DENTON, Texas - Robert Lee has been here plenty of times before, but in a different role.
Now, after serving Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns for eight years as an assistant coach, Lee will be in charge today for the first time in Sun Belt Conference Tournament play when the Cajuns meet Middle Tennessee in a 9 p.m. quarterfinal at The Super Pit on the campus of North Texas.
"This is my ninth conference tournament," Lee said. "I've seen just about everything there is to see. I've seen us lose in the first round, seen us go to the semifinals and seen us go to the finals and win.
"One thing a friend of mine told me, if you don't have good enough players, you're not going to win. I feel I have good enough players."
Lee's approach to the tournament has a different feel to it this time.
"When you're the head coach it's always different," he said. "As an assistant, you don't get as worried. You say, we're going to kill these guys, no problem. You don't worry, and you go to sleep at night."
There are one or two things to lose sleep over for the defending Sun Belt champions.
The Cajuns enter today's game with a 17-10 record and some doubts after dropping the last two games of the regular season.
UL fell at Arkansas State 86-80 by committing 22 turnovers and having senior Brian Hamilton foul out with five minutes left in the game.
Two days later in Little Rock, the Cajuns were nipped by UALR 64-63, once again victimized when a starter (Orien Greene) fouled out down the stretch.
They haven't played since that day, making it eight days away from the court.
With that staggering finish and a long layoff, Lee is counting on seniors Hamilton, Greene, Dwayne Mitchell and Chris Cameron to re-establish the team's intensity level.
"I expect them to really lead by example," Lee said. "I told them that every team has the same dream you have. We're going to have to be ready to play for our lives."
"Our focus is on going hard," said Greene, the Defensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt. "For some guys, this is their last time being out there on the court. We're only guaranteed Sunday's game."
"It's put up or shut up time now," said junior Tiras Wade, UL's leading scorer at 19.7 points per game and the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
"At the end of the season, only one team is celebrating, and that's the team that wins the national championbship. We're going to try to ride this into the NCAA Tournament, as far as it gets us."
Wade transferred to the Cajuns from East Tennessee State, and so was not on the court last year in Bowling Green when they won the Sun Belt title and advanced to NCAA regional action in Orlando, but Greene was in on that experience.
"There are a couple of advantages to us winning last year," Greene said. "We know we won it, so we need to keep the same focus."
The Cajuns will find out shortly whether their ill-fated trip to Arkansas was a wake-up call or an omen. They wouldn't mind if this season's first meeting with Middle Tennessee served as a preview of things to come.
In that game, the Cajuns pounced on the Blue Raiders with a defensive fury that produced a 20-5 lead and they went on to record a 54-44 victory in the Cajundome.
Hamilton hit 7-of-9 shots and led the team with 16 points, while Mitchell added 12 and Wade 10 despite suffering through a 4-of-14 (0-of-5 3-pointers) shooting night.
The Cajuns out-rebounded MT 45-31 to establish control of the contest.
"We were able to get into transition early and get that 20-5 lead," Lee said. "We were hitting the boards, allowing them only one shot at it. They had only four offensive rebounds in the first half.
"Once the game slowed down, we had a difficult time scoring the basketball. We have to get off to a good start. We're going to need an up-tempo style."
Middle Tennessee (19-11) reached tonight's game by ousting New Mexico State 77-63 late Friday night, pounding the boards to the tune of 43-23 behind 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds from Steve Thomas.
Marcus Morrison had 17 points, hitting 3-of-4 treys, while Michael Cuffee added 16 and Michael Dean 11.
The Blue Raiders led 40-34 at the half, and NMSU didn't score in the second half until Duane John hit a free throw at the 16:35 mark. The closest the Aggies came after that was 6 points.
If Middle Tennessee needed any further motivation for tonight's game, the Cajuns defeated MT 70-66 in last year's semifinals en route to the title.
Lee knows the Raiders will focus on slowing things down. He also knows his team can't afford turnovers against MT's aggressive defense.
"We have to get better at our halfcourt offense," Lee said. "In tournament play, the game slows down and each possession becomes cricital."
Lee has seen numerous critical Cajun possessions in his nine years with the program. The aim is to convert enough of them tonight to do it all over again in Monday's semifinals.
Now, after serving Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns for eight years as an assistant coach, Lee will be in charge today for the first time in Sun Belt Conference Tournament play when the Cajuns meet Middle Tennessee in a 9 p.m. quarterfinal at The Super Pit on the campus of North Texas.
"This is my ninth conference tournament," Lee said. "I've seen just about everything there is to see. I've seen us lose in the first round, seen us go to the semifinals and seen us go to the finals and win.
"One thing a friend of mine told me, if you don't have good enough players, you're not going to win. I feel I have good enough players."
Lee's approach to the tournament has a different feel to it this time.
"When you're the head coach it's always different," he said. "As an assistant, you don't get as worried. You say, we're going to kill these guys, no problem. You don't worry, and you go to sleep at night."
There are one or two things to lose sleep over for the defending Sun Belt champions.
The Cajuns enter today's game with a 17-10 record and some doubts after dropping the last two games of the regular season.
UL fell at Arkansas State 86-80 by committing 22 turnovers and having senior Brian Hamilton foul out with five minutes left in the game.
Two days later in Little Rock, the Cajuns were nipped by UALR 64-63, once again victimized when a starter (Orien Greene) fouled out down the stretch.
They haven't played since that day, making it eight days away from the court.
With that staggering finish and a long layoff, Lee is counting on seniors Hamilton, Greene, Dwayne Mitchell and Chris Cameron to re-establish the team's intensity level.
"I expect them to really lead by example," Lee said. "I told them that every team has the same dream you have. We're going to have to be ready to play for our lives."
"Our focus is on going hard," said Greene, the Defensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt. "For some guys, this is their last time being out there on the court. We're only guaranteed Sunday's game."
"It's put up or shut up time now," said junior Tiras Wade, UL's leading scorer at 19.7 points per game and the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
"At the end of the season, only one team is celebrating, and that's the team that wins the national championbship. We're going to try to ride this into the NCAA Tournament, as far as it gets us."
Wade transferred to the Cajuns from East Tennessee State, and so was not on the court last year in Bowling Green when they won the Sun Belt title and advanced to NCAA regional action in Orlando, but Greene was in on that experience.
"There are a couple of advantages to us winning last year," Greene said. "We know we won it, so we need to keep the same focus."
The Cajuns will find out shortly whether their ill-fated trip to Arkansas was a wake-up call or an omen. They wouldn't mind if this season's first meeting with Middle Tennessee served as a preview of things to come.
In that game, the Cajuns pounced on the Blue Raiders with a defensive fury that produced a 20-5 lead and they went on to record a 54-44 victory in the Cajundome.
Hamilton hit 7-of-9 shots and led the team with 16 points, while Mitchell added 12 and Wade 10 despite suffering through a 4-of-14 (0-of-5 3-pointers) shooting night.
The Cajuns out-rebounded MT 45-31 to establish control of the contest.
"We were able to get into transition early and get that 20-5 lead," Lee said. "We were hitting the boards, allowing them only one shot at it. They had only four offensive rebounds in the first half.
"Once the game slowed down, we had a difficult time scoring the basketball. We have to get off to a good start. We're going to need an up-tempo style."
Middle Tennessee (19-11) reached tonight's game by ousting New Mexico State 77-63 late Friday night, pounding the boards to the tune of 43-23 behind 17 points and a career-high 17 rebounds from Steve Thomas.
Marcus Morrison had 17 points, hitting 3-of-4 treys, while Michael Cuffee added 16 and Michael Dean 11.
The Blue Raiders led 40-34 at the half, and NMSU didn't score in the second half until Duane John hit a free throw at the 16:35 mark. The closest the Aggies came after that was 6 points.
If Middle Tennessee needed any further motivation for tonight's game, the Cajuns defeated MT 70-66 in last year's semifinals en route to the title.
Lee knows the Raiders will focus on slowing things down. He also knows his team can't afford turnovers against MT's aggressive defense.
"We have to get better at our halfcourt offense," Lee said. "In tournament play, the game slows down and each possession becomes cricital."
Lee has seen numerous critical Cajun possessions in his nine years with the program. The aim is to convert enough of them tonight to do it all over again in Monday's semifinals.
