A typical UL Ragin’ Cajun basketball practice on any given day could include what coach Bob Marlin calls a 5-on-4 "advantage-disadvantage drill."

This week, though, Marlin considered making it 6-on-5.

"Just to remind the guys to be prepared for anything," he said.

After all that happened on UL’s last visit to Western Kentucky, however, it seems unlikely anything nearly as bizarre will occur when the Cajuns face the Hilltoppers tonight.

UL’s January 2012 stay in Bowling Green, Ky., started for Marlin, a first-time visitor to E.A. Diddle Arena, with a tour of WKU’s basketball facilities hosted by coach Ken McDonald.

Two days later, after one of college basketball’s wackiest ever in college basketball, McDonald coincidentally was out of a job — and how the Cajuns’ win ended was national news.

UL point guard Elfrid Payton drove for a game-winning layup while the Cajuns inadvertently had six players on the floor during the Sun Belt Conferfence game.

"I spoke to him (McDonald) that day (he was fired)," Marlin recalled this week, "and felt bad about that.

"The other thing I felt bad about was people out there implied that we tried to cheat, or play six guys. And I would never do anything to discredit our game. There’s no way."

UL did have six players, but putting out the extra man — which escaped the notice of three on-floor game officials and several off the court as well — was unintentional.

The Cajun victory stood up because the error wasn’t noticed and corrected soon enough.

Now, Marlin can joke about it a bit, laughing when asked how he’d decide which six among UL’s seven healthy scholarship players who were available for his injury-plagued team in last Thursday’s win over Arkansas State would start tonight.

"We can draw straws," he said.

A year ago, however, the ending wasn’t funny at all for a coach who thought some believed he did it on purpose.

"I wasn’t aware that we had had six guys out there, certainly, until we got back in the locker room," Marlin said earlier this week.

Marlin did see one silver lining in the experience, however.

"It caused quite an uproar among college officials," he said. "I know (that) when we played Middle (Tennessee) two days later the officials came out before the (opening) jump, and every timeout, (and) they were counting to five.

"So, in a way, it was a good thing, if you want to turn a negative into a positive. The officials (afterward) really locked in and made a count."

With both teams wearing their shade of red, and a red background at E.A. Diddle as well, Marlin said he understands "how they missed six guys" coming out of a timeout.

And he makes no apologies now for the controversial victory.

"We were glad to win the game," Marlin said. "We felt like we deserved to win the game."

PAYTON POWER

Heading into tonight’s game, Payton — UL starting point who had that game-winner at WKU last season — leads the Sun Belt in assists per game (5.2) and steals per game (2.3).

He’s also second in minutes per game at 35.1, trailing only the 36.2 of Florida Atlantic’s Greg Gantt.

After scoring 26 points in a double-overtime loss to South Alabama last Thursday and 13 in a win over Arkansas State on Saturday, the sophomore from Gretna has four games this season with 20 or more points and 17 double-digit scoring games in 19 outings.

LAGNIAPPE

McDonald, fired by WKU because of his team’s on-court play and dwindling Hilltopper fan interest, now is an assistant coach for the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros. After his firing, the Hilltoppers managed an upset win of the Sun Belt’s postseason tournament as a No. 7 seed and played in the NCAA Tournament — they beat Mississippi Valley in the first round, then lost to eventual national-champ Kentucky — under ex-McDonald assistant and now head coach Ray Harper. "» UL center Shawn Long leads the Sun Belt in defensive rebounds per game (7.1 per game), is second in overall rebounding (9.8), is third in scoring (15.7 points) and is fourth in blocks (2.0). "» After its visit to WKU tonight and Saturday’s to Middle Tennessee, UL will have just 10 games remaining in its regular season before the March 8-11 Sun Belt tournament in Hot Springs, Ark.