Sports

Louisiana Basketball Team Cancels Game Because It Has No Players After Just 3 Games

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iStockphoto / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Louisiana basketball will postpone a game due to an insufficient number of players.


The Louisiana basketball team will not play a previously schedule matchup with UNC Wilmington. The squad does not have enough available players.

The Ragin’ Cajuns have been dealt a series of various blows to deplete the roster just three games into the season.

Louisiana played a game on November 9th against Southern New Orleans. They picked up their first win after an 0-2 start. The chance to build a winning streak will not come vs. the Seahawks this Saturday.

Louisiana doesn’t have any basketball players.

At least none that are available. The online roster shows 16 players on the team. On Monday, they played with just nine of those contributors. The number continues to decrease.

The absences stem from a variety of different issues. Three players have not suited up all year. Injuries, while not considered long-term, have kept them off the floor. They are not expected to make their debuts until late November. Two others are currently in concussion protocol.

For those reasons, the Ragin’ Cajuns were shorthanded in the win over Southern New Orleans. The issue was amplified with the loss of forward Dani Pounds, who was sick and had to sit out.

Now, that illness has reportedly spread.

Multiple players have been added to the unavailable list. As a result, Louisiana is looking to postpone its basketball matchup with UNC Wilmington.

“Due to an insufficient number of available student-athletes within the Louisiana Men’s Basketball program, Saturday’s non-conference game at UNCW has been postponed,” the school wrote in a statement.

“The schools will work on rescheduling the game at a later date.”

Louisiana is not the only college basketball program dealing with roster deficiencies. At Virginia Lynchburg, the Dragons were forced to play with just five players in a blowout loss to Western Carolina. That comes amid a three-game in three-day stretch in which they’ve had no more than six players available.

It could always be worse! Still, the Ragin’ Cajuns will scratch their next game and look to get healthy before a trip to San Francisco on November 18th.