LOUISIANA La. — Robert Lee has been in charge of scheduling for Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun basketball team for several seasons, one of his duties as an assistant coach.

But today’s foe, when Lee makes his home debut as the Cajuns’ head coach, is one that a raw rookie would schedule.

Whatever happened to the cream puff, the breakfast pastry, the easy-does it team that most people in Lee’s position set up and then knock down in their first home appearance?

That’s not Rice (2-0), the pick by some to win the Western Athletic Conference and a virtually-unanimous selection to finish in the top two in a strong basketball league.

But that’s how The General wants it.

“These are the types of teams we want to play,” Lee said this week as his team prepared for today’s rare afternoon (1:05 p.m.) contest at the Cajundome. “We’re going to play as good a schedule as we possibly can to prepare our team.”

Lee’s not kidding, and it’s not just today’s home opener against the Owls. Within the next five weeks, before the start of Sun Belt Conference play, UL will face No. 2-ranked Kansas, nationally-ranked North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, Charlotte and Southern Illinois.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com