I’Universite des Acadiens of course is in the heart of Lafayette Parish.  This school has a diverse enrollment (second biggest in Louisiana) dating back to its founding over 100 years ago.  There is a strong Acadian French heritage (hence the name) but that is not the entire background especially when it comes to Head Coach Beryl Shipley and his ongoing battle with the powers to be to integrate this school.  Soon after Brown vs. Board of Education this University jumped on the bus enrolling black students almost immediately.  However, the sports program lagged behind and did not have any black athletes and to make matters worse colleges of Louisiana were not even allowed to play other colleges that were integrated.  When they won the regionals and got invited to the national tournament this meant they were going to have to play integrated teams and Shipley (with the great support of the student body who marched on the School President’s house) did go and showed well.  This incident was the catalyst for Shipley to challenge the color line and bring some highly sought after black athletes to the Parish.  Shipley changed the style of basketball according to his players and went with a fast break game that was almost unstoppable.  The Ragin’ Cajuns quickly moved up the ranks of college basketball and soon were a highly sought after program that many conferences wanted this entertaining team to come play for.  The Sun Belt were the recipient of the high scoring boys from the Bayou and they quickly showed they belonged challenging the Kings of the Hill from Western Kentucky and their Louisiana brethren for league dominance.  As a matter of fact if the Ragin’ Cajuns would not have tripped up near the finish line losing three of their last four games they might have actually knocked those Hilltoppers off the top of the mountain. With all of this change and success the powers did not take too kindly of these muckrakers and have decided to turn them into their own personal ants under the full force of their high powered magnifying glass.  And we all know that if you keep something under that kind of attention for long enough sooner or later you will find something or it will just burn. Shipley responded to all the negative attention by saying ‘to be honest I could care less about any damn rule book.  I just tried to do what was right for the boys.  I knew what I had to do.” And what he had to do was the right thing and bring these kids in to play and get an education.  And if the Old Boys Network want to seek revenge for this redneck from Tennessee who built a terrific program by breaking the color line then so be it and Shipley is glad to live with the consequences.  But for this season as the sharks were gathering, he would give these kids a shot at showing those racists that it does not matter what skin color you have as long as you can play basketball!  And that apple cart was officially upset! 

Shipley was lucky enough to have guys who could shoot it from anywhere and with the three-point line this meant heavy offense. He was not hesitant to go up north to get these guys from playing including a pair of back court studs the Big Ten teams missed out on.  This duo both averaged over 20 points a game (one of two combos in the country to accomplish this) and with a solid supporting cast the RC’s won 20 games.  Yes, the NIT somehow passed over a team who had won 20 games overall and 10 in the tough Sun Belt finishing a strong second.  Still, this team did put on a show for their faithful and the sportswriters came from near and far to watch this team put the ball up as often as they could. Now they have to worry about the reality of the investigation into their recruiting and some have even mentioned such a thing as death penalty for the program and the man they want to stake to the cross because of his courage to smash the color barrier.  But for now Shipley and his team have got to marvel on how fast this team made not just a dent but an explosion in the basketball world. 

Leading that explosion is one of the greatest long-range shooters this country has ever seen.  To put it bluntly Dwight ‘Bo’ Lamar is a great scorer.  He can score from anywhere but prefers long distance mailins.  Lamar may be the most talented shooter in the country with his patented moon shots that seem want to touch the ceiling of the Cajundome before they come down.  If he has a split second to get the shot off and it does not matter where he is, he will fire.  His ability to shoot marvels the crowds and the media.  He is not big so he does need some space but boy when he gets a few inches watch out.  He plays point guard and can pass but has also been able to develop his shot off the dribble, another thing that was considered taboo just a few years ago by basketball purists.  Lamar can also get to the hoop and is not afraid to post up bigger guys and has an unblockable hook shot.  The six one stud is a good but not great ballhandler who does turn the ball over on his fair share of possessions as he does handle the ball frequently. He does make up for it with a nifty drop pass now and then as though he loves to shoot he is unselfish as well and his team always comes first.  He is also an entertainer and loves getting the ball with the game on the line. He is truly a one of a kind talent.  The Cajuns fans love watching this kid play and they know they have something special.  He is almost like a god to the campus and they love knowing they have one of the best scorers in the country.  The funny thing is that Lamar was not as highly recruited out of high school as one of his teammates up in Columbus Ohio.  He and Ed Ratleff and company were on one of the best teams in the country winning the state title but his Coach Bob Hart knew the multitalented Ratleff would be a star.  He was becoming the best player on a gifted Long Beach State program where he does everything but Lamar was quite a shock. As soon as he enrolled at Lafayette, Shipley seemingly gave him the green light to start shooting. And he gladly accepted his new role as the designated shooter in this fast breaking high powered offense.  Lamar led D-2 in scoring (at over 28 a game) in his first year in college as he has shown more than the propensity of being the best high volume shooter the South had ever seen.  He followed that with a 23 point a game last year in his first year in D-1 even though he barely shot 33 percent from behind the arc. Missing does not seem to bother Bo and he knows another shot is waiting just around the corner and usually on the next possession.   When you think of Cajun basketball the first name you think of is Bo and no matter what happens after his career ends in a year Lamar will always be the Ragin’ Cajun legend that all others measured against in these parts.  Well, that is unless your name is the Pistol! 

Junior Andrew Toney is similar to Lamar except not quite the circus act, though he for sure puts on a show every night.  This Birmingham native is showing why Lafayette is not a one man team.  Toney is more consistent then Lamar and is one of the best long range shooters in the country.  He can also get to the hoop but lets Lamar do most of that work as he sits outside and hits open J’s.  Toney might have been the star here but he has had some foot injuries that keep him down at times and limited his minutes.  Toney is completely content with being second fiddle to Lamar and knows his time will come.  And most importantly he flat knows he can play.  Some think he has a much brighter future than his moon pie flying teammate and this year he averaged almost as many points as Shipley finally realized how good Toney is.  He has never given the green light to Andrew as he did Bo but this kid has earned his shots and can get his patented fallaway jumper off over just about anyone.  Still, he is not afraid to take the big shot and has produced some game winners on many occasions earning the nickname the ‘Boston Strangler.’  Not many teams have the luxury of having two sharpshooters who can light it up from anywhere and are not afraid to pull the trigger.  Sophomore Sydney Grider is of the same mould as Toney and Lamar and did get some productive minutes but has no chance of unseating them unless there is an injury.  He is actually a little bigger than the two junior studs and might even be a better shooter from long range but has virtually no chance of unseating the magnificent scoring duo.  Still, a guy that can score like he can is not wasted off the bench. 

Junior Roy Ebron is the inside force for the Cajuns.  Part of the second wave with Lamar and Toney of black athletes coming to Lafayette he might be more valuable than either of those sharpshooters.  Not huge, Ebron has to guard some mammoths and held his own.  The inside option on this high-powered scoring machine, Ebron takes pride in rebounding and defense but also likes to share in the offensive fun.  Sure, many of his baskets were on putbacks and dunks off passes from his double teamed teammates but he also could hit a baby hook when needed to.  He is as important as anyone to the success of this team because you have to get the ball to shoot it.  And Ebron goes and gets the ball with the best of them as he averaged over ten boards a game.  Ebron had a bit of a culture shock when he came here three years ago from Norfolk Virginia but he has adjusted well rooming with his buddy Lamar and though he was booed when he first got here (like all of his African-American teammates) is now a crowd favorite.  In Louisiana big powerful post players make up the fabric of their basketball glory and though Ebron is a transplant he is made of the same cloth as the Malones, Petits and Hayes of the Pelican State.  A big, strong physical presence who flat can get it done on the blocks and in the paint Ebron is the real deal.  Ebron might not be at the level of some the elite big men in this country but in the Sun Belt this six nine 220 pound stud is about as good as they get. 

Coach Beryl Shipley started the season with Senior Jerry Flake starting next to Ebron up front to start the year.  In the very first game Calvin Natt of rival Louisiana-Monroe dominated Flake down low with his physical presence and muscle.  Shipley soon realized that the sharpshooting Flake was just too skinny for the paint wars of Division One.  Flake goes 6’6 but about 180 and is her for his shooting which this program has an abundance of.  He dropped off in his productivity last year but still averaged over 11 a game.  He will be back at the three in both ways this year but whether or not he keeps his job is another story.    Shipley is bringing in a ton of new recruits both four year and JC and he is getting many kids who want to come play his style of ball.  Most of these kids are wings though so Flake could be in as much trouble as his namesake is on a warm day in Louisiana. What the Cajuns could really use are some big guys to support Ebron.  Senior Elvin ‘Little E’ Ivory does have the size and was a solid compliment to Ebron but missed too many games with eligibility issues and is not good offensively.  He is great on the boards and gave Coach Shipley the kind of muscle and toughness this team needed down in the paint.  This 6’8 210 pounder from Hayes High School in Birmingham might have a nickname that gives respect to the great power forward who came from around these parts but he is nowhere near that level of player.  But who is?   But Little E had much bigger fish to fry. 

Now for the two studs that changed basketball forever in the Deep South.  When Shipley went looking for recruits he specifically stayed away from kids from small towns in former confederate states such as Alabama or Mississippi.  For some reason he targeted two studs that any program in the country would have been happy to have.  Seniors Marvin Winkler and the aforementioned Ivory were just the men for the job. Winkler decided to come down from Indiana where he broke Oscar Robertson’s single season scoring record.  Ivory comes from Birmingham and supposedly could grab a quarter off the top of the backboard.  Winkler, no relation to the Fonz, quickly became the man when he walked on camps even though it took police escorts to get him and Ivory to away (and home) games.  Of course, getting him here was easier said than done.  As a matter of fact when Shipley and Assistant Tom Cox came to Indiana to convince Winkler to come down south and break the color line Winkler was all in from the get go but his mother wasn’t.  Shipley had to promise to protect his son knowing the nonsense that was in store but perhaps never the amount that he had to deal with.  Winkler easily led the team in scoring his first year even though he was also the primary ballhandler and set up guy.  Shipley has put much responsibility on his team captain and these two seem much more connected than your average player and coach.  He has taken this responsibility and ran with it and has the complete set of tools both on and off the court to handle any situation.  He is a terrific defender who has some size (six one) and usually ends up guarding the other team’s two guard though he is quick enough to guard other point guards.  This terrific scorer has adjusted his game once the two shooting machines got on campus and became the team leader and designated set up man.  He might not be Isiah Thomas but he knows how and where to get the ball to his gifted teammates.  Winkler has become the perfect lead dog for the team’s break and though he shares the ballhandling duties with his two sidekicks everyone knows who the leader of this fast-breaking offense is.  He is a bit svelte at 165 pounds and did have some minor injuries this year but it showed how important he was as the team did not do well in the games he missed.  Someone will replace Winkler next year in the starting lineup but no one will ever have the impact this kid had to this city, this program and basketball for that matter! 

Ivory is about as opposite as the controlled Mr. Winkler can be on the personality and athletic spectrum.  Ivory is a six eight 220 pound stud who can flat jump ‘through’ the roof.  He was an All-American High Schooler and took the idea of coming here and making changes as a personal challenge.  As soon as he got in Lafayette it seems that Ivory started dunking every chance he got.  His combination with Winkler immediately made the Bulldogs more than just a good little directional team.  They combined to put the Ragin’ in the Cajuns and soon the rest of the world was taking notice as well.  Ivory is a passionate player who throws down every dunk like he is throwing it down the throat of the SEC schools who would not recruit him.  He also is a tremendous shot blocker who seems to come from nowhere and loves spiking the ball as far into the seats as he can.  He combined with Ebron to form a quite potent defensive force when they were both healthy.  Ebron and Ivory (Stevie and Paul would be proud) are not quite the Dream and the Big E but they are a formidable pair who love to intimidate the opposition with their rejections of anything that goes near the rim.  Ebron is the base and Ivory is the weak side swatter who averaged almost three blocks a game in barely 24 minutes a game.  The duo was dominant early but Ivory had some issues with his calves and missed some games and his minutes got cut back when he returned.  Still, he could be the most athletic RC that ever suited up in Lafayette and is definitely the coolest and most passionate.  Ivory has meaning with every dunk or blocked or rebound he gets.  He might not be the most disciplined player and he does lack some skills but his presence has made this program and this world better.  Little E never got a shot to go against the Big E but if he would have that Louisiana small town kid would have for sure got at least one of his patented turn arounds sent right back at him.   Whether they want to acknowledge what Winkler and Ivory (and Shipley) have done or not does not matter and even if they try to tarnish their accomplishments with some stupid suspension no one will care.  Because these guys have history on their side and the one thing about history is that the facts are hard to change no matter how racist you are! 

Another Senior, Dean Church, will be back as well but is not in the rotation as of right now.  Church fell from grace just as Flake had with the upgrade in competition and was lost deep on the bench for most of last year.  Church did not have the same issues as Flake as he was a strong two guard who was a born leader and winner.  His issue was the intense competition he would have to face.  Shipley has brought in a slew of underclassmen who are far superior to Church at this point. 

Shipley has a slew of other guys just gnawing at the bit to get on to the court and play in this high-octane offense that never seems to slow down.  George Almones will push for playing time in the crowded back court and he can score and pass and will almost assuredly replace Winkler someday.  Sophomore Graylin Warner is an ultra-thin combo forward who played a unique role.  He played in almost every game but his job would change from night to night being a designated defender or a little offensive spark.  He has length and athleticism but does get pushed around a bit and his minutes ranged from a couple a game to 14 or 15 a night.  He is good in this role and could become more of an offensive threat if this program is allowed to live!  Alonza Allen is another sophomore who is similar to Warner but not quite as good.  He is a defense first guy who played all of last year on JV and might again this year.  Fellow sophomore Kevin Figaro can do a bit of anything (though he was primarily a defender this season) and could use some minutes but the wings are deep and hot in the Louisiana.  Dion Brown is yet another sophomore (there is a definite pecking order in Lafayette) who can play and is the banger they need but did not get enough time on the varsity. He does need to get a bit thicker but he can board as is 6’7. The biggest issue with this team was lack of depth behind Ebron and Ivory.  

The Louisianan-Lafayette Ragun’ Cajuns had a great first year in the Sun Belt. The fans got to enjoy one of the highest scoring and exciting teams in the country in their beloved Cajundome.  Led by a pair of sharpshooting scoring machines in the back court, Coach Beryl Shipley’s program leaped into Division One with both barrels blazing and earned some national attention with their incredible up tempo and high scoring style of play.  Too bad they also got some attention for some recruiting violations that have put this program on the brink of becoming extinct with a new rule they are actually calling the Death Penalty!  This team finished a strong second in the Sun Belt but a loss in the semis (as well as the impending investigation) cost them a shot at the post season.  Too bad because wherever they played this group would have put on a great show.  Here’s hoping with all of their major parts returning that the team with the funny nickname gets a chance to show the country how good they can be. That is a long shot but it was a long shot when Coach Beryl Shipley decided to bring black athletes to Lafayette no matter what the consequences.  Sure, he knew it would improve the talent of his team and sure he wanted to rub it in the noses of the old boys who kept segregation and racism alive in the South and perhaps he broke a few rules but in the end this good ole boy himself was just doing the right thing!  And no matter if you are an old redneck or Spike Doin’ the right thing is the only thing that really matters!