GAMENIGHT: Cajuns meet Louisiana College 7:15pm

Game notes are below...from ragincajuns.comGAME CENTER
Date: Monday, Nov. 15, 2010
Location: Lafayette, La.
Opponent: Louisiana College (0-0)
Site: Cajundome (11,550)
Game Time: 7:15 p.m.
Live Stats/Video: www.RaginCajuns.com
TV: None
Radio: KPEL ESPN 1420 AM/KRKA 107.9 FM  Gameday Storylines

* The Cajuns will play three games over the next five days. On Monday, UL will host Louisiana College. On Wednesday, the Cajuns will play at Creighton before hosting Cleveland State on Friday.
* The Cajuns lead the all-time series with Louisiana College, 84-46. The series dates back to 1911-12 and UL won the last meeting during the 2009-10 season, 90-68.
* The Cajuns have won the previous 10 meetings. The Wildcats' last win over UL came on Feb. 4, 1963 when Louisiana College won, 70-61.
* All-time against NCAA Division III opponents, the Cajuns are 103-56 (.648).
* In the Cajundome, UL is 3-3 in home games after a home loss in the season-opener.
* In their last outing, the Cajuns fell to New Mexico State, 76-92. UL shot 44.6 percent from the floor but it was not enough as the Aggies hit 12 three pointers in the contest.
* Josh Brown scored the first basket in the Bob Marlin era with a breakaway dunk in the opening seconds against New Mexico State.

Notes and Trends
Scouting the Wildcats

* Louisiana College will play its first exhibition game of the season against the Cajuns on Monday at the Cajundome.
* LC will return its leading scorer, junior Jarrod Jackson who averaged 11.8 points a game, but missed most of the second half of the season with an injury. Right behind him is the team's lone senior, Chukwuma Ekeh, who averaged 10.7 and junior Jelani Mitchell with 10.5.
* On the boards, the Wildcats were out-rebounded by 144 last season. Junior Korey Salmon lead LC in rebounds for the season with 163 which was close to 50 rebounds more than the Wildcat with the next highest number.
* The Wildcats return ten players who saw action last season. They will be joined by two who were red shirts and three incoming men.
* The typical LC game revolves around the three point shot. Last season there were three players who averaged over 35 percent in completed three pointers, but only one of them, Mitchell, will be returning this season.
* The Wildcats were chosen to be dead last in the American Southwest Conference East Division.

20-20

* Dating back to last season, Travis Bureau has scored 20 points in the past two games.
* Last season at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the senior forward put up 22 points against Louisiana-Monroe. On Friday against New Mexico State, Bureau scored 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

HE'S BACK

* La'Ryan Gary returned to the court for the Cajuns for the first time since suffering an injury during the opening game of the 2008-09 Sun Belt Conference.
* Against New Mexico State, the senior scored six points and had three rebounds in 16 minutes of action.

DOUBLE DIGIT DEBUTS

* Two newcomers scored in double digits in their UL debut.
* Josh Brown and David Perez both scored 16 points in the season-opener against New Mexico State.
* Brown was 8-of-21 with four rebounds.
* Perez was 6-of-9 from the floor, including a 4-of-5 showing from three-point range.

A NEW ERA BEGINS

* Louisiana named Bob Marlin the 13th head men's basketball coach at the University of Louisiana on Monday, March 29, 2010.
* Marlin comes to Louisiana after serving in the same capacity at Sam Houston State since 1998.
* In 12 seasons with the Bearkats, Marlin produced an overall record of 225 victories and 131 losses -- more victories than any other Southland Conference member during that time span.
* His best overall season with the Bearkats came in 2009-10, as he led SHSU to a 25-8 mark, including a 14-2 record in conference play and a 13-1 mark at home. He was named as 2010 Southland Conference Coach of the Year after capturing the Southland regular season and tournament championship. It was the third time that the Southland bestowed him as its Coach of the Year ('00, '03 '10).
* His last eight seasons at SHSU produced a combined record of 163-81 for an average record of 20-10 each season. That stretch included five 20-plus win seasons, two conference championships and two NCAA Tournament berths. Sam Houston is one of only 52 Division I men's basketball teams to post four 20-victory seasons in the last five years.

PLAYING IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD

* Continuing a trend which started in the 2007-08 season, the Ragin' Cajuns roster is loaded with talent from the State of Louisiana.
* A total of 12 of 14 players on the roster call Louisiana home. Louisiana has three players from Lafayette - Colby Batiste, Randell Daigle and La'Ryan Gary.

Fresh New Faces

* The Cajuns will see an influx of talent with seven newcomers on the 2010-11 roster.
* Josh Brown and Scottie Farrington come to UL from Odessa College while David Perez transferred from Centenary.
* Three true freshman will suit up this season with J.J. Thomas, Bryant Mbamalu and Donovan Williams.

RADAR DIALS 'EM IN

* During his third year, Randell Daigle put together one of his most complete seasons to date.
* He set career best in starts (22), FG made (117), FG pct. (.421), three-pointers made (68), rebounds (86) and steals (39).

WELCOME TO THE RAGIN' CAJUNS FAMILY

* Neil Hardin has been by Bob Marlin's side throughout his coaching career - including the past 12 seasons at Sam Houston State - and the relationship will continue as Hardin will serve as an assistant coach on Marlin's inaugural staff at the University of Louisiana.
* Hardin - a Pensacola, Fla., native - began working with Marlin at Pensacola Junior College in 1992 and went with him to the University of Alabama from 1995-98 and later on Sam Houston State.
* Kevin Johnson, a 14-year veteran of collegiate coaching, begins his first season with the Cajuns' coaching staff after spending the previous three seasons at Nicholls State. Before coaching in Thibodaux, Johnson spent two seasons as an assistant at Louisiana Tech and was the head coach at Centenary from 1999-2005.
* In his first two seasons at Nicholls State, Johnson helped the Colonels to a 30- 32 record, including a 20-11 mark and a 14-2 Southland Conference record in 2008-09. In 2008-09, the Colonels reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 1994-95 and just the second time since Nicholls State moved to Division I in 1980. His main duties included overseeing the Colonels' on-court defense and organizing recruiting efforts.
* A 30-year veteran of the coaching profession who has spent the last 12 years in the Louisiana basketball landscape, Nikita Johnson joined Bob Marlin's inaugural staff at the University of Louisiana in April 2010.
* Johnson has deep roots in the State of Louisiana having coached at a state school since 1998 spending time at New Orleans (1998-2004), LSU (2004-07) and Louisiana Tech (2007-10).
* The Donaldsonville, Ga., native has spent time in the Sun Belt Conference, coached in the SEC, coached in the Final Four and tutored several players who had lengthy NBA careers.
* Johnson comes to UL after spending the last three seasons as the associate head coach at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs improved by nine wins in each of the last two seasons going from six wins in 2007-08 to 24 wins in 2009-10.

Bouncing Back

* Three players - Travis Bureau, La'Ryan Gary and Courtney Wallace - all return for 2010-11 after recovering from injuries.
* Bureau was hampered most of last season with a nagging hip injury, Gary missed all last season after having surgery and Wallace saw limited action after suffering multiple injuries.