Blackham Coliseum 1950 . . .

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RAGIN' CAJUNS First team Dwight "Bo" Lamar (1969-73) The University of Louisiana's all-time scoring leader with 3,493 points, Lamar twice led the nation in scoring at 36.0 in 1970-71 and 36.3 in 1971-72 and finished with 31.2 points per game for his career - air-mailing long-range shots before the advent of the 3-point field goal. He also ranks fourth in UL career assists with 520. The Cajuns won 90 games in his four years. His No. 10 jersey was retired by UL. Andrew Toney (1976-80) Personally revitalized Ragin' Cajun fortunes after the school's return from the abyss of NCAA probation, scoring 2,526 points and averaging 23.6 points per game. Toney, who finished his degree in 3 1/2 years and was in graduate school his final semester at UL, led the Cajuns to a Southland Conference title in 1977 and the NIT quarterfinals in 1980. Toney's No. 24 jersey is among three retired by the men's program. Roy Ebron (1970-73) The best combination scorer and rebounder in Cajun history, the 6-foot-9 Ebron averaged 19.4 points and 12.2 rebounds in his UL career and remains the career rebound leader with 1,064 caroms. The Cajuns were ranked in the nation's Top 10 and reached NCAA Tournament play behind Ebron and Lamar. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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Sure it was a barn. So what? So the roof leaked. Did anyone really care? If the seats were hard, it didn't seem to matter because you stood most of the time. And that loose nail on the court, requiring stoppage of play and a maintenance man to be summoned with hammer in hand? That's just part of the charm of Blackham Coliseum, where the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns spent 35 years and are playing four regular season basketball games while the Cajundome is under repair, including Saturday night against Charlotte. Charm, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, and opponents rarely found Blackham all that charming. For foes, it was dark, foreboding, claustrophobic and loud, sometimes downright nasty. Like the night when the famous Red Dots fans paraded around Blackham with a coffin topped by a rubber chicken painted red, announcing their plans for the Lamar Cardinals and their No. 1 raised index fingers. Or the night a Cajun fan yelled to McNeese State's Chris Faggi, he of the prominant probiscus, "Hey, Chris, it's raining. Can I stand under your nose?" The student section behind the opponents' bench was always loud and at times menacing. One visiting team moved its timeout huddle into the middle of the court to escape that group, only to be confronted by more noise from an unexpected source. Advertiser photographer Brad Kemp was leader of the Cajun pep band that season, and he promptly led his group onto the court to play in the opponents' ears. "After we did that," Kemp recalled, "I can't remember whether it was (athletic director) Sonny Roy or Dr. Authement, but he said, 'On the record, don't ever do that again. Off the record, I loved it.' " Former Cajun coach Bobby Paschal was among those who appreciated the peculiar ambiance of an arena that also hosted midwinter rodeo events. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com