Men’s basketball falls 1–2 in three games against in-state rivals 

The 2025-26 season for Louisiana men’s basketball proves to be a new frontier; new coaches, players, systems, philosophies, fan favorites and challenges. After the Cajuns lost their season opener against Ball State University, their next three games were all against three Louisiana teams: Southeastern, Tulane and McNeese. 

Against Southeastern, the Ragin’ Cajuns had their first home game in the Quannas White era and an opportunity to add another win to a 16–2 record at home against the Lions. 

This first showing also provided a first look at a reinvigorated and excited Cajun faithful, with an attendance of 3,304 at the Cajundome, which, compared to the past year’s attendance, might as well have been 10,000. 

The matchup against the Lions showed some patterns to expect this season with the Cajuns. First off, newcomer Jaxon Olvera, a sophomore guard who transferred from Pepperdine University, is a firestarter. His early scoring provides this team with an energy boost and momentum. 

In his media availability on Nov. 10, White reflected on the scoring Olvera provides. “Jaxon is an elite scorer … he can play multiple positions, he can play the 1, 2, 3 and at some points in time he’ll play the 4 for us. He’s smart, has a high IQ, but he has a knack for scoring, which was a huge reason we recruited him… he’s the same kid who had 27 [points] against Gonzaga last year.” 

Olvera ended the 58–52 win against Southeastern with 20 points, all while coming off the bench. His effort was not the only one that night, as performances from Jamyron Keller, Dorian Finister and De’Vion Lavernge proved critical to the Cajuns’ win on Nov. 7. 

Keller fills a floor general role; he directs the offense, all while providing great scoring, defense and leadership for this team. This is paired with Finister and Lavernge, who give the Cajuns reliable points and minutes, day in and day out. The key to victory over the Lions was the consistent scoring from this team and a steady defense, which held the Lions scoreless throughout the beginning of the game. 

In their Nov. 11 game against Tulane, the Cajuns lost 66–62 at the Cajundome, putting up a good fight against the Green Wave from New Orleans. A crowd of 3,047 fans witnessed some similar patterns; Olvera with a 19-point game, Levergne with another consistent night; however, Keller was hurt in practice the day before, so fifth-year walk-on guard Milan Mejia stepped up, providing 10 points and hard-nosed defense. 

Tulane played a very physical game, spearheaded by Rowan Brumbaugh’s 19 points and Tyler Ringgold’s 17. Despite the Cajuns taking the lead to end the first half, poor ball movement and interior defense allowed the Green Wave to come back. 

The biggest wrinkle in this game for the Cajuns was free throws. Out of 21, they only made 11. Tulane was able to get to the charity line 27 times and make 21 of them. Along with that, the Cajuns went 9–30 on three-point shots, and Tulane was able to dominate offensive rebounds. 

For White, the defense and the abrupt loss of Keller were the biggest issues. “We did not do a good job defensively, we let go of the rope, and Jamyron Keller, being the head of the snake for our team, he’s our best defender, those guys feed off him… but still, you have to find a way. I take full responsibility for all of it.” 

A bright spot for this game was Mejia stepping up, as he perfectly exemplified the “next man up” mentality White has preached since his arrival. 

“Milan is not a point guard; he’s just a guy you can throw in that is tough-as-nails… the guy I was most impressed with was Milan.” 

Mejia reflected on stepping up and his role, saying, “I knew I needed to be the guy who played the hardest, try to uplift my teammates and stay focused on uplifting the team and doing everything I can to make the team successful.” 

Finally, the Cajuns went to Lake Charles on Nov. 14 to take on the McNeese State Cowboys. The game was an 88–62 loss, marked by a 16–37 first half for the Cajuns. 

A very slow start for the Cajuns, paired with McNeese freshman Larry Johnson giving the Cowboys 24 points off the bench, doomed Louisiana, despite a career-high 25 points from Finister, along with the ever-reliable Levergne and Olvera scoring for the Cajuns. 

In these early struggles against some game teams, the Cajuns have proved themselves to be fighters, working no matter the score and no matter the opponent. The focus will be on not putting opponents on the foul line, consistency, ball movement and offensive rebounds. 

Coach White has stressed that every member of this team will “earn their keep every day,” so that continued work can bring this team where the staff and the fans know they can be. 

White refuses to let these losses dictate this team and reflects that no matter the outcome, the Cajuns will continue to adapt after every game. 

“I have been through enough games where we’ve won and lost, so I don’t really get too carried away, especially this early [in the season], even sitting in a seat I haven’t sat in before [being head coach], I’ve still been apart of games… you’re not going to win every game, you’re not going to lose every game… you learn from every single game, though.” 

Moving forward, the Cajuns are on the road until Nov. 28, where they will return to Cajundome against Jackson State University.