Jerry Mitchell, Calvin Fils, Baloo Johnson and a few others.

[ZoomZoom]

My first games to attend was the first year back post probation. Was that the 74-75 team? Pascal Mitchell, Jerry Mitchell, Calvin Fils, Baloo Johnson and a few others.

75-76.

Jerry Mitchell never made it to the first game. Story is he had an altercation with a staff member. Dude was a pure pull up shooter.