Now eligible, Dwayne Mitchell wastes no time adding needed energy to the Cajuns’ lineup.

LOUISIANA La. – It didn’t take long for Dwayne Mitchell to announce his presence with authority.

Precisely, it took two and one-half minutes for the newest member of the University of Louisiana's men’s basketball squad to make the team’s annual highlight reel.

Mitchell, who along with Cedric and Chris Williams made an inaugural appearance Monday against McNeese State, entered the game with 13:38 left in the first half and the Cajuns down 14-13. At the 11:08 mark, he knocked away a pass, outhustled a Cowboy to the ball near midcourt and flipped a blind behind-the-back pass to a streaking Cajun teammate to initiate a fast break.

Not satisfied there, Mitchell bounced off the press table, took a pass on that break and sent down a thunderous dunk that brought a roar from the crowd and a 20-17 lead.

“Plays like that are just instinct,” said the New Orleans sophomore, who transferred from Auburn at mid-term last year and finished his required year in residence to gain eligibility on Friday. “I like to be the person doing that … diving on the floor, sacrificing the body, getting us started and getting the crowd going.”

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com