CONWAY. S.C. – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Men’s Basketball team officially opens Sun Belt Conference play on Thursday when it faces Coastal Carolina at the HTC Center.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jeff McCarragher (pxp) and Nate Ross (color) providing the commentary. Fans can listen to the game on KPEL-FM (96.5) and the Varsity Network with Jay Walker calling the action.
Opening up its 32nd season in the Sun Belt Conference, Louisiana (10-2) opens league play in the Carolinas for the second consecutive season. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who earned a 65-64 win over Coastal (6-5) in last year’s New Year’s Day contest in Conway, opened the 2021-22 campaign with a win at App State.
Louisiana, which will wrap up its opening SBC weekend with a New Year’s Eve battle at Old Dominion, has won six of seven meetings in the series – including the last three contests overall – with its three wins in Conway coming by a combined seven points.
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
For the latest on Louisiana Men's Basketball, stay tuned to RaginCajuns.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (RaginCajunsMBB).
GAME 13 PREVIEW – Louisiana (10-2) at Coastal Carolina (6-5)
Date / Time: December 29, 2022 / 6 p.m. CT
Site: Conway, S.C.
Arena: HTC Center (3,212)
RADIO/TV
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Jeff McCarragher (pxp), Nate Ross (color)
Radio: KPEL-FM 96.5 / The Varsity Network
Talent: Jay Walker (pxp)
LIVE STATS/SOCIAL MEDIA
Live Stats: CajunStats.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB | #GeauxCajuns
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Louisiana leads, 6-1
In Lafayette: Louisiana leads, 3-0
In Conway: Louisiana leads, 3-1
Streak: Louisiana +3
Last meeting: Louisiana, 65-64 (1/1/22 at Conway)
THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Record at Louisiana: 231 -169 (13th season); Division I Record: 456-300 (25th season);
Career Record: 579-335 (30th season)
COASTAL CAROLINA
Head Coach: Cliff Ellis (Florida State, 1968)
Record at CCU: 289-208 (16th season), Career Record: 823-545 (45th season)
STORY LINES
• Louisiana opens its 32nd season of Sun Belt Conference Basketball on Thursday when it opens its league slate at Coastal Carolina.
• Louisiana is 19-12 in previous SBC lid lifters and have the last two contests.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns have won six of seven meetings between the schools, including a 65-64 win in last year’s contest on New Year’s Day in Conway.
• The SBC opener features a battle between two of the top double-double producers in the league - CCU’s Essam Mostafa (8) and Louisiana’s Terence Lewis II (4).
• Three players - Lewis (9th, .667) and Jordan Brown (52nd, .575) of Louisiana and Mostafa (36th, .606) - are ranked among the top Division I players nationally in field goal percentage.
• Louisiana Director of Basketball Operations Mike Murphy was an assistant at Coastal Carolina from 1988-92 where he helped CCU to Big South Conference championships (1989, 1990 and 1991), two Big South Tournament championships (1990, 1991) and a trip to the 1991 NCAA Championships.
QUICK HITS
• Louisiana was picked as the 2022-23 preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite in a vote by the league’s head coaches.
• Louisiana is ranked No. 6 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Poll.
• Louisiana enters the game ranked No. 9 among Division I schools in 3-point field goal percentage (.403), 15th in field goal percentage (.501) and 22nd in scoring offense (83.4).
• With 994 points in his collegiate career (Nevada/Arizona/Louisiana), Jordan Brown is six points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns reached the SBC Championship Game for the first time since winning the league’s automatic berth in 2014.
• With 456 wins at the Division I level, head coach Bob Marlin is 32nd among active coaches.
• In a 94-88 win over in-state rival Louisiana Tech on Nov. 17, head coach Bob Marlin earned his 450th career win at the Division I level in 25 seasons. His current record at the Division I level is 456-299 (.603).
• Marlin was 123-35 in five seasons (1990-95) at Pensacola Junior College, leading the team to the 1993 NJCAA National Championship.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns are 16-7 overall in one-point games under head coach Bob Marlin and 60-52 overall in school history.
• Eight of Louisiana’s 14 players on the 2022-23 roster are in-state products.
• Six of the 14 players on the 2022-23 roster are first-year players.
UP NEXT
• Louisiana wraps up its SBC road-opening weekend on Saturday (Dec. 31) when it faces league newcomer Old Dominion in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
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