With this in mind the Northeast Louisiana Indians from the old Gulf States Conference in the lower divisions of college athletics for the primary purpose of having a college football program this college football mad region have become Louisiana-Monroe with the primary program being one of the most successful programs (that you have never heard of) in college basketball.  This program basically built by the great Lenny Fant has adapted and progressed it’s way up to the Division road map by hopscotching from being independent through different conferences.  They have ended up in the Southland Conference (for now) with some of their less motivated brethren where they get to be king.  Fant has done his job building this program (and in honor they built a basketball castle with his name on it) and has handed over the reins to one of his former players and his prodigy Mike Vining who had continued the excellence.  With all of the ducks in a row for this program Vining and his bunch was in line to having another terrific season and dominating the Southland once again and hopefully this time showing the world they are more than just a small conference power and winning a game or two at the Big Dance. 

 Louisiana-Monroe almost won another Southland Conference Regular season title last year behind the solid play of a fine group of players that Coach Mike Vining has assembled.  LMU have been as consistent of a force in this conference as the Grinch stealing toys at Christmas since they joined the Southland a few years back. LMU has always been a basketball force in this great basketball state but for years were stuck as an Independent.  When they finally got into a conference they were not exactly welcome and some of their competitors wanted some bigger and better partners.  This team from the northern rural part of the state tried to tag along with their peers but realized they were better suited for this unique conference filled with Texas and Louisiana schools.  Here in this underrated conference they could be the biggest and baddest boys on the blocks and with Vining firmly committed to making his program an ongoing winner LMU sets forth on another season as favorites to win the Southland.  

They were led throughout the season by one of the most talented players in small conference ball in America.  Junior forward Calvin Natt had an outstanding season once again for LMU and was named co-MVP for the Southland Conference with the superb big man from Sam Houston State, James Lister. Natt is an undersized (six foot six and 220 lbs) but dominant power forward who can virtually do it all on the basketball court.  Natt not only has all the skills but this ‘pit bull’ has a burning desire to compete every night.  Coming from just up the road from Monroe in tiny Bastrop Cal was a dominant high school player that loved Coach Fant (and so did his Mom when he came for a visit) and decided to come this way.  He was the one the Dale Brown let get away as he chose LMU over LSU (and damn wouldn’t he have been the perfect fifth starter on that team). He has never had the chance of playing against the ‘Oligarch’ as Brown has made sure LMU will not be scheduled after missing out on the prized Natt.  There are rumors that may change next year but don’t hold your breath as Brown can definitely hold a grudge as he has shown with the ongoing feud with Bobby Knight.  Natt doesn’t seem to care as he is a small town guy who excels being the ‘pit bull on a small porch.’ Natt can basically score from anywhere 18 feet and in with a variety of power moves to the hoop and a consistent jump shot that he releases high both off the ground and over his head and is not only impossible to block but is wildly consistent.  Natt never takes a bad shot (he shoots over 60 percent) and is a master of getting position down low and using his quick release for easy baskets in the paint.  Natt is a jumping jack who can literally snag board after board (he got 23 in one game) by just outleaping opponents but he also knows how to get prime position.  The best part is that the team star is also unselfish as he can kick it out as good as anyone from the block not named Alcindor and averaged 2.3 assists a game to go with his 17.2 points and 9.2  boards.  Throw in his almost two steals a game (he does not back down from anybody and loves guarding the bigger power forwards of the South just ask Karl Malone) as this ‘pit bull’ brings it every night against anyone.  To show how tough this guy is Natt had some ongoing knee injuries after a fall versus Tech and Malone and was not quite the same but he never missed a game and averaged over 33 minutes a game.  It is not often that the best player is also the toughest (enforcer) and hardest working.  

The one player the fans of Monroe are ecstatic to get to see one more time is senior guard Glynn Saulters. Saulters has been a stalwart for the LMU program for four years now.  If you think Natt came from a small town then Saulter’s home town of Lisbon is absolutely munchkin like with a total of 182 residents.  After sitting out most of his first season due to a knee injury the powers that be awarded him another season.  Saulters has become as solid of a shooting guard as there is in Louisiana.  He may not get the hype of ‘Pistol’ Pete but the fans in Monroe wouldn’t trade there guy in for the world.  Saulters has a great jump shot but is best at slashing to the hoop with an array of shots that he has made up playing against his brothers in Lisbon.  He might not have range out to the bayou but the kid can score in in a variance of ways and loves taking big shots.  Saulters also plays both ends who is an unselfish superstar and is not afraid to play against the best and take on the hardest of challengers.  A solid ballhandler who is a better scorer, Saulters is the complete package at shooting guard.  He has played some point as this team found itself in need of some leadership at that position and no one is a better leader then Glynn Saulters.  How good was he?  He competed and made the national team in between his junior and senior year and was a huge part of their gold medal success at the PanAm games.  

  As for the rest of the team there was some talent for sure but it seemingly was all in the same shapes and sizes and skills.  Coach Vining loves to recruit athletic undersized wings who can really run and jump.  He has a plethora of forwards but he the cupboard was kind of bare in a few other areas of need and probably contributed to the team not quite reaching their goals this season.  The most glaring weakness for this team was the obvious lack of a point guard.  LMU only has one true point guard on their returning roster.  Glynn’s little brother Larry is one heck of a quarterback who really knows how to get the ball to the right guy at the right time for easy baskets.  His assist to turnover ratio is one of the best in the country and the funny thing is when he came to Monroe he was following in his brothers footsteps and was a two guard.  Ironically both are Seniors due to the fact Glynn sat out his first year with the injury.  Obviously he was not going to get much time behind big bro and so the next couple of years he worked his tail end off learning what it takes to be a great point guard. The problem is that he has become so unselfish that he does not hardly ever score and Vining wanted someone who was a bit more of a threat.  He also wanted to be able to get some of his young athletes on the court as much as possible. With this in mind he had some funky lineups including Larry’s older brother playing the point at times.  Fellow Senior Lanny Johnson is another guard who at one point was a primary offensive player and started this year once again next to Glynn.  This just wasn’t working anymore as though both could handle the ball they both also wanted to score first.  Johnson had a great career here but by the middle of last year was firmly on the bench barely getting any time until Senior day.  Fellow seniors Melvin Gibson (he used to go by Mel) and Tommy Enloe are back but might have lost their shot at PT especially if Vining’s new recruits pan out.  Enloe can play some point so that keeps him in the running and he has performed well with the older Saulters when they are on the court together.  Junior Jerry Jingles (say that fast five X) got many minutes at the point and was successful but is not a great passer or ball handler but man can he get to the hoop.  He is one of the team leaders and Vining loves having to rely on in a variety of roles off the bench for LMU.  Sophomores Arthur Hayes and Elgin James got some limited trials but were mainly stuck on the JV team as none of them are the true point guard this team needs.  

Vining had the same kind of issues and had to mix things up at center as well.  Junior Henry Steele was the first choice down low and this kid flat knows how to play this game.  Steele is six foot eight so he is a bit undersized for guarding big centers especially since he really does not get off the ground much or very high.  What he does do is get great position and uses his brains to score and board with the best of them.  What Steele does well is exactly the same things Natt does well (except for jumping of course) and to be honest this team did not need two power forwards.  They need a center who can guard bigger men and defend the rim.  Fellow juniors David Pickett, Eugene Robinson and Mike Rose are in the mix for the starting gig.  Pickett and Rose can score on the blocks (and beyond for Rose) and are coming off solid seasons where they rotated back and forth.  Neither is a defensive presence but Robinson is.  He just cannot get on the court with his lack of offensive skills.  Sophomores Michael Saulsberry and Terry Martin will also be in the mix after terrific first years on the JV.  None of these guys are over 6’8 and Vining has made it clear he wants more size up front especially to guard the rim.  Junior project Carl Kilpatrick is 6’10 and 230 and can bang but is not really a defensive juggernaut though he is better than everyone else we have mentioned.  He has not played enough minutes yet rotating between JV and varsity but looks to get a shot this year. 

The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks had another fine season under the tutelage of Coach Mike Vining. They did not however win the conference regular season championship again though many though they would.  They finished a strong second in the regular season and ended their regular season with a fine 20 and 10 overall record.  Still, they were left out of the NIT tournament too as they chose Lamar over them.  I guess the boys in New York do not know a good team when they see one.  Either that or they have something against the Southland!  Either way LMU will be back trying to win another Southland conference title and with greats Glynn Saulters and Calvin Natt leading the way for one more year I would not pick against them!