At first glance, former North Central High standout De’Vion Lavergne’s decision to transfer back to his home state was a simple matter of geography.
Yes, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard will enjoy being able to play in front of his family and friends again.
And yes, the Louisiana native was never really comfortable with the frigid temperatures during his time at Purdue-Fort Wayne in Indiana.
“The snow got to me, it’s still cold up here,” Lavergne admitted.
But the overriding reason pushing Lavergne to join UL’s basketball program was its new head coach Quannas White.
“It wasn’t being homesick,” Lavergne said. “I really like coach White. As far as developing guards, I feel like he’s one of the best in the country. I know what my goals are, to play pro ball, so I feel like I’d be better playing under him.”
After winning four straight Class 1A state championships and a Class 1A Player of the Year award in Lebeau, the Melville native averaged 13.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and three assists at Lee College in Baytown, Texas.
He then signed the Mastadons up north and endured a valuable learning curve in his first season of Division I basketball.
“It definitely didn’t go like I expected it to go, but I’m still 100% grateful for the experience,” said Lavergne, who has three years of eligibility left and could get a fourth. “I got a chance to watch the game and still grow as a player.
“The physicality of the game and the speed of the game. When I first here, I didn’t realize the game was as physical as it was at this level. So I got a year to really build my body to get used to playing at a certain tempo. I feel like that’s going to help me going into next year.”
Now more comfortable from a physical standpoint, UL’s new coaching staff is hoping to fully capitalize on Lavergne’s unique perimeter skills with the Ragin’ Cajuns.
“They said that I come from a winning background, so I’m always going to compete,” Lavergne said. “I also feel like I do a very good job of shooting the ball. In junior college, I shot 40% from 3, so I’m just looking to build off of that. As far as improvement, the coaches said they could build me as a guard coming off ball screens and reading ball screens. Working on playing both positions – the 1 and the 2.”
While he’s still got a lot to learn, Lavergne is convinced he’s in “a position now where I can make an immediate impact on the team.”
One thing is for sure, he won’t miss the weather in Indiana, where he could only chuckle when South Louisiana got the snow of a century in January.
“The experience was kind of good, but man, the weather up here,” Lavergne said. “It’s definitely a whole 360 from living in Louisiana.
“Yeah, when it snowed in Louisiana, that was weird … at least they got to experience what I was experiencing.”
Lavergne’s decision to return home is part of a massive roster upheaval at UL under the new coaching staff.
So far, he’s joined by four other transfer portal additions – 6-foot-5 guard Dorian Finister from Sam Houston, 6-8 Sean Elkinton from Louisiana Tech, 6-8 forward Dariyus Woodson from North Dakota and 6-5 guard Jaxon Olvera of Pepperdine.
Woodson, Finister and Elkinton have already signed with UL.
UL’s new staff has also corralled four high school additions, topped by 6-foot-7 wing Joshua Lewis of Blake High School in Tampa, Florida.
Lewis was ranked as the nation's No. 49 ranked prospect by 247 when he committed to Iowa and he's still in the top 70 by multiple services.
The other three high school additions include 6-foot-1 guard Michael Collins from Pearland, Texas, 6-6 guard Caleb Sanders from Tampa, Florida and 6-8 forward Daijon Leatherman from Spring, Texas.
