2017–18 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team represented the University of Louisiana at Lafayette during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Ragin' Cajuns were led by eighth-year head coach Bob Marlin and played their home games at the Cajundome as members in the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 27–7, 16–2 in Sun Belt play to win the Sun Belt regular season championship.[1] The conference championship was the school's first since first regular-season title since sharing the 2000 title and its first outright title since joining the conference in 1991.[2] They defeated Texas State in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt tournament[3] before losing in the semifinals to Texas–Arlington.[4] As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to LSU.[5]

2017–18 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball
Sun Belt Regular Season Champions
NIT, First Round
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Record27–7 (16–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Neil Hardin
  • Kevin Johnson
  • Josten Crow
Home arenaCajundome
2017–18 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Louisiana16–2 .88927–7  .794
Georgia State †12–6 .66724–11  .686
Georgia Southern11–7 .61121–12  .636
Texas–Arlington10–8 .55621–13  .618
Louisiana–Monroe9–9 .50016–16  .500
Troy9–9 .50016–17  .485
Appalachian State9–9 .50015–18  .455
Coastal Carolina8–10 .44414–18  .438
South Alabama7–11 .38914–18  .438
Texas State7–11 .38915–18  .455
Arkansas State6–12 .33311–21  .344
Little Rock4–14 .2227–25  .219
† 2018 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner

Head coach Bob Marlin sparked controversy after it was announced that the Cajuns would play in-state rival LSU in the NIT, believing the Cajuns were the better team and should have been given home-court advantage.[6] He also said of LSU, "Sometimes, a team that tied for ninth in their league isn’t interested in playing. But they haven’t been very good for a couple of years, so the NIT is a big step for them."[7] Late in the game, which LSU won, Marlin and LSU head coach Will Wade had to be restrained while yelling at each other.[8]

Previous season

The Ragin' Cajuns finished the 2016–17 season 21–12, 10–8 in Sun Belt play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place. They defeated Little Rock in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament[9] before losing to Georgia State in the quarterfinals.[10] They did not participate in a postseason tournament.

Offseason

Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Roydell Brown 25 G 6'5" 184 Freshman New Orleans, Louisiana Transferred to Southwest Mississippi Community College[11]
Jay Wright 1 F 6'1" 170 Senior Rincon, Georgia Graduated

Incoming recruits
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Elijah McCoy
PF		 Fresno, California Roosevelt High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Jun 9, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 0
Cedric Russell
#60 SG		 New Orleans, Louisiana Peabody Magnet High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Oct 28, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN grade: 76
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Louisiana 2017 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 23, 2017.

Roster
2017–18 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearHometown
F 0 Cedric Russell 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) Fr Alexandria, Louisiana
G 1 Malik Marquetti 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)191 lb (87 kg) RS Jr Compton, California
F 3 Justin Miller 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)251 lb (114 kg) So Owensboro, Kentucky
G 4 Frank Bartley 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)214 lb (97 kg) Sr Baton Rouge, Louisiana
G 5 Kadavion Evans 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)160 lb (73 kg) RS So Shreveport, Louisiana
F 11 Jerekius Davis 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)222 lb (101 kg) RS So Jackson, Mississippi
G 13 Jacob Broussard 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)164 lb (74 kg) Sr Lafayette, Louisiana
G 15 P.J. Hardy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)170 lb (77 kg) So Lake Charles, Louisiana
F 23 JaKeenan Gant 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS Jr Springfield, Georgia
G 30 Jonathan Stove 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)224 lb (102 kg) Sr Baton Rouge, Louisiana
G 31 Mason Aucoin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)172 lb (78 kg) So Luling, Louisiana
F 32 Bryce Washington 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)245 lb (111 kg) Sr New Orleans, Louisiana
C 33 Larenz Stalcup 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)233 lb (106 kg) Sr Colorado Springs, Colorado
G 35 Marcus Stroman 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)183 lb (83 kg) RS Jr Columbia, South Carolina
F 55 Elijah McCoy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)235 lb (107 kg) Fr Fresno, California
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: July 22, 2017

Schedule and results
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
Nov 2*
7:00 pm		 Millsaps W 112–63 
 15 – Miller  10 – Washington  3 – Stalcup  Cajundome (1,474)
Lafayette, LA
Non-conference regular season
Nov 10*
7:30 pm, SECN Plus		 at Ole Miss L 76–94  0–1
  16 – Stove  8 – Gant  5 – Stroman  The Pavilion at Ole Miss (8,302)
Oxford, MS
Nov 14*
7:00 pm		 Louisiana College W 113–58  1–1
  19 – Hardy  9 – Gant  5 – Hardy  Cajundome (3,474)
Lafayette, LA
Nov 17*
4:00 pm		 Savannah State W 115–82  2–1
  21 – Bartley  15 – Washington  11 – Stroman  Cajundome (3,096)
Lafayette, LA
Nov 20*
11:00 am		 vs. Iowa
Cayman Islands Classic quarterfinals		 W 80–71  3–1
  17 – Bartley  10 – Washington  11 – Stroman  John Gray High School (1,200)
George Town, Cayman Islands
Nov 21*
1:30 pm		 vs. Wyoming
Cayman Islands Classic semifinals		 L 61–70  3–2
  19 – Bartley  9 – Gant  3 – Marquetti  John Gray High School (654)
George Town, Cayman Islands
Nov 22*
4:00 pm		 vs. Richmond
Cayman Islands Classic 3rd place game		 W 82–76  4–2
  23 – Bartley  13 – Washington  7 – Stroman  John Gray High School (850)
George Town, Cayman Islands
Nov 28*
7:00 pm		 McNeese State W 89–78  5–2
  17 – Marquetti  12 – Washington  4 – Bartley  Cajundome (3,489)
Lafayette, LA
Dec 1*
7:00 pm		 at Nicholls State W 105–80  6–2
  23 – Stove  12 – Washington  7 – Stove  Stopher Gym (733)
Thibodaux, LA
Dec 6*
7:00 pm		 Loyola–New Orleans W 98–56  7–2
  23 – Gant  13 – Washington  4 – Miller  Cajundome (3,190)
Lafayette, LA
Dec 12*
6:30 pm		 at Louisiana Tech W 75–71  8–2
  22 – Gant  10 – Washington  9 – Stroman  Thomas Assembly Center (3,438)
Ruston, LA
Dec 16*
7:00 pm		 New Orleans W 87–65  9–2
  21 – Gant  11 – Gant  7 – Stroman  Cajundome (3,445)
Lafayette, LA
Dec 19*
7:00 pm		 Southeastern Louisiana W 82–74  10–2
  14 – Gant  12 – Gant  5 – Washington  Cajundome (3,323)
Lafayette, LA
Dec 22*
2:00 pm, ACCN Extra		 at Clemson L 60–89  10–3
  16 – Stroman  6 – Bartley  3 – Stroman  Littlejohn Coliseum (8,847)
Clemson, SC
Sun Belt regular season
Dec 29
7:00 pm		 at Little Rock W 77–63  11–3
(1–0)		  20 – Gant  19 – Washington  5 – Stroman  Jack Stephens Center (1,688)
Little Rock, AR
Dec 31
3:30 pm		 at Arkansas State W 88–78  12–3
(2–0)		  23 – Bartley  11 – Washington  10 – Stroman  First National Bank Arena (2,076)
Jonesboro, AR
Jan 4, 2018
7:15 pm		 Appalachian State W 78–45  13–3
(3–0)		  16 – Bartley  10 – Washington  4 – Stroman  Cajundome (4,329)
Lafayette, LA
Jan 6
7:00 pm		 Coastal Carolina W 81–64  14–3
(4–0)		  22 – Bartley  12 – Washington  6 – Washington  Cajundome (4,150)
Lafayette, LA
Jan 13
7:00 pm		 Louisiana–Monroe W 82–48  15–3
(5–0)		  12 – Bartley  12 – Washington  10 – Stroman  Cajundome (5,813)
Lafayette, LA
Jan 18
7:15 pm, ESPN3		 at Texas–Arlington W 77–65  16–3
(6–0)		  26 – Bartley  16 – Washington  6 – Stroman  College Park Center (2,384)
Arlington, TX
Jan 20
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Texas State W 80–55  17–3
(7–0)		  19 – Marquetti  9 – Washington  6 – Stroman  Strahan Coliseum (3,222)
San Marcos, TX
Jan 25
7:15 pm		 South Alabama W 76–57  18–3
(8–0)		  21 – Marquetti  16 – Washington  5 – Stroman  Cajundome (5,036)
Lafayette, LA
Jan 27
2:00 pm		 Troy W 81–69  19–3
(9–0)		  24 – Gant  9 – Washington  5 – Bartley  Cajundome (4,865)
Lafayette, LA
Feb 3
2:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Louisiana–Monroe W 80–53  20–3
(10–0)		  22 – Bartley  9 – Washington  7 – Stroman  Fant–Ewing Coliseum (2,269)
Monroe, LA
Feb 8
6:15 pm, ESPN3		 at Georgia State L 92–106  20–4
(10–1)		  21 – Bartley  8 – Stroman  15 – Stroman  GSU Sports Arena (2,065)
Atlanta, GA
Feb 10
4:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Georgia Southern W 102–91  21–4
(11–1)		  28 – Stove  13 – Washington  8 – Stroman  Hanner Fieldhouse (2,687)
Statesboro, GA
Feb 15
7:15 pm		 Texas State W 73–63  22–4
(12–1)		  19 – Washington  10 – Washington  11 – Stroman  Cajundome (4,382)
Lafayette, LA
Feb 17
7:00 pm		 Texas–Arlington W 100–79  23–4
(13–1)		  25 – Bartley  10 – Washington  6 – Washington  Cajundome (5,104)
Lafayette, LA
Feb 22
7:15 pm, ESPN3		 at Troy W 81–76  24–4
(14–1)		  22 – Bartley  10 – Washington  4 – Stove  Trojan Arena (2,236)
Troy, AL
Feb 24
7:05 pm		 at South Alabama W 88–71  25–4
(15–1)		  20 – Davis  13 – Washington  4 – Stroman  Mitchell Center (1,946)
Mobile, AL
Mar 1
7:15 pm		 Arkansas State W 85–74  26–4
(16–1)		  18 – Bartley  7 – Washington  8 – Stroman  Cajundome (4,307)
Lafayette, LA
Mar 3
7:00 pm		 Little Rock L 61–72  26–5
(16–2)		  17 – Gant  14 – Washington  8 – Stroman  Cajundome (5,275)
Lafayette, LA
Sun Belt tournament
Mar 9
11:30 am, ESPN3		 (1) vs. (9) Texas State
Quarterfinals		 W 80–54  27–5
  23 – Bartley  8 – Washington  8 – Stroman  Lakefront Arena (2,170)
New Orleans, LA
Mar 10
11:30 am, ESPN3		 (1) vs. (4) Texas–Arlington
Semifinals		 L 68–71  27–6
  19 – Bartley  10 – Washington  7 – Stroman  Lakefront Arena (2,811)
New Orleans, LA
NIT
Mar 14*
6:00 pm, ESPN3		 (6) at (3) LSU
First round – Saint Mary's Bracket		 L 76–84  27–7
  21 – Bartley  13 – Stroman  7 – Stroman  Maravich Center (6,846)
Baton Rouge, LA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

[12]

References
  1. "Louisiana vs. South Alabama - Game Recap - February 24, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  2. "Arkansas State vs. Louisiana - Game Recap - March 1, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  3. Advocate, MIKE STROM | Special to The. "Cajuns shred Texas State in Sun Belt tournament opener". The Advocate. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. "UT Arlington dethrones top-seeded Louisiana, now one win away from spot in NCAA Tournament". star-telegram. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. "LSU advances past ULL in NIT, 84-76". Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. MICKLES, SHELDON. "UL-Lafayette coach on LSU, NIT: Tigers 'probably didn't want to play this game, to be honest'". The Advocate. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  7. "LSU and UL-Lafayette make hate great again in NIT first round". SEC Country. March 14, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. "Watch: LSU coach, Louisiana coach have heated exchange". SI.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  9. "Little Rock vs. Louisiana - Game Recap - March 8, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  10. "Louisiana vs. Georgia State - Game Recap - March 10, 2017 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  11. "Brown To Transfer From Ragin' Cajuns Basketball Program". Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  12. "2017-18 Men's Basketball Schedule". Ragin' Cajuns Athletics. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
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