The Saints report for training camp tomorrow and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins will start camp on the physically unable to perform list. Rankins continues to recover from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the Saints playoff win over Philadelphia on January 13th. If Rankins remains on the PUP list when the regular season starts, he’ll be forced to miss the first six games.

LSU baseball played Texas last March, the Tigers football team will travel to Austin in September and now it’s being reported the basketball team will play the Longhorns on their home floor as part of the S-E-C-Big 12 challenge. The game will take place on January 25th according to C-B-S Sports College basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

D-1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers reports that U-L Lafayette head baseball coach Matt Deggs plans to hire former two-time major league baseball all-star B-J Ryan as his pitching coach. Ryan is a former Ragin Cajun who played for several seasons in the majors with Toronto and Baltimore.

Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson has signed a multi-year apparel deal with Jordan Brand, whose parent company is Nike. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the former Duke star is reportedly receiving 75 million dollars.

Another former Duke star, J-J Redick, spoke with reporters yesterday about signing with the Pelicans. He joins a growing Duke contingent in the Crescent City with newly acquired forwards Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, along with side existing bench players Jahil Okafor and Frank Jackson…
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Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffen says targeted Redick in free agency because his veteran presence can help set the tone for the young team.