Welcome everyone to the debut edition of #3OT! Much like #4Downs, I’ll be breaking down every Cajuns and Tigers hoops matchup throughout conference play. With conference starting up for both teams in the next couple of days, I’ll break down the Cajuns and Tigers non-conference schedule and give my thoughts on how they might fare in the next couple of months. First off: the Ragin Cajuns.
1st OT: The Shawn Long Show
With Shawn Long returning for his senior year to try and get the Ragin Cajuns into the big dance once again, he has made a strong case to be one of the best players in the Sun Belt Conference in non-conference play. The senior only has had four games that did not result in a double-double. It could’ve been three if Long had played the first half of last week’s win over UNO, where in only 17 minutes he racked up 13 points and eight boards. Shawn Long, along with head coach Bob Marlin, will need to rally the troops heading into conference play to achieve the goal of making it to March Madness.
2nd OT: Road Woes
The Cajuns are finding it hard to get a win on the road, currently with a big goose egg when they leave the friendly confines of the Cajundome. However, these losses have been against opponents like Alabama, UCLA, Pepperdine, and LA Tech. But a tough 81-70 loss against conference rival ULM on the road could spell trouble ahead for the Cajuns with a four-game road trip starting on January 7th. The Cajuns need to get the proverbial monkey off of their back and quick.
3rd OT: Settle the Lineup issues
It seems to me that the Cajuns are struggling to find their image heading into 2016. Changing things on a consistent basis through ten games could be one of those reasons. With the talent of players the Cajuns have it’s all about how they’re being used. And Marlin is determining how the rotation of players is done with how players have performed both in the game and in practice. But it makes for an inconsistency in terms of team chemistry. The Cajuns will hopefully be ready to go once the remainder of their conference slate is in front of them.
-Clint Domingue