After an offseason of unbelievable roster moves, the Ragin’ Cajuns look poised to come out and take the Sun Belt Conference by storm. Adding multiple Power Five caliber players to Head Coach Bobby Marlin’s arsenal, this squad looks to be one of the deepest in the entire conference. 

One of the Cajuns most coveted transfers is Jordan Brown. A former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All- American, Brown will play for the Cajuns after a stint at the University of Arizona where he gained tremendous experience playing in the Pac-12. 

Along with Brown, the Cajuns added former four-star recruit and Lafayette native Greg Williams Jr. who gives this roster an athletic menace to provide highlight reel plays night in and night out for Coach Marlin. A player like Williams is rare. His ability to fly in the air to dunk on opponents will have the CajunDome buzzing every night. 

The last domino to fall for Coach Marlin’s revamped roster came in as Creighton University transfer Antwann Jones. Jones is an experienced guard who has played at two Division I universities: Creighton and the University of Memphis. Adding a player of his caliber provides a stud who can come in on day one and give key minutes. 

Along with the exceptional additions this roster made, there were a few players who decided to take their talents elsewhere. 

Starting with the major loss, Coach Marlin lost his prized gem in fifth year senior Cedric Russell. Electing to play a fifth year after gaining an extra year of eligibility from COVID-19, Russell decided to enter the transfer portal and take his talents to Ohio State University to showcase his skills on a higher stage. 

Like Russell, star sophomore Mylik Wilson also made the executive decision to take his game to a bigger university, choosing to transfer to Texas Tech University. Wilson will have three years of eligibility remaining as he looks to put his skillset on display in front of NBA scouts on a nightly basis. 

Lastly, Coach Marlin will have to look for someone to fill the void of Devin Butts, as the former Mississippi State transfer also chose to leave Lafayette after entering his name into the transfer portal. 

Butts decided to go the junior college level where he can get a ton of playing time to prove he is still a Division I caliber talent, where he can eventually commit to another school and play under the brightest lights after his JUCO stint. 

This roster has done a complete 180 since last season. Adding numerous Power Five talents puts Coach Marlin in the driver’s seat to win the conference, but depth is sure to be an issue as they lose their key players in Wilson and Russell. 

As former top tier recruits in Brown, Jones and Williams Jr. look to fill the void, Marlin has the opportunity to bring the Cajuns back to the NCAA tournament and make a serious run come March. 

Returning Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in Theo Akwuba into the mix with these new transfers, talent is brewing in Cajun Country where this team has the chance to be special. 

As Coach Marlin and his roster continue gaining chemistry while learning each other’s playstyles, this could be a scary team come tournament time. Looking to be one of the most gifted rosters in men’s basketball history, the Cajundome will be an incredible atmosphere this season. 

Story: Zachary Nagy