Matchup with Wolfpack a tough task for Ragin’ Cajuns
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ORLANDO — This is a tough assignment Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns have forged for themselves.
The Sun Belt Conference champions arrived here late Wednesday night to start final preparations for Friday’s NCAA Tournament regional battle with North Carolina State at the T.D. Waterhouse Centre, and the Wolfpack seems a deserving No. 3 seed in the tournament.
The No. 14 seed Cajuns are decided underdogs, but that doesn’t mean their task is impossible.
They just have to play a full 40 minutes and take their chances.
“I’d say we’re somewhere in between the South Alabama game and the New Orleans game,” UL coach Jessie Evans said, alluding to the recently-completed Sun Belt Tournament in Bowling Green.
In that tournament, the Cajuns buried USA with a 45-26 first half en route to an 84-58 quarterfinal victory, held off Middle Tennessee 70-66 despite allowing the Blue Raiders to close the gap at the end and then beat UNO in the finals despite a poor shooting night.
It was the first time UL had ever entered the Sun Belt Tournament as the No. 1 seed, and the Cajuns came through with their fourth league tournament title in the last 12 years.
“The players accepted new roles,” Evans said. “We told some of them they wouldn’t be starting, and they said ‘I don’t care.’ They just want to win. Whatever it takes.
“We must be cognizant of matchups, and we have to have the right personnel packages in the game. The players understand that.
“Our finals against New Orleans were more workmanlike. If you do what you’re supposed to do, you’ll do fine.”
Evans’ 20-8 Cajuns closed the season well. They enter the NCAA Tournament with a five-game winning streak and are 14-3 since Jan. 17. They are also 4-0 on neutral courts this season, a setting they’ll have for their 11:15 a.m. game on Friday.
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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com
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