UL-Lafayette and McNeese Renew Rivalry in Lake Charles Friday Night

Lake Charles, Louisiana (KNGT-FM) - It is once again time for the long-time rivals to meet again on the hardwood as the UL-Lafayette Rajun' Cajuns travel up Interstate 10 for a matchup with the McNeese Cowboys on Friday Night.

No matter where you play the games, if you put UL-Lafayette and McNeese on the docket, people will show up.

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Things do look a bit different this year for both the Cajuns and Cowboys, with brand new Head Coaches at the helm of both programs. Quannas White is in his first season with ULL, as he comes over from Houston. For McNeese, Will Wade no longer paces the sidelines in anger; however, his longtime friend Bill Armstrong does.

You can change coaches, you can change players, but the UL & McNeese rivalry will always remain the same.

McNeese comes into Friday's matchup at 2-1, with both of those wins coming dominantly against non-D1 opponents. The Cowboys' lone loss of the season came at the hands of Santa Clara, who outrebounded McNeese 47-28, while also outscoring McNeese 36-12 from behind the arc.

The Bayou Bandits are still trying to settle into their new roles. Outside of the reigning Southland Player of the Year, Javohn Garcia, and DJ Richards, none of these guys have played basketball with each other, so it will likely take some time to figure out roles. Garcia seemed to feel a bit more comfortable in the win against the College of Biblical Studies on Monday Night as he poured in 19 points in 21 minutes.

Creighton transfer Larry Johnson has been a star since the first time the ball hit the court inside Townsley Law Arena. Johnson is averaging 24 points per contest in just 18 minutes per game. I expect those minutes might continue to rise if he continues on this pace.

READ MORE: New Start Time For Last McNeese Block Party

The Ragin' Cajuns come in at 1-2 and are coming off a 66-62 loss to Tulane on Tuesday. The Cajuns struggled from the free-throw line, and it proved costly. ULL missed 10 of its 21 free throws in the game against the Green Wave.

UL-Lafayette is led by Jaxon Olvera and Jamyron Keller. Both are averaging over 17 points per game, but Keller did not play in the contest against Tulane on Tuesday night.

There has been a lot made over the last few years about the way McNeese has been forced to schedule games. Many fans have voiced their displeasure with the abundance of non-D1 games inside the Townsley Law Arena, but that is just the nature of being good at this level. But I will give the Cajuns props for this one.

While most teams won't schedule the Cowboys in Lake Charles, the Cajuns resigned their deal beginning this year, coming back to Lake Charles.

McNeese/UL-Lafayette Game Details: How To Watch & Block Party

McNeese & UL-Lafayette will go to battle on Friday Night inside the Townsley Law Arena with tip-off set for 6 PM. The game can be seen on ESPN+ with Tom Hoefer (PxP) and Mark Young (Color). Fans attending the game can also enjoy the McNeese Block Party following the game in Alumni Grove. Steelshot is set to take the stage at 8:30.