Lee, Cajuns draw Louisville in opener

As good as he felt in 2000 and 2004 when Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, that feeling was multiplied several times over on Sunday for Robert Lee.

Lee watched the NCAA selection show at the UL student union, surrounded by the Cajuns and their fans, just as he did a year ago as an assistant coach on Jessie Evans' staff.

But this time it was his team, and it was hard to express his reaction when he saw the Cajuns named to play Louisville this Friday in Nashville as part of the Albuquerque Regional.

"I don't know if there are even words to describe what that felt like," said Lee, who has guided Louisiana to a 20-10 record in his first year as the head coach.

"I have a great sense of pride knowing that all the hard work we've put in is paying off."

"It's real special," said junior Tiras Wade, the Most Outstanding Player in last week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament title march that gave the Cajuns a second straight NCAA bid.

"Last year I was sitting out and had to watch the guys get ready to play N.C. State. This is the most exciting part of the tournament, sitting here for Selection Sunday."

The Cajuns didn't have to wait long to find out their pairing and destination, getting a favorable location for their fans to follow them but knowing that the Conference USA champion Cardinals would be a demanding opponent.

"Louisville is a team that really likes to shoot the 3," Lee said. "They like up-tempo and they bring a lot of pressure, so we have to avoid turnovers if we're going to beat them.

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com