Men’s Basketball: Coleby keeps head, and feet, in game – joins Thomas & McClellan on All-Tournament

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, November 21, 2011

Opponents did it to him in San Francisco during UL’s first road trip of the season, the three-game Hilltop Challenge. Cal State Fullerton did it to him again during the Ragin’ Cajuns middle outing in the three-game Beryl Shipley Classic.

Go at Kadeem Coleby, trying to foul the shot-blocker out, that is.

And after Fullerton successfully did just that Saturday, the Cajuns’ starting center was at wit’s end. He even sought some advice from the game’s officiating crew.

"The ref just told me to back off, let him make a move, and then try to go after it — the same thing Coach (Marlin) has been telling me," Coleby said.

"But, I don’t know. There’s something inside me that when I see them (opponents) go up, I want to go after the ball. And they pump-fake and hold it. They don’t want to make a shot. They just want to draw my attention, and then try to do some garbage, then the ref just says, ‘foul.’

"There’s nothing I can do about that," added Coleby, who hails from The Bahamas. "All I can do is try to stay down — and that’s it."

Actually, there is something. Marlin’s suggestion:

"He’s got to move his feet better," the Cajuns coach said. "He’s a little bit late defensively, and it’s cost us."

Coleby did stay out of foul trouble in Sunday’s 84-57 win over Nicholls State, mostly because the Colonels had no physical big men to go after him.

The Cajuns center also avoided foul issues in UL’s Shipley-opening win over Houston Baptist on Friday — largely because that night he heeded Marlin’s plea.

"They were trying to get me "» but somehow I managed to stay in the game," said Coleby, a junior juco transfer. "That’s all Coach has been telling me all week: ‘Stay in the game. We need you. Stay in the game.’ "

All-Tournament Team

Coleby and teammates J.J. Thomas and Darshawn McClellan all made the 10-member Shipley All-Tournament Team, as selected by media members and sports information personnel.

D.J. Seeley was named MVP after averaging a tourney-high 20.3 points for Cal State Fullerton, which went 2-1 in Shipley play. He had 18 points in the Titans’ win Saturday over UL, including two 3-pointers late in an 11-2 pullaway run, and led the tourney in both field goals and free throws made.

Joining those four: Fullerton’s Orane Chin and Kwame Vaughn, who led the tourney in rebounding (8.0 per game) and assists (4.3), respectively; Nicholls State teammates Chris Talkington (he had a tourney-high 11 treys) and Trevon Lewis; and Houston Baptist’s Tyler Russell and Ronald March Jr.

Coleby averaged a team-high 13.7 points and tourney-high 1.7 blocks in UL’s three Shipley games, sixth highest among all tournament scorers. Thomas averaged 10.7, tied for 10th-highest, and McClellan 9.0.

Brown out

The Cajuns played Sunday without frequent starter Josh Brown, who is averaging 7.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Brown exited Saturday’s loss to Fullerton after sustaining a Grade-2 concussion; Marlin said Sunday that Brown went to a local hospital Saturday night because he was having headaches.

"Hopefully with some time off he’ll be able to come back," Marlin said.

The Cajuns coach hopes to have the senior return when his club hits the road later this week, but he isn’t sure if Brown will travel.

With Brown out, ex-starting point guard Raymone Andrews returned to the opening lineup, joining Darnell Jackson on the wing.

"He stepped up," Marlin said of Jackson, who scored 12. "He missed a couple easy shots at the goal, but besides that I thought Darnell gave us some energy."

Bad timing

Marlin wanted the Cajuns to go 2-for-1 late in Sunday’s first half, and the first part worked when true-freshman point Elfrid Payton found Thomas on a screen-and-roll to make it 36-27 with 49 seconds remaining.

It worked, too, when Nicholls’ Trevon Lewis missed on the other end.

And that’s when things went awry for UL.

Payton misjudged the clock, shot too early and missed on what should have the Cajuns’ final possession of the half. That allowed the Colonels’ Bryan Hammond just enough time to knock down a 3-pointer, beating the buzzer before the break.

"I should have waited until I got Elfrid’s math grade in before I gave him that responsibility," Marlin deadpanned.

He said it

Marlin, after his Cajuns returned to .500: "I do feel like we’ve made some strides. Are we better than a 3-3 team? That’s what we are."

Lagniappe

The Cajuns don’t play again until Saturday, when they’re in Pittsburgh to visit Duquesne. UL then plays Monday at Kent State, which upset West Virginia last week. "» UL averaged 3,624 for its three Shipley games. "» The Cajuns’ next home game isn’t until Dec. 1 vs. McNeese State.

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here for the photo gallery of the Nicholls State vs. Cajuns game. Picture #21 includes the Shipley family.