UL Roundballers Open Season Against Louisiana College

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun men’s basketball team begins their 2015-2016 regular season schedule on Friday night, when they play host to the Louisiana College Wildcats, in a non-conference tilt.

Tipoff time at the Cajundome is set for 7 o'clock.

The game can be heard on Hot 107.9 FM, and 1079ishot.com, with pregame beginning at 6:30.

Louisiana returns all five starters, and nine letterwinners, from a squad that went 22-14 a season ago, including a quarterfinal appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, their third postseason appearance in the last four years.

Among the returnees is senior forward Shawn Long, the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year, who averaged 16.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season and was named to the Lou Henson All-America team in addition to being named a first-team All-Sun Belt and All-Louisiana selection.

A three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, Long enters his final season in a Ragin' Cajuns uniform as the NCAA active leader in double-doubles (52) and total rebounds (1,036), while ranking second among active NCAA players in rebound average (10.3) and is seventh in blocked shots (212).

Long's 1,700 career points rank him seventh in UL history, while his 1,036 career rebounds rank him second, only 28 behind Roy Ebron.

Offensively, Louisiana scored 77.5 points-per-game, while shooting 45.9% from the floor, including 35.8% from beyond the three-point arc in the 2014-2015 season.

Defensively, the Cajuns allowed 70.0 points-per-game last season, while opponents shot 42.6% from the floor, including 32.2 from three-point land.

Louisiana outrebounded opponents, 39.5/33.1, a season ago.

Louisiana College, a Division III team, went 14-10 last season, averaging 77.8 points-per-game, while shooting 45.4% from the floor, including 30.1% from beyond the three-point arc.

The Wildcats leading scorer Anthony Gaines, Jr., who averaged 20.6 ppg as a junior last season.

Louisiana leads the all-time series, 51-20.

Following their season opener, the Cajuns travel to Miami, Florida, to take on the Miami Hurricanes next Monday, November 16th.