After losing Thursday night in overtime to Sun Belt Conference West Division-leader Arkansas-Little Rock, and blowing a chance to overtake UALR for first place in the division, priorities seem to have shifted a tad for coach Bob Marlin's UL Ragin' Cajuns.
Or have they?
No longer can they win the West, and repeat as division champ, without a handful of help.
No wonder their primary
focus now appears to be getting a first-day bye for the Sun Belt tournament, which will be March 3-6 in Hot Springs, Ark.
"We're still playing for position in the conference tournament," power forward J.J. Thomas said, "so we still have to finish strong and stay focused.
"Because the season's nowhere near over."
Not with four regular-season games still to go, including tonight's against 10-16 Arkansas State at the Cajundome.
In a sense, then, UL's goal from here on out essentially remains the same as it was before losing to Arkansas-Little Rock: It simply does not want to be one of the six teams that has to play on the first day of the 11-team tourney.
"It's very important," center Kadeem Coleby said of the seeding situation.
"We have to try to win the last games we have to put ourselves in good position for the tournament, because we're gonna need it."
If it an avoid playing on the tourney's opening day, UL ? or any Sun Belt team getting a first-round bye, for that matter ? would have to win only three straight games, not four, in order to earn the Sun Belt's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
"We're trying to win every game ? and win as many as we can to get a bye," Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said of his 14-12 club.
"We need to take care of business and win," he added, "and try to get one of those spots, for sure."
The conference's two division winners will be seeded first and second, based on conference record.
The remaining teams will be seeded three through 11, regardless of division.
Only the top five seeds get a first-day bye, meaning ? hypothetically, if Arkansas-Little Rock were to hold on and win the West and leader Middle Tennessee were to win the East ? those final three byes could come down to a fight among UL, North Texas, Denver, Florida Atlantic and South Alabama.
But the Cajuns, even though their road got tougher after Thursday's loss, do still have a shot at unseating UALR.
UL currently sits second in the West at 8-4, followed by North Texas (7-4) and Denver (7-5). Florida Atlantic is second in the East at 6-5, followed by South Alabama (5-7).
FIU, Western Kentucky and Arkansas State all are 4-7.
UALR (9-2) has a big challenge today at 22-4 Middle (noon on ESPN2), followed by games against FIU, at Troy, against North Texas and against Arkansas State.
After facing the Red Wolves tonight, UL visits Denver on Thursday and North Texas on Feb. 18 before closing its regular season Feb. 25 at home against UL Monroe.
"It's going to come down to a logjam," Marlin said. "It always does."
And it always is broken, one way or another, through wins, losses and/or tie-breakers.
Which is why, arguably, little has changed for the Cajuns.
"We're just trying to win," Thomas said. "We want to finish off strong, winning, going into the conference tournament (and) try to make a run.
Or have they?
No longer can they win the West, and repeat as division champ, without a handful of help.
No wonder their primary
focus now appears to be getting a first-day bye for the Sun Belt tournament, which will be March 3-6 in Hot Springs, Ark.
"We're still playing for position in the conference tournament," power forward J.J. Thomas said, "so we still have to finish strong and stay focused.
"Because the season's nowhere near over."
Not with four regular-season games still to go, including tonight's against 10-16 Arkansas State at the Cajundome.
In a sense, then, UL's goal from here on out essentially remains the same as it was before losing to Arkansas-Little Rock: It simply does not want to be one of the six teams that has to play on the first day of the 11-team tourney.
"It's very important," center Kadeem Coleby said of the seeding situation.
"We have to try to win the last games we have to put ourselves in good position for the tournament, because we're gonna need it."
If it an avoid playing on the tourney's opening day, UL ? or any Sun Belt team getting a first-round bye, for that matter ? would have to win only three straight games, not four, in order to earn the Sun Belt's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
"We're trying to win every game ? and win as many as we can to get a bye," Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said of his 14-12 club.
"We need to take care of business and win," he added, "and try to get one of those spots, for sure."
The conference's two division winners will be seeded first and second, based on conference record.
The remaining teams will be seeded three through 11, regardless of division.
Only the top five seeds get a first-day bye, meaning ? hypothetically, if Arkansas-Little Rock were to hold on and win the West and leader Middle Tennessee were to win the East ? those final three byes could come down to a fight among UL, North Texas, Denver, Florida Atlantic and South Alabama.
But the Cajuns, even though their road got tougher after Thursday's loss, do still have a shot at unseating UALR.
UL currently sits second in the West at 8-4, followed by North Texas (7-4) and Denver (7-5). Florida Atlantic is second in the East at 6-5, followed by South Alabama (5-7).
FIU, Western Kentucky and Arkansas State all are 4-7.
UALR (9-2) has a big challenge today at 22-4 Middle (noon on ESPN2), followed by games against FIU, at Troy, against North Texas and against Arkansas State.
After facing the Red Wolves tonight, UL visits Denver on Thursday and North Texas on Feb. 18 before closing its regular season Feb. 25 at home against UL Monroe.
"It's going to come down to a logjam," Marlin said. "It always does."
And it always is broken, one way or another, through wins, losses and/or tie-breakers.
Which is why, arguably, little has changed for the Cajuns.
"We're just trying to win," Thomas said. "We want to finish off strong, winning, going into the conference tournament (and) try to make a run.
