For the first time since 2006, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns will welcome a ranked opponent to the Cajundome for a college basketball game.
Bob Marlin’s program hasn’t faced a team ranked in the Top 25 at home during his tenure as Nevada was the last team in 2006. The Cajuns were led by Robert Lee, who went 9-21 that season including the 87-76 loss to the Wolfpack.
Now, #19 James Madison comes to Lafayette for the first time as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, which also makes this the first time the Cajuns have played a regular season conference game against a ranked member of the SBC (Western Kentucky was nationally ranked in the 2002 conference tournament).
The Dukes, led by former Georgia Southern head coach Mark Byington, come into this matchup with a 13-0 record with a major season-opening win at then #4 Michigan State. Byington’s group averages 91.8 points per game, third in the nation, and outscoring their opponents by 19 points per game. JMU is led by Terrence Edwards Jr. and T.J. Bickerstaff, who combine for 33.4 points per game for the Dukes so far this season.
“They are taking better care of the ball,” Marlin said. “They’ve got a point guard, a grad transfer, I believe from Robert Morris (Michael Green III). He’s really tough. He’s had an excellent year so far. Terrence Edwards is a really good player. started for them last year. I think he made the all-tournament team in Pensacola. He’s having a heck of a year being named a two-time player of the week just like Kobe Julien. They picked up TJ Bickerstaff, a 6’9″ forward from Boston College who’s having a really good year for them and gives a good inside presence. Freidel is the shooter, he’s back he can really stroke the basketball. They also have a couple of guys off the bench that play hard and contribute, but they’re taking much better care of the ball, and they’re shooting a better percentage than they did last year.”
Those statistics add to the fact that this is quite possibly the biggest opportunity for Bob Marlin to put a major stamp on a team in 2023 that has struggled to get consistent in their play. Sitting at 7-6 after just one conference game, Louisiana has shown that without a strong night from behind the three-point line, they struggle to win basketball games. In their first conference game, last weekend against Marshall, the Cajuns shot 5-22 from three and they lost by 14. Back in December, on the road once against Samford, Louisiana shot 3-19 from down and lost 88-65.
On the other side of that coin, Louisiana played in the Gulf Coast Showcase against Long Beach State, a team that had beaten Michigan earlier in the season, and made 18 threes to lead them to a 92-82 win.
The reason for them having to depend on the outside shooting has been the lack of an inside presence. During the offseason, Terence Lewis Jr graduated and Jordan Brown transferred to Memphis, so Marlin had to make some changes to the rotation and brought in Hosana Kitenge from Three Rivers Community College. Kitenge, a 6’8″ forward from England, has been streaky so far in his 13 games for the Cajuns, averaging 8.4 points per game. The Vermilion and White have also depended on Joe Charles and Kobe Julien to be a presence down low early on in the season, playing as a combo forward for the Cajuns.
However, even with all the questions surrounding the team heading into the new year, Marlin feels confident heading into this big matchup.
“We’re confident we’re gonna win the game,” Marlin said in his weekly media availability. “I mean, we’ve won 19 in a row. When was the last time James Madison won in this building? Have they ever been here? So we feel like it’s even through that, and if we play well, we will win. I can assure you.”
Marlin and Byington are very familiar with one another, having coached against each other yearly since 2013. Byington knows that even though the Cajuns are off to a rough start, they are still considered a top team in the conference.
“The backcourt is the same,” Byington said when asked about the changes to the Cajuns’ roster. I know that’s good for Bob Marlin and good for Louisiana. They have a first-team all-league point guard and one of the best shooters in the league. You know, those guys have been doing this and they know what to expect. So I think it starts with them just kind of their continuity.”
Louisiana will look to continue their 19-game home winning streak, which is the third longest in the nation, tonight against James Madison. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. from the Cajundome and can be viewed on ESPN+.
Matt Miguez is the host of the Miguez Mindset podcast on ESPN Southwest Louisiana’s YouTube channel. He is also a digital reporter for ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.