He has spent most of the season as Elfrid Payton’s backup at the point, and still is.

But when Kasey Shepherd first arrived at UL, the likelihood of him playing both guard spots — the point, and shooting guard — was broached.

Now the time has come.

With usual starting swingman Bryant Mbamalu out day-to-day with a torn ligament in his left thumb, Shepherd is bound to see minutes next to Payton at off-guard when the 7-12 Ragin’ Cajuns play Sun Belt Conference games tonight at Western Kentucky and Saturday night at Middle Tennessee.

He may even start again, which was the case last Saturday when Mbamalu missed his first game because of the thumb and senior reserve shooting guard Alan-Michael Thompson was out as well with a sprained right ankle.

Shepherd opened along usual starter Steven Wronkoski, who can step in at multiple positions from off-guard to power forward.

"We knew Kasey could play," Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said of the true freshman from Dekaney High in the Houston area. "That’s why we brought him here.

"We talked when he got here about being able to get on the floor and play either spot," Marlin added, "and this gives him an opportunity to get on the floor. And he can make plays while he’s out there."

Mbamalu is the Cajuns’ third-leading scorer, with an average of 14.0 points per game, and the Sun Belt’s No. 4 3-point shooter at 41 percent from behind the long-distance line.

The junior scored 17 or more in each of the last four games he’s played, and 21 or more in four of his last seven before getting hurt in last Thursday’s double-overtime loss to South Alabama.

Thompson, meanwhile, had averaged 10.5 points per game during a four-game stretch before re-spraining his ankle early on against South Alabama.

Until those two went down, Shepherd was averaging 10.0 minutes and 3.2 points per game.

But he wound up playing a whopping 37 minutes in Saturday’s 61-56 win over Arkansas State, and responded with a career-high 13 points that included 3-of-5 3-point shooting.

Shepherd also pulled down seven rebounds, another career high.

The win went a long way to reverse the mindset of a club who had dropped three straight, its longest skid of the season and all Sun Belt games.

"It felt good," Shepherd said of the victory over the Red Wolves. "We were on a little losing streak, and I think that win definitely boosted our confidence in ourselves as well as our fans’ confidence in us."

For Shepherd, though, it hit especially hit home.

"I think it did a lot to boost my confidence," he said of the outing, which included 18 more minutes than his previous career high.

"I was feeling confident going into the game, but just playing the way I did — producing and helping my teammates the way I was able to — it just gave me a little more confidence going into this next game. So hopefully I can continue that play."

Marlin wasn’t sure Wednesday if Shepherd would start again tonight or not against the 10-8 Hilltoppers.

Another option is to open with Thompson, who started early in the season but lost the job to Wronkoski.

Either way, Shepherd will be called upon frequently in Cajun games to come.

It’s a big jump for someone still transitioning from high school to the college game, but one Marlin seems certain Shepherd can handle.

"We’ve been tough on him," the Cajun coach said. "We’ve broken him down a couple times confidence-wise trying to get him to understand just how physical and fast-paced (the college game is), and how you’ve to be mentally tough in a college basketball game.

"But we brought him here to succeed — and hopefully that will take off, with what he did the other night," Marlin added. "He’s got a taste of it now."