Skip to content Louisiana basketball called off Saturday’s home matchup against UNC Wilmington because head coach Quannas White simply ran out of healthy bodies to put on the floor. School officials announced the postponement on Thursday afternoon, citing an insufficient number of available student-athletes.
A sudden wave of sickness ripped through the locker room this week, compounding existing injuries and concussions. Now, the program must pause its early season schedule to let its roster recover before Sun Belt play approaches.
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The athletic department confirmed that both schools will attempt to reschedule the nonconference contest for a later date.
Sickness sweeps through the Louisiana basketball roster
Trouble began brewing before Monday’s tipoff against Southern New Orleans. Big man Dani Pounds, a 6-foot-8 forward who poured in 15 points during the season-opening loss to Akron, woke up sick and missed the game.
The Ragin’ Cajuns scrapped their way to a 56-39 win that night, but they suited up just nine players. That same illness spread rapidly across the locker room over the next 48 hours.
By Thursday morning, team doctors determined the squad could not safely field a competitive lineup against the Seahawks. Rather than forcing sick players onto the court, the university shut down Saturday’s action entirely.
How injuries and concussions stripped the lineup bare
Illness alone did not cause the cancellation. The Louisiana basketball bench was already paper-thin before the bug took hold in Lafayette.
Three key contributors—Tyshawn Duncan, Deion Ware, and high-flying forward Todd Jones—have not played a single minute this season. Concussions and various physical ailments have sidelined them since preseason training camp.
When Pounds fell ill, White lost his top interior scoring threat. Losing several more rotation players to the spreading bug left the staff with virtually no options.
Tough start for Louisiana basketball in year two under Quannas White
This shutdown halts what was supposed to be a rebound campaign. White spent nearly a decade working as Kelvin Sampson’s lead assistant at Houston before taking over the Ragin’ Cajuns bench last year.
His debut season proved rocky, ending with an 11-22 overall record and a 7-11 mark in conference games. Even so, league coaches expected a quick turnaround, voting the team sixth in the Sun Belt preseason poll.
Instead, Louisiana sits at 1-2 through three outings. They dropped their opener 75-61 against Akron, then fell 67-60 to Texas A&M Corpus Christi before grinding past Southern New Orleans.
What comes next for the Ragin’ Cajuns
Postponing a nonconference tilt hurts, but finding an open date will prove tricky. Both programs must now balance exam schedules, travel arrangements, and mandatory league windows to stage a makeup game.
For now, the medical staff will focus on containing the bug and clearing student-athletes through health protocols. The priority rests solely on getting players back to full strength without risking long-term complications.
Louisiana next turns its focus to recovery before attempting to return to the practice floor ahead of its next scheduled nonconference date.
Source: CBS Sports
