MBB Final: UL 56, Troy 74

[NewsCopy]

Despite a strong defensive effort in the first half, Louisiana men's basketball couldn't overcome a slow start offensively in a 74-56 defeat against Troy.

Louisiana Athletics
RaginCajuns.com
PRESS RELEASE

[SlickRick]

First, that was the smallest crowd I've ever seen at any UL basketball game. Second, the refs were fricking horrible and let Troy manhandle our undersized team from start to finish. Third, that was the most lopsided conference game I've seen in a very long time. We had no answers for their length and physicality. Also, the first time this season I saw more effort on defense from an opponent than from us. The new coach will have his work cut out for him.

[60swerethebest]

Rough game. Hard to believe how the refs called nothing. We did not react to it. Troy did. They were football physical. Actual blocking. We didn’t respond. Maybe can’t. Poor shooting especially at start of game hurt. Continued all game unfortunately.
Coach Z was clearly frustrated.

[BeauCajun]

My first time leaving real early.

[ULvictory]

I applaud the players for at least putting forth the effort, but we will have to start from scratch once the new coach is hired. And I'm talking about everything. The mindset, the expectations, the mission to get our fans back through community outreach, the NIL effort, the marketing.... everything.

[Duggie35]

I went to the game last night. It was only my second game this season and 4th in the last three years. Our guys are still playing hard and trying to compete, but it is obvious that we do not have the talent and physicality to challenge anywhere close for a championship. I think the freshman (Evans) has some potential for development into a good player, but other than him, I'm not sure if any of the others have much more upside potential. Sorry to say it, but our boys were manhandled by Troy!
It is way past time to lay a new foundation and re-build from the ground up.

[JayWalker]

I'll disagree (not totally) about the defense. UL turned them over 17 times and, with exception of the times Troy beat them on the fast break (this is where I agree), we usually made them miss their first shot. And, everyone knew Troy's ability to ORB would put the Cajuns at a big disadvantage.

The officiating was deplorable. Not only from a calling fouls (or not) standpoint. Their lack of consistency was appalling. And, so was their clock management. They put :20 on the shot clock after a turnover. (with a signal) which should have been :30.

And, they called a media timeout at the eight minute mark. I took a commercial break and then they decided it wasn't a media time out. I missed a couple of Mo's free throws. THEN, after we scored, Z called time out with less than eight to go. That's an automatic media time out. But the Crew Chief called it a :30. And it took for a lot of people yelling media (and the media coordinator who was standing at the scorers table giving the signal before he finally got it right. That's the closest I've ever come to getting a technical foul called on me.

[UL_Cajuns]

The whole game was a horrible basketball game experience. Both teams shot horribly.
The Cajuns simply do not know how or do not box out at all to get rebounds. They allowed so many 2nd and 3rd shots.
The officiating was absolutely terrible(thought someone was going to get killed) and there was no crowd in an empty huge building.
MAKE CAJUNS BASKETBALL GREAT AGAIN.

[Esqueleto]

The whole game was a horrible basketball game experience. Both teams shot horribly.
The Cajuns simply do not know how or do not box out at all to get rebounds. They allowed so many 2nd and 3rd shots.
The officiating was absolutely terrible(thought someone was going to get killed) and there was no crowd in an empty huge building.
MAKE CAJUNS BASKETBALL GREAT AGAIN.

Glad I didn't lose sleep over that.

[Cajunsmike]

The whole game was a horrible basketball game experience. Both teams shot horribly.
The Cajuns simply do not know how or do not box out at all to get rebounds. They allowed so many 2nd and 3rd shots.
The officiating was absolutely terrible(thought someone was going to get killed) and there was no crowd in an empty huge building.
MAKE CAJUNS BASKETBALL GREAT AGAIN.

Beyond the blocking out issue, some of our guys have very slow reaction times on the glass. They have a hard time figuring out which way a potential miss is going to bounce and they are caught flat footed at times as a result. Basketball is a game in which you have to make decisions in a nano second all the while giving maximum effort. A facet of the game many football/diamond sports fans who have not played basketball have a hard time appreciating. Our players take too long to make that decision and often times it is too late by the time they do make a decision as the ball is then in the opponents hands. Reaction time is an anate trait and there is very little coaching can do about it other than to recruit guys who have it.

[ZoomZoom]

Beyond the blocking out issue, some of our guys have very slow reaction times on the glass. They have a hard time figuring out which way a potential miss is going to bounce and they are caught flat footed at times as a result. Basketball is a game in which you have to make decisions in a nano second all the while giving maximum effort. A facet of the game many football/diamond sports fans who have not played basketball have a hard time appreciating. Our players take too long to make that decision and often times it is too late by the time they do make a decision as the ball is then in the opponents hands. Reaction time is an anate trait and there is very little coaching can do about it other than to recruit guys who have it.

This is one of the most polite quotes in the history of RP. Well done sir.

[ragin50]

I'll disagree (not totally) about the defense. UL turned them over 17 times and, with exception of the times Troy beat them on the fast break (this is where I agree), we usually made them miss their first shot. And, everyone knew Troy's ability to ORB would put the Cajuns at a big disadvantage.

The officiating was deplorable. Not only from a calling fouls (or not) standpoint. Their lack of consistency was appalling. And, so was their clock management. They put :20 on the shot clock after a turnover. (with a signal) which should have been :30.

And, they called a media timeout at the eight minute mark. I took a commercial break and then they decided it wasn't a media time out. I missed a couple of Mo's free throws. THEN, after we scored, Z called time out with less than eight to go. That's an automatic media time out. But the Crew Chief called it a :30. And it took for a lot of people yelling media (and the media coordinator who was standing at the scorers table giving the signal before he finally got it right. That's the closest I've ever come to getting a technical foul called on me.

I listened to you guys on the radio & agree wholeheartedly. Wednesday night in the Sunbelt might be worse than Saturday. If Eric would have been on the radio instead of TV, he probably would have been tossed! It was absolutely awful, Keith Gill should take some action.