2005-06 Basketball Preview

[AirBill]

Didnt Santa Clara have a big 7'0 center? Played pro ball, was killed in a plane crash some years later...??

Z.

Yeah, but I can't remember his name.

[Zeebart21]

Here's to a good game fellas.

Go you Dawgs!

whhooooa, ya'll too braaaahhh....

Z.

[BirdofParadise]

Didnt Santa Clara have a big 7'0 center? Played pro ball, was killed in a plane crash some years later...??

Z.

Nick Vanos

[NewsCopy]

The Salukis played at Louisiana Là in early January last season. As they checked into the team hotel, I noticed a small sign at the edge of the parking lot. It showed the outline of an alligator and the word, “Warning” Interesting. Beware of gators. Two things came to mind: 1) Is that for real? 2) Check under the car before getting back in. The warning gave some insight into the landscape of southern Louisiana. And anywhere, for that matter. It’s a thin line — a curb, in this case — between civilization and nature. Hurricane Katrina blurred that line even further. Residents were displaced, homes drifted away. Louisiana Là head coach Robert Lee said some of the pieces are still, well, in pieces. “We’re dealing with it,” Lee said Tuesday. “It’s been tough on everybody. But what are you going to do? That’s life.” The hurricane altered the life of one player, in particular. The family of Dwayne Mitchell — a 6-5 senior — lost its New Orleans home in the hurricane. The family has moved in with Mitchell in his house near the ULL campus. Let’s see: Class at 8, lift weights at 10, buy groceries and make dinner for the fam at 6. Oh, then there’s that starting point guard thing. “It’s really been a tremendous burden on him,” Lee said. As for the Ragin’ Cajuns, they are also dealing with it. The regular season opens Friday at SIU Arena, and it probably can’t some soon enough. The rest of the story

[NewsCopy]

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The similarities will be striking tonight. When the Louisiana Ragin' Cajun men's basketball squad opens its 2005-06 season against Southern Illinois' Salukis, it may be like looking in a mirror. Two second-year coaches ... two teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year ... two teams incredibly tough to beat on their home floor ... but two teams that each have a lot of questions to answer. The answers start coming at 7:05 p.m. at SIU Arena when the Cajuns play the first of three rugged road games to open the season - and tonight's may be the most rugged. The host Salukis, coming off a 27-8 season, a No. 7 NCAA seed and a trip to the second round of the "Big Dance," have won 24 straight home games. Since the start of the 2001-02 season, SIU is 54-1 at home. Last year, SIU ended its home season with a 9,628-fan sellout and locked up the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with a win over Wichita State. "This is an opportunity," said Cajun coach Robert Lee. "It's a chance to play a quality team in an environment that will help us down the road. Opening night in the Missouri Valley a lot of places is better than opening night in the ACC." Lee won't get to experience opening night at home until Dec. 3, and by that time his team will have met SIU, Tennessee and Georgia State on the road. But that's not unusual for the Cajuns, who met LSU, Charlotte, Kansas, North Carolina State, Georgia State and Vanderbilt on the road in last year's non-league schedule. But Lee's charges rebounded to win 14 of their last 17 regular-season games and swept through the Sun Belt Tournament, giving the first-year coach a trip to the NCAA Tournament where they fell 68-62 to fourth-seeded Louisville. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[MiamiCajun32]

I believe in college hoops that home court is worth about 7 points. So if the game was at the Cajun Dome it would be about a push.

I would take the Cajuns.

The bettors around the country, in general, are betting Salukis because the spread has increased to +8.5 now. The money line is +350. I am not a big gambler, but I put a small wager on the moneyline (Cajuns to win straight up).

I think both of these teams have gelling problems because of new leaders this year. It is possible that either team could be blown out, but I expect a close game and I expect Southall and Mitchell to play solid and not be rattled.
If Turner and / or Cameron catch fire from the outside I don't think SIU can keep up unless they have players stepping up big time.

[El Sidonio]

stupid question, but the Cajuns being +7 against the Salukis means they're favored to win by 7 or lose by 7?

God Bless

[MiamiCajun32]

stupid question, but the Cajuns being +7 against the Salukis means they're favored to win by 7 or lose by 7?

God Bless

It is now +8.5 and that means that if you bet on the cajuns, they could win or lose by as much as 8 and you still win. If someone bets on Salukis, then in order to win the bet the Salukis would have to win by 9 or more.

So +8.5 means Salukis are favored to win by that amount.

[jhaan79]

hey all, hope you guys and girls tune into the game and cheer on the Cajuns tonight. I'll be there cheering the Cajuns on in person!


...here's what sportsnetwork.com has to say about the contest

"Both of these teams are perennial powerhouses in their respective conferences, and there is reason to believe that this game will go down to the wire. Expect the crowd to lift the Salukis to a narrow victory, although a triumph by the Cajuns wouldn't be surprising.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Southern Illinois 68, UL-Lafayette 64"

GEAUX CAJUNS

[SalukiRage]

It's been fun talking to you guys the past week. Here's to a great game tonight. May your season be filled with classic victory's over many a team not from the Southern Region of Illinois.

Oh and Please, please beat the Monkies out of Tennesse when you play then next week. They just hijacked one of our top recruits last week.

After tonights game, we'll see you dancen next March...


Go Dawgs.

[Corndog308]

Is our game on TV tonight? If it is, is it on Channel 27?

[TheFan]

Not to my knowledge. But I could be wrong.