4:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU Men’s basketball team suffered its first SEC loss against Auburn on Saturday 78 to 93. The game saw Louisiana’s own Jordan Wright score 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on the night. The Tigers struggled to keep possession of the ball against what LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon says is an elite Auburn team.

Cut 19 (19) “ … in transition.”

LSU will host Ole Miss on Wednesday with tip off at 6:00 pm on the SEC Network.

The LSU Lady Tigers also suffered their first SEC loss to Auburn 67 to 62 on Sunday. Angel Reese had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Aneesah Morrow had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the game. The loss dropped LSU from number 7 to number 10 in the newest AP Rankings and LSU Head Coach Kim Mulkey says that there’s a lot of room to improve after the loss.

In other college basketball news, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the Liberty Flames in an overtime thriller on Sunday 80 to 76. Bulldogs Head Coach Talvin Hester says that a big reason the Bulldogs won was because of the play of forward Daniel Batcho.

Cut 16 (13) “… tough team.”

Daniel Batcho was named the Conference USA player of the week after averaging 18.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks in Louisiana Tech’s wins over Middle Tennessee and Liberty.

And a big day for McNeese’s men’s basketball team as it received it’s first ever Associated Press Top 25 Men’s Basketball Poll vote. The Cowboys are 14 and 2 on the season and 3 and 0 in Southland conference play with a 74 to 65 win over Southeastern on Saturday.

In LSU Transfer Portal news, Liberty wide receiver CJ Daniels has transferred to LSU after a 1,067 yard and 10 touchdown performance last season.

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The NFC South crown and the number 4 seed in the NFC was a possibility for the Saints on Sunday with a win and a Bucs loss. After the Saints win, New Orleans safety Tyrann Mathieu says that the team was proud of how they finished the season strong, even if they wouldn’t make the playoffs.

Cut 15 (15) “… still playing.”

The Saints could have also gotten in with a win and losses by the Seahawks and Packers, but unfortunately both of those teams won.

In other New Orleans news, the Pelicans are on a roll as they have won 5 of their last 6 games. Last night New Orleans defeated Sacramento 133 to 100 where the Pelicans led the Kings by 50 points in the 4th quarter. CJ McCollum had 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on the night and the game was New Orleans fourth straight win over Sacramento.

The LSU Lady Tigers improved to 15 and 1 on the year and 2 and 0 in SEC play with their 84 to 73 win over the Ole Miss Rebels yesterday. The game saw LSU star forward Angel Reese score 21 points and freshman Mikaylah Williams score 20 points and 4 three pointers.

In LSU 2025 recruiting news, the Tigers received a huge verbal commitment from Michigan quarterback Byrce Underwood on Saturday. Underwood is the no.1 quarterback in the class and has the highest recruiting score in LSU history according to 247 sports.

LSU will have a new defensive coordinator as Blake Baker will take over after two successful seasons at Missouri. According to Tiger Rag editor Todd Horne, Baker emerged as the top candidate after the firing of Matt House because of his repeated success and Louisiana ties.

Cut 16 (15) “… and Louisiana”

Baker signed a three year contract.

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU signed all 27 of their commits for the class of 2024 on national signing day including the most productive high school quarterback in Louisiana prep history. JuJuan Johnson set state records for total yards and total touchdowns as a four-year starter for Lafayette Christian. He is slated to play cornerback for the Tigers, but Head Coach Brian Kelly seems open to seeing what he could do on offense…

Cut 14 (09) “…this position” 

Louisiana Tech has signed all but one commit for the class of 2024. Tech also signed a local hero, linebacker Jadon Mayfield. Mayfield just helped Ruston win its first state championship in football since 1990. Head Coach Sonny Cumbie says Mayfield had 235 tackles, 10,5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions during his junior and senior seasons with the Bearcats…

Cut 20 (09) “…finding the football”

The Saints travel to LA to face the Rams tonight in a crucial NFC playoff race matchup. After starting the season as one of the most dominant in the NFL, the Saints defense has struggled at times this season but shut down poor offenses in back-to-back weeks. Defensive End Cameron Jordan says the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford will be a bigger challenge but one they can handle…

Cut 18 (18)  “…create some problems.” 

Kickoff in LA is set for 7:15

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team fell to Seattle U in overtime 79-73 last night

Southeastern defeated Grambling 48-47

And the LSU Lady Tigers took care of Coppin St in an 80-48 victory

Tonight The LSU men will host Lamar and The Pelicans make the trip to Cleveland to face the Cavs

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The College Football National Signing Day was relatively drama free for LSU as all 27 Tiger commits signed today. Regardless of their rank, On3.com’s Shea Dixon says that these recruits signed because they all believe that together, they can help LSU have more than 10 win seasons under Head Coach Brian Kelly.

Cut 18 (12) “… drama free signing day.”

Tight end Trey’Dez Green and safety Dashawn McBryde are the highest ranked offensive and defensive recruits for LSU.

In an eventful signing day, ULL signed Catholic High quarterback Daniel Beale today, but also lost their starting quarterback Zeon Chris to the transfer portal. Beale committed to ULL in the summer and led Catholic to the Division I Select Championship game this year while Zeon Chris helped lead the Ragin Cajuns to a bowl game against Jacksonville State after Ben Wooldridge was injured earlier in the season.

In other college signing news, Louisiana Tech has landed the number one junior college quarterback in the country Ty Keyes. Keyes played his juco years at East Mississippi Community College and had 3,350 yards and 33 touchdown passes in 13 games. Nicholls and Southeastern signed some local commits today as Teurlings Catholic quarterback Preston Welch signed with the Colonels and Oak Grove Defensive End James Harris signed with the Lions.

The Saints will face the Rams tomorrow in a battle of 7 and 7 teams looking to make the NFC playoffs. Saints quarterback Dereck Carr says that his team is ready to make a push for the playoffs, but in order to do so every player will have to execute their jobs against the Rams.

Cut 16 (15) “…lot of fun”

Saints Receiver Chris Olave will return tomorrow after healing an ankle injury that has kept him out of the last 2 games.

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Today begins the three day early signing period in college football. LSU has already received signatures from all 25 of their 27 commits in the class of 2024. One position group the class will address is the defensive secondary which was a liability for the Tigers in 2023. On3.com’s Shea Dixon says LSU will address that by signing six defensive backs out of high school, including four cornerbacks. He says Lafayette Christian quarterback JuJuan Johnson is set to transition from quarterback to cornerback…

Cut 17 (24) “….from the start” 

UL-Lafayette has also officially signed catholic High School quarterback Daniel Beale. The three-star recruit committed to the Ragin Cajuns in June of this year before leading the Bears to a Division I Select State Championship.

Angel Reese will have the opportunity to play in her hometown tonight as the seventh-ranked Lady Tigers visit Coppin State in Baltimore. Reese, who played her two years of college baseball at Maryland University, is looking forward to the homecoming…

Cut 19 (19) “…big thing.” 

Tip-off is at 5:00

The Pelicans’ second half woes continued last night as the Grizzlies mounted a 24-point comeback to snap the Pels four game win streak in a heartbreaking 115-113 loss. All Star guard Ja Morant made his season debut for Memphis with a 34 point performance capped off with a game-winning buzzer beater. Pels forward Brandon Ingram had 34 of his own but it wasn’t enough to stop a 19-point second half comeback. The Pelicans will return to action tomorrow night as they head to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

After a crucial win over the Giants Sunday the saints are in the midst of a tight race for both the NFC South and a Wild Card spot. They’re set to play the Rams Thursday who are also 7-and-7 and currently in the seven seed. Head Coach Dennis Allen says New Orleans will have the added challenge of traveling over 2,000 miles on a short week…

 Cut 16 (23) “…ready to go for Thursday Night.”

The Pelicans will take the floor tonight as they host the Grizzlies. Memphis has had a slow start to the season, but all-star point guard Ja Morant is set to make his season debut after serving a 25-game suspension. The Pels will look to extend their 4-game win streak tonight at 6:30 in the Smoothie King Center.

LSU Heisman-winning Quarterback Jarden Daniels has opted out of the Tigers’ bowl game leaving backup QB Garrett Nussmeier to officially take the reins. Head Coach Brian Kelly says the rest of LSU’s stars plan to suit up for the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 1st…

Cut 19 (18) “…we are.” 

Joining Nussmeier in the QB room next year will be Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann. The former four-star recruit was expected to transfer to South Carolina but switched allegiances t the Tigers and is expected to backup Nussmeier next season.

Former Many High School standout Tackett Curtis has announced he will be transferring from USC this offseason. The Linebacker was the fifth-ranked recruit out of Louisiana in the 2023 class.

The Nicholls basketball team will visit Maryland tonight at 7:30.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The New Orleans Saints are now 7 and 7 after their victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. A big factor in their win was the play of quarterback Derek Carr who led the offense to 24 total points and had 218 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game. After receiving some criticism from fans after his performance, Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen says that the criticism was unwarranted.

Cut 17 (15) “… played well.”

The Saints will travel to face the Rams on Thursday Night Football and kickoff will be at 7:15 pm on Prime Video.

LSU Heisman and All-American quarterback Jayden Daniels has opted out of the 2024 Reliaquest Bowl. Daniels says that even though he is from California and played most of his career at Arizona State …

Cut 16 (07) “… Bayou boy.”

Daniels is projected to be a top 10 pick and the third quarterback to be taken in next year’s draft.

Grambling State has named former LSU and Nebraska assistant Mickey Joseph as its new football head coach. Joseph says that all the talent he needs to build a winning program at Grambling can be found in Louisiana and that he and his staff will have to prioritize in state recruiting in order to win.

Cut 10 (12) “… these kids.”

Joseph was hired after former Head Coach Hue Jackson was fired at the end of this season.

In basketball news, the Pelicans set a franchise record number of three pointers in their 146 to 110 win over the Spurs yesterday. New Orleans made 22 three pointers in their second win over the Spurs this season which was one more than the previous record of 21.

In college basketball news, McNeese defeated ULL 74 to 72 yesterday and improved to 10 and 2 on the year and in a major upset earlier today, the University of Jacksonville beat ULM 75 to 66.

11:30 am Newscast

Ochsner Children’s Hospital is building a massive new facility to grow the pediatrics program and treat critical conditions. That’s thanks to a large donation from New Orleans Saints Owner Gayle Benson. Chief Medical Officer Doctor Butch Adolph says the placement of departments is easily accessible to speed up time-sensitive procedures.

Cut 4 (12) “…bigger capacity.”

Will there be a special session to address the state’s property insurance crisis next year? Despite an incentive program to bring new carriers to the Bayou State, Insurance Commissioner-elect Tim Temple says it’s highly unlikely but property owners won’t see the benefits connected to the initiative immediately…

Cut 11 (09) “…to change.”

————

A big announcement regarding a proposed passenger rail service along the I-20 corridor as The Federal Railroad Administration awards the Southern Rail commission a 500-thousand dollar grant to study what it would take to make it happen. Yesterday’s news conference was held in downtown Monroe. Mayor Friday Ellis spoke about what a train station would mean.

Cut  14 (13) “..every day”

A male juror was removed from the jury in a federal trial yesterday as LSU faces wrongful termination and sexual harassment accusations from for employee Sharon Lewis.  According to Tiger Rag editor Todd Horne the juror, had been seen noticeably responding to a thumbs-up gesture from LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward during the trial.

10:30 am Newscast

Louisiana’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is underway this holiday season. With more parties this time of year there are more impaired drivers on the road, especially at night. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says for some because the holidays can be difficult…

Cut 8 (09) “…on the road.”

The campaign runs through New Year’s Day.

Passenger rail service to North Louisiana’s I-20 corridor may be one step closer to reality. The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a 500-thousand dollar grant to the Southern Rail Commission to figure out what it would take to get it done. Commissioner Knox Ross says passenger rail service would bring economic development to these cities, especially their downtown areas…

Cut 13 (12) “…all about” 

The proposed rail line would connect Dallas-Fort Worth to Atlanta, with stops in Shreveport, Ruston, Monroe and Vicksburg, Mississippi.

———

Number one-ranked Ochsner Children’s Hospital will build a new 343 thousand square foot facility thanks to a historic donation from New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson. Here’s Teiko Foxx
Cut 1 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 
A federal appeals court yesterday refused to reconsider its ruling setting a January deadline for the Louisiana Legislature to enact a new congressional map after a lower court found that the current political boundaries dilute the power of the state’s Black voters. If lawmakers to not pass a new map by January 30th, then a lower court judge will likely decide on a plan for the 2024 elections.

 

9:30 am Newscast

North Louisiana mayors are excited about the possibility of passenger rail service along the I-20 corridor. Jeff Palermo has the story….

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

Ochsner Children’s Hospital is building a massive new facility with a large donation from New Orleans Saints Owner Gayle Benson. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Butch Adolph on the ever growing need.

Cut 3 (13) “…one facility.”

——

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is underway. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s Greg Fisher says the annual campaign is making a difference. According to the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety at LSU for every 1,000 hours of impaired driver patrol, there are four fewer fatalities…

Cut 7 (06) “…fewer fatalities.” 

Whether or not there will be a special season to address the state’s property insurance crisis before the regular session is still up in the air. Insurance Commissioner-elect Tim Teeple is promising that if and when one is called, he’ll push for legislation that will help property owners get immediate premium relief. But stresses he’s not suggesting mandates for premium changes, because that only drives carriers away.

Cut 10 (12) “…availability.”