Within days of being placed on the Sun Belt Preseason First Team, Louisiana forward Hosana Kitenge was declared out-for-the-year after suffering a “non contact injury” in practice. It was the latest in a string of blows to head coach Bob Marlin, who was entering his 14th season as the Ragin Cajuns’ captain. But after ten winning seasons and a couple trips to the NCAA Tournament, things were falling apart in Lafayette. The team’s best payer, forward Kobe Julien, transferred to conference rival Arkansas State. Double-digit scorers Joe Charles and Themus Fulks left for McNeese and Milwaukee (respectively). Coach Marlin picked up guard Christian Wright from Oregon State (currently contributing nine points per game), but there was still an enormous amount of production that had not been replaced.

After starting the year with three wins and nine losses, Bob Marlin was unceremoniously fired and replaced by assistant Derrick Zimmerman. Under Zimmerman, the Cajuns have seen some success, notching three conference wins and seeing solid production from guard Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, a pick-up from Indian River State. Overall statistics suggest that the Cajuns aren’t the horrible team some (me) have suggested, ranking 6th in points scored and points allowed. Louisiana isn’t exactly gangbusters beneath the bucket, but sophomore 6’8″ forward Kyran Ratliff provides four to five rebounds consistently, and where the team lacks in rebounding it does make up in creating turnovers.

Meanwhile, Georgia State is an enigma wrapped inside a an unpredictable beehive of success. With double-digit scoring guard Dwon Odom leaving for Tulsa, but third year coach Jonas Hayes didn’t waste time feeling sorry for himself. Not only did he produce the conference’s third rated recruiting class, Hayes completely overhauled the team by bagging seven transfers, including 6’7″ shooting guard Zarique Nutter from Northern Illinois, guard Malachi Brown from Seton Hall,  6’8″ forward Nick McMullen from UNC Ashville, and former 4-star center Cesare Edwards from the College of Charleston.

All four of these transfers have become essential players for Coach Hayes, with Nutter leading the team in scoring, Brown leading the team is assists, and McMullen and Edwards combining for 17 rebounds a game. In many ways, the Panthers are (on paper) a team of transfer all stars. So what’s the story behind the team’s 7-10 record, which includes a seven-game losing streak? For starters, the Panthers challenged themselves with some sturdy opponents – Kentucky, Auburn, and Mississippi State among them. Secondly, how does one gain efficiency from a team of seven transfers and three raw high school recruits? The Panthers have won three straight, albeit all at home. Three wins is three wins. The road swing against Texas State and Arkansas State will provide more clarity.

How will Arkansas State meet these challenges? The loss to South Alabama may have provided Coach Bryan Hodgson with his own burst of clarity – a well-executed zone defense is a problem for the Red Wolves. Did the team solve those problems against Scott Cross and Troy? The end result indicates yes, though you have to wonder what might have happened had Joseph Pinion not found is three-ball stroke late in the game.

Neither Georgia State or Louisiana are elite defenders, and the Red Wolves should find buckets easier to come by on Thursday and Saturday. The impact of Kobe Julien’s power inside the paint was evident against Troy. His return should give Rashaud Marshall and Zay Nelson, the team’s biggest inside threats, more room to maneuver while opening outside opportunities for Pinion, Derrian Ford, and Taryn Todd.

Bottomline, winning these games (the first leg of a four game home stand) is crucial for Arkansas State, who are already looking up at South Alabama and Old Dominion in the standings. The Panthers and Cajuns both sport overall losing records, and yet are both 3-2 in conference, identical to the Red Wolves. Neither team is a push-over. If the Red Wolves are to set the tone for the rest of the year, the Cajuns and Panthers must go down.