LAFAYETTE — New Louisiana men’s basketball coach Quannas White says his team is making steady progress as it prepares to open the 2025–26 season on the road.
The Ragin’ Cajuns begin play Nov. 3 in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge at Ball State before hosting Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 7.
“Practice is going pretty good,” White said. “Guys are being receptive. They’re working really hard, and we’ve had really good carryover from the summer to the fall. Every day is a preparation day for the beginning of the year, and we’re heading in the right direction.”
White, who was hired as the Cajuns head coach in March after being the an assistant at Houston for nine seasons, said he welcomes the challenge of opening the year away from home.
“Road games are the most difficult games,” White said. “I always like to say road wins are the best wins. They’re the tougher wins. You learn a lot about your team and how they compete on the road.”
When asked what he wants to see from his team early on, the New Orleans native emphasized defense as a key focus.
“For me, it’s defense, defense, defense,” he said. “If we can get consecutive stops, that’s the one thing I’m looking for early on. Defense wins games.”
The first-year head coach said the Cajuns’ roster has shown strong balance on both ends of the court, noting that the team’s depth could lead to multiple scoring options.
“I think we’ve got seven or eight guys that can jump up and get 20 on any given night,” White said. “This is a really good scoring team. We’ve got depth, and we’ve got guys that can defend.”
Among the players who have emerged as early leaders are guard Jamyron Keller, forward Zeke Cook and guard De'Vion Lavergne (North Central).
“The best teams are the player-led teams, not coach-led teams,” White said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who’ve stepped up in leadership roles, and that’s a huge part of what will make this team successful.”
White said he’s enjoyed his first few months leading the program and credited mentors such as former coaches for shaping his approach.
“I love new challenges,” he said. “Sliding over six inches from assistant to head coach, you never know what you don’t know until you’re put in that position. But it’s been a joy. I wake up every day trying to get better and make my guys better.”
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