Men’s Basketball: UL’s NCAA basketball tournament tickets selling well – photo gallery Tues practice

Just days before the Ragin’ Cajuns take on Creighton in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in San Antonio on Friday, folks around Lafayette were making plans.

Ken Ardoin is arguably one of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s top fans and he’s going to be in the AT&T Center for the game at 2 p.m. Friday. Ardoin said he’s been following the university’s basketball team since Beryl Shipley was head coach.

He recalled the team’s performance in the 1984 National Invitation Tournament in New York’s Madison Square Gardens and another year when the Cajuns beat Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

“It was fabulous,” Ardoin said.

About half of the tickets allotted to UL for Friday’s game already have been sold, according to Matt Casbon, UL ticket manager.

“They’re going very well,” Casbon said.

UL had a little more than 200 tickets for Friday’s game. Easily half have been sold, he said Tuesday afternoon.

Ragin’ Cajun Athletic Foundation donors were seated first. That ended at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Casbon said. After 3 p.m., he started seating non-RCAF fans who placed orders.

The deadline to order tickets for pickup at the Cajundome is 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Afterward, fans can still purchase tickets through ultickets@cajundome.com and pick them up at the AT&T Center, east main entrance, player guest will call window, Casbon said.

All of the seats assigned to UL are in Section 20 and behind it in section 120, he said.

For fans wanting to paint the AT&T Ragin’ Cajun red, Red Zone sports shop was expecting a shipment of UL Conference Champion merchandise to be delivered Tuesday afternoon. The retail store expects specialty T-shirts and other UL attire will be in high demand before the big game, assistant manager Sarah Armentor said.

Ardoin knows the team might play just the one game, but he believes they have a good chances of advancing in this year’s tournament.

“You can’t count this team out. They just have that ability to come back,” Ardoin said. “It’s going to be great. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Reporters Claire Taylor, Jessica Goff and Eric Narcisse contributed to this story.

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Claire Taylor, Daily Advertiser, March 18, 2014

Click here for photo gallery of Tuesday’s team practice.

About half of the tickets allotted to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for Friday’s NCAA Basketball Tournament in San Antonio already have been sold, Matt Casbon, UL ticket manager, said this morning.

“They’re going very well,” Casbon said.

UL had a little over 200 tickets for Friday’s game. Easily half have been sold, he said.

Ragin’ Cajun Athletic Foundation donors are being seated first. That ends at 3 p.m. today, Casbon said. After 3 p.m., he’ll start seating non-RCAF fans who have placed orders, he said.

The deadline to order tickets for pickup at the Cajundome is 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Afterwards, fans can still purchase tickets through ultickets@cajundome.com and pick them up at the AT&T Center, east main entrance, player guest will call window, Casbon said.

All of the seats assigned to UL are in Section 20 and behind it in section 120, he said.