Long Picks Up Consecutive LSWA P.O.W. Honors

Senior Forward Shawn Long picked up LSWA Player of the Week honors for the second straight week, and the Ragin' Cajuns won two more games.

The Cajuns' current eight game win streak is getting a lot of attention around the Sun Belt Conference, and Long's play is getting a lot of recognition in the process. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association tabbed the Cajun big man as their player of the week again after he torched the Warhawks and the Mountaineers last week.

Against ULM, Long unleashed his fury for 28 points and 17 rebounds, collecting seven boards in overtime alone. After carrying his team to a rivalry win, he turned around and put up another double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) on the road against Appalachian State.

Three out of the last four weeks, the LSWA has had no choice but to pick Long as their outstanding performer.

Long's decision to return for his final year at UL is putting him in lofty historical territory. He now joins an elite club of collegiate players to collect 2,100 points and 1,300 rebounds in a career. Recognize some of these names? Long's name now sits alongside Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Elgin Baylor, Elvin Hayes, David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Ralph Sampson...just a few NBA Hall of Famers and college basketball legends.

The UL and Sun Belt record books will remember Long's play on the court for a long time, and Cajun Nation will look back at his time fondly. They will look back at it with even brighter memories if he finds a way to carry them to a Sun Belt Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Does anybody doubt his decision to return for another year was a wise choice? By the time he leaves, he's going to need an extra closet for all his trophies and certificates.