Coaches choose Cajuns to win 4th straight title

LAFAYETTE — They won the Sun Belt Conference in 2004 and reached the NCAA Tournament, so it was no surprise to find Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns picked to win the league’s western division this season.

The Cajuns lost several key players from last year’s title team, and longtime assistant Robert Lee has taken over as head coach, but Sun Belt coaches still gave UL all 11 first-place votes in the West in the preseason poll released on Tuesday.

Middle Tennessee, which lost to the Cajuns in the Sun Belt Tournament but returns four starters, is the favorite to win the East.

Also, sophomore Bo McCalebb of UNO has been tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year.

“I expect us to be right up there and contend,” said Lee. “We only have four players back who played a significant amount of minutes last year, so we have a long way to go.”

Two of those four returnees are included in preseason honors, with senior guard Orien Greene a first-team All-Sun Belt choice and forward Brian Hamilton a second-team selection.

“It’s quite an honor,” Lee said. “Brian is the heart of our team, and I think Orien has the potential to be the best player in the league. I don’t think he showed all he was capable of last season.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com