Bob Marlin's Ragin' Cajun Basketball team plays their next four conference games on the road, an obstacle their coach wishes they didn't have to clear.

Scheduling can make or break a season, if the path becomes too brutal to blaze. The Cajuns are 5-0 at home, yet they still sit with a losing record due to six tough losses to challenging opponents away from the Cajundome. Throw in the next four games, and that makes 10 out of their first 15 games on the road. Tough sledding is a bet of an understatement.

"We probably bit off more than we could chew...but the bottom line was, we couldn't get a home game," Marlin said.

He later touched on some of the scheduling conflicts, specifically with the Sun Belt, that led to his team having to open up with so many away games. The other teams in the conference will deal with the same difficulties as the Sun Belt moves forward.

When asked directly about the negative affects of Sun Belt scheduling, Marlin said, "It's going to hurt our conference, you're right."

Pouting won't do any good though, and Marlin knows that. His team has to worry about getting ready for Arkansas-Little Rock first, then continue through their road schedule one game at a time. Marlin said the Cajuns need to make sure to match the Trojans toughness, and he noted UALR's defensive improvement several times.

Tempo will be key. Marlin is well aware of the clash of styles between the two squads.

"We're going to want to go fast, and they're going to want to let the air out of the tire, so to speak," Marlin said.

Aside from breaking down the matchup with UALR, Marlin wanted to make sure to inform Cajun Nation of some individual milestones about to be set.

Steven Wronkoski is on pace to break a university record, but it's barely been brought up, if at all. If all continues as planned, Wronkoski will break the career record for individual games played as a Ragin' Cajun. Marlin was proud to give the four year contributor the publicity he deserves, and praised Wronkoski for his steadfast devotion to the team.

In the thievery department, Kasey Shepherd is on pace to finish in the top 10 all time in steals as a Ragin' Cajun. The senior guard from Houston is shouldering a bigger role this season as well and is a bright spot in a backcourt that is struggling to find its step. The last milestone is a rather large one, and it should come as no surprise who is on pace to break this record.

Shawn Long's dominance on the glass is well documented. He already holds the Ragin' Cajun record for career rebounds, and Long will eclipse Augustine Rubit's career mark of 1,183 rebounds most likely in his next two games.

Playing heavy minutes all four years, on top of his innate ability to track down the ball down low, gave Shawn Long a chance to do something seriously special.

During his weekly coach's show, Marlin piled on a little more praise for his (most likely) NBA-bound big man.

"Him staying his fourth year allowed him to get deep in the record books," Marlin said. He thinks Long's record will stand for a very long time after that, and it might not ever be broken.

Long's dominant presence will be required if the Cajuns want to survive this upcoming road stretch. Marlin and his team can't play the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" game when it comes to scheduling. All they can do now is put their eyes forward and keep climbing those hills.

More From 103.3 The GOAT