Cajuns hope Long will return vs. Jackson State

After a long stretch away from home, and a long stint with its much-ballyhooed big man being not-quite right, the UL basketball team is back at the Cajundome on Wednesday night hoping Shawn Long will return for the ride in familiar form.

The pro prospect did not play in UL's last two games, a Nov. 24 loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Las Vegas and a 76-52 win over Oral Roberts one night later in Vegas.

He also was limited to 23 minutes in a Nov. 21 loss at Auburn, all because of a foot injury that has bothered him since before the season began, and did not play in a Nov. 5 preseason win over Loyola-New Orleans.

"We didn't have Shawn Long in either (Vegas) game, and really didn't have him at Auburn either," Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said Tuesday. "He had six points and two rebounds (at Auburn) and was not a factor in that ballgame."

Long, a Morgan City High product, averaged 18.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as UL won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in New Orleans and advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago.

This season, however, the usual double-double machine is averaging just 9.7 points and 4.0 boards per game in three outings — with highs of 15 points in a Nov. 17 loss at Tulsa and six rebounds in a season-opening win over Louisiana College.

The only time he's played more than 23 minutes this season was when he logged 32 at Tulsa.

Marlin said Long "looked good" at practice Sunday and Monday.

But the Cajun coach wanted to wait until watching him practice Tuesday before finalizing the preseason All-Sun Belt pick's status for Wednesday's home game against SWAC member Jackson State.

"We'll see how he is … but I think the rest did all our guys good, especially him," said Marlin, who gave his club a few days off for last weekend's Thanksgiving break before gathering it back together Sunday.

"He's had a bone bruise and tendinitis in his foot, and it's really bothered his mobility, and his lateral movement has not been very good, and his explosive either."

But, Marlin added, "he's starting to get some of that back."

Wednesday's game will be UL's first since a stretch with four in a row away from the Cajundome that started with the loss at Tulsa.

The Cajuns rebounded against Oral Roberts behind 22 points off the bench from guard Kasey Shepherd, and now play four of their next five at home.

The lone road game during that span is a short drive away to McNeese State on Saturday night.

"We played very well against Oral Roberts," said Marlin, who was happy with UL's defense and the way it attacked pressure for easy buckets against ORU. "We were encouraged by that."

Marlin said it's "a good experience for our team, for him (Long) to be out, or be in foul trouble, to see what we can do (without) him."

"We certainly play smaller at times when he's out," the Cajun coach said, "and that can work to our advantage, especially defensively."