Last season was the first time in more than a decade that Louisiana Tech had suffered through a losing season. In fact, it was only the second time that the Bulldogs hadn’t won 20 or more games since 2012-13. Being that he had been on the sidelines as an assistant coach for a bunch of those successful seasons, second-year head coach Talvin Hester took last year’s 15-18 record personally.
The tide of the transfer portal went out with some players, and came back in with a haul of talented guys who Hester believed would fit the intentions he had for his second roster. So far, things are working out as the coach had hoped. Now, Hester & Co are looking to return to the top of Conference USA, and to achieve what the Dunkin’ Dogs haven’t been able to since 1990-91: play in the NCAA Tournament.
The biggest piece that Hester was able to retain from last year’s squad has become this season’s do-everything star. Isaiah Crawford has spent his entire career in Ruston, and the versatile veteran and 77-game starter is doing everything on the floor at a higher level than he’s ever done before. He’s proven to be a tireless worker, whether in-game or after being forced to rehabilitate after knee surgery. Towards the end if his freshman season, Crawford tore his ACL. He worked, got back, and began playing at an all-league level. Then, just three games into current Tulsa coach Eric Konkol’s final season at LA Tech, it happened again. Though the injury forced him to redshirt two years back, Crawford has returned a stronger player. A skilled dude who can score near the basket or step out to the perimeter, Crawford is shooting career-best percentages all over the floor. He doesn’t try an abundance of three’s, but coming into this campaign, he was a career 38.3% shooter from deep. These days, Crawford is hitting 44.0% of those attempts. That threat is opening up the rest of his game, and making Crawford very dangerous with a perimeter shot-fake which allows him to get inside the arc to his preferred spots.
He’s also a very good passer, and Crawford often functions as the team’s primary playmaker. He gets the Bulldogs into their halfcourt sets after grabbing a rebound and bringing it up court, and Crawford shows great awareness of where his guys are – particularly big man Daniel Batcho – and when they’ve gotten open. He owns a 20.3% assist rate since the start of last year, and his playmaking at 6’6″, 220 pounds is the type of thing that pro scouts have begun to notice. Crawford’s size also shows up often on the defensive end. Not only is he a tough, bothersome on-ball defender; Crawford’s nearly seven-foot wingspan and great anticipation have made him a savvy big-play-maker. Currently, he averages 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, and Crawford routinely sparks a transition opportunity for himself or a teammate after taking the ball away from the other side.
Especially now that Batcho roams the paint with plenty more shot-swatting ability, Crawford is spearheading a defense which ranks among the nation’s top 25 in opponent FG% and 2FG%, points allowed per game, and adjusted defensive efficiency, per Ken Pomeroy. The Dunkin’ Dogs also sit 57th in steals per game, and they’re 58th by allowing opponents to shoot just 29.6% from the land of trey. “We always talk about packing our defense and I thought we brought it tonight,” Hester said postgame after his team’s 56-49 road victory over Stephen F. Austin. “We were unbelievable guarding the ball, unbelievable at the rim.”
A Parisian pivot who arrived in Ruston by way of Texas Tech, Batcho’s impact in the lane has been immediate since he was deemed eligible to play beginning with the Bulldogs’ third game. Now that he’s been reunited with Hester and some other former Red Raiders coaches – Hester was an important part of Texas Tech’s Sweet 16 run three years ago – Batcho is blossoming as a post scorer. He’s strong inside and not afraid to go hard towards the rack with a putback or good feed. The third-year big man has already racked up 15 putback attempts in his nine games played, while Ceawford and point guard Sean Newman, Jr, have been keeping Batcho well-fed as Hester looks to take maximum advantage of his nose for the rim. Batcho sets stout picks and rolls to the rack like he means it, and he’s provided a reliable outlet for Crawford’s playmaking out of the high post. He and Crawford are combining to attempt more than 10 free throws per game, and Batcho has knocked down 70.0% of his tries thus far. He’s mobile and aggressive on the boards at both ends; Batcho currently ranks third in C-USA in defensive rebounds, second in offensive boards, leads his new league in total rebounding average, and he’s posted 10 or more boards five times, with four double-doubles. Given that he’s also leading the conference in blocks per game, he’s proving to be a genuine menace at the heart of Hester’s lineup whether his side has the ball or not. “His ability to protect the rim and rebound is elite with his size,” Hester has said of his center, and as C-USA play nears, Batcho is looking like an all-league player.
With quality scoring options inside the arc, Hester needed an established long-range bomber to balance out the Bulldogs’ attack. He found a good one in Tahlik Chavez. The Texan had spent his last two seasons posting very similar statistics at Charleston Southern, and Chavez has upped his production since arriving in Ruston. The past couple years, Chavez averaged 11.4 points on 35.9% shooting from the land of trey, knocking down 89 and 79 triples, respectively – and those 89 makes led the Big South two years ago. Chavez has debuted for the Dunkin’ Dogs to the tune of 30 makes through 11 games and a 38.5% rate from distance: both figures being second-best in C-USA so far. He went off for 30 points to help knock off Louisiana in a rivalry contest, and the opponents’ scouting reports now say “cover #1”. His reliable outside shooting is stretching defenses and allowing Crawford the room to operate, and it’s improving the whole Louisiana Tech attack. Chavez has also been finding ways to get to the charity stripe, where he is a solid 78.8% career shooter. With three genuine scoring options, Hester has both quickly retooled his rotation and provided a problem for his opponents from all three scoring levels.
| Chances to Grow the Resumé |
| @ Grand Canyon – December 30 |
| @ Liberty – February 10 |
| @ Saint Louis – December 16 |
With the Bulldogs having lost some key veterans to the portal, Hester didn’t simply re-shape this year’s squad with fifth-year transfers; he’s also kept an eye to the future. To that end, one of the most exciting players he reeled in has 4-star talent and is just a sophomore – and he’s starting to figure things out. Devin Ree was a consensus Top 100 recruit when he signed on at Louisville last season. Things haven’t been great for the Cardinals recently, though, and Ree quickly realized that he’d find more minutes and, likely, a better situation elsewhere. “Ree is a special talent that we are really excited about. He is a versatile wing that can score in a variety of ways. He also provides us great length on the perimeter that will help us defensively,” Hester proclaimed upon Ree’s signing. And so far, the coach’s assessment has proven spot-on. Like Crawford, Ree has been an impact defender all over the floor, and his combination of reach and quickness is proving a real problem for the other side. He’s already second on the Bulldogs in steals, and Ree has proven that he can handle a variety of assignments. While he’s still getting stronger to handle big, veteran forwards, Ree’s foot speed and fluidity allow him to guard well on the wing, and he engulfs some guards by hardly allowing them to see the hoop from the outside. After struggling with his jumper last year, Ree is finding his stroke for the Bulldogs: he’s made 15 of the first 24 (62.5%) triples he’s tried in Ruston. As his confidence continues to grow, Ree should produce more dives into the paint for more quick buckets, and his handle is developing to where Ree should start to consistently isolate and drive smaller opponents.
Joining Ree on the wing is sixth-year senior Dravon Mangum. A former Charlotte and Radford transfer – plus a redshirt year of his own thrown in – Mangum came to Ruston and started 20 games last year. A clever defender who uses his length well to guard inside and out, Mangum’s poise and experience are also assets. He provides steady rebounding while still allowing Hester to go with 4-out lineups whenever possible, and Mangum can handle some bigger covers around the paint. He’s also developed into a solid three-point shooter, and Mangum has been making 36.1% of his deep heaves in a LA Tech jersey. “We can come at you in a lot of ways. The guys are bought in and they believe what we are doing,” Hester has said of this group, and with his strong defense as a returning veteran, Mangum is helping to lead the way.
A pair of new guards are also making a big impact. They’ve both come to LA Tech from the junior college ranks, and with complimentary skills, Newman and Jaylin Henderson are proving that they’re ready to lead a C-USA contender. Newman, who spent his first couple of years at Fullerton College in California, has come in and assumed the mantle of primary ballhandler. He’s a slick distributor, and possess the speed and savvy to get to the Bulldogs their most actionable looks while truly bothering the opposition’s guards defensively. Despite missing a handful of games due to injury, Newman ranks fifth in C-USA in assists. More than anything, with his poise and 39:14 assist to turnover ratio, Newman has quickly proven himself to Hester as a reliable decision-maker. “He is so steady and so solid,” Hester told the Bossier Press-Tribune after his new point guard returned to the floor. “He makes us a better basketball team.” Henderson provides the Bulldogs with another deep threat, and Hester hopes to receive steady secondary scoring from the Wichita, KS, native as conference play approaches. He has more of the perimeter quickness that Hester prefers, and Henderson has been willing to hustle all over the court.
“The strength of our team is our team,” Hester has said of this group’s depth, and there are more players that their coach has been able to count on as pieces in the rotation. Tyler Henry, a former Southern Indiana transfer, provides additional scoring punch. His outside jumper has been streaky since arriving in Ruston, but Henry knows how to create looks. He’s adept at getting downhill towards the rim, and earns trips to the foul line which are always appreciated in helping to avoid scoring droughts. His 14 points, including four big triples, were integral in helping the Dunkin’ Dogs knock off a strong McNeese State team – just the sort of contribution which LA Tech will be hoping for as the schedule heads on to March. Though he’s been hurt, Hester hopes to have Baylor transfer Jordan Turner back for the stretch run. He didn’t play a lot in Waco, but the rangy, athletic wing was part of a team which won the natty a couple of years back, and offers versatility to LA Tech’s rotation.
Will Allen adds vital size and depth in the paint, playing as more of a 4-man than Terri Miller, Jr, who at 6’8″, 250, is the biggest guy outside of Batcho who plays. Miller is a backup in the post, while Allen can range around a bit. He’s a solid offensive rebounder who brings energy and versatility up front, and will throw down when he’s within arm’s reach of the rim. Jordan Crawford rounds out the usual rotation, and while his minutes have fallen a bit, he’s still playing more than 13 per game as another high-energy scorer and defender in the backcourt. A C-USA All-Freshman pick last year after starting 22 games and averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 assists, Crawford is another guy who’s good with the ball in his hands and offers good insurance at the point.
With their fierce defense and a couple of physical scorers leading the way, Louisiana Tech has a recipe for success. This is a program which has become quite used to playing meaningful games in March, and is also hungry for a breakthrough.
“When you do things the right way and the wins start stacking up, the team starts believing not in the system but in themselves,” Hester told reporters after the Bulldogs’ latest win. “That is what is happening now. They are excited about being one of the best defensive teams. They are excited about the wins that come with it. We have a heck of a team.”
Louisiana Tech does indeed look to have a genuine contender again. Liberty is a strong team within their league now, but without Florida Atlantic, North Texas and UAB, the Dunkin’ Dogs believe that their time is now. A trio of tough road games at Saint Louis, Seattle University, and red-hot Grand Canyon loom before LA Tech enters league play. Their mettle will be tested, but conquering such tasks is the way a contender is built. Good times are ahead in Ruston, where Hester’s Bulldogs have rediscovered how to win, and to believe that there are titles in their future.
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