You can be sure there are plenty of fans in Louisiana who will be cheering on New Orleans native Peyton Manning and the Broncos in the Super Bowl this Sunday. Isidore Newman High School football coach Nelson Stewart played with Manning for the Greenies from 1991-1993. He’s not surprised the 39-year-old is playing for his fourth Super Bowl, even though it was a difficult season

cut 16 (08) “challenge”

Some are wondering if this is going to be Manning’s last game of his hall of fame career. Sunday’s kickoff is scheduled for 5:30PM.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was out and about in San Francisco yesterday, appearing as a guest on numerous national sport talk shows. Brees says he’s still resting his injured foot, he said there’s been no contract talks between him and the team, and he believes another window of opportunity is just opening for the Saints.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points and 12 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers upended the Pelicans 99-96. Bryant sank three clutch 3-pointers in the final six minutes to secure the win for the Lakers. The Pels’ Anthony Davis led all scorers with 39. The Pelicans hit the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday.

In college hoops last night, Alex Hamilton scored 31 as Louisiana Tech topped Rice 90-78 last night in Conference USA. Eric McCree and Dayon Griffin each added 15 as the Bulldogs find themselves on a four game winning streak. Tech currently sits in fourth place in the conference standings. They’ll take on North Texas Saturday afternoon.

Shawn Long’s 68th career double double led UL-Lafayette to an 87-76 win over Appalachian State. Long scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Ragin’ Cajuns have now won eight in a row. The Cajuns’ 9-3 league record have them currently sitting in second place in the Sun Belt Conference. UL-Lafayette has a bit of a break as they won’t hit the court again until next Thursday when they face Arkansas State.

The 2016 recruiting class is in the books for the LSU Tigers as they signed 19 young men that were ranked as the top 300 players in the country by ESPN. One of those players is Michael Divinity, a linebacker from John Ehret High School in Marrero. Coach Les Miles says Divinity has the physical ability to play right away…
cut 15 (14) “….true freshman”

Matt Viator’s first recruiting class at ULM has a quarterback in it. Viator says he’s glad to have Caleb Evans from Mansfield, Texas, in the program…
cut 30 (13) “…today’s football”

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was making the rounds in San Francisco today, appearing as a guest on a bunch national sport talk shows. Brees says he’s still resting his injured foot, he said there’s been no contract talks between him and the team, and he believes another window of opportunity is just opening for the Saints.

Conference USA released Louisiana Tech’s 2016 football schedule today. The Bulldogs begin league play on September 24th at Middle Tennessee. After that game, they’ll host UTEP and Western Kentucky. Tech’s bye week comes on November 19th, the week before they visit Southern Miss on November 26th.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball begins a two-game road trip in Texas today as they visit Rice. The Bulldogs have won three in a row. The Ragin Cajuns are at Appalachian State. UL Lafayette has won seven .

In the NBA….the Pelicans are back at the Smoothie King Center to host the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is questionable with a shoulder injury. Tip-off is at 7.

LSU’s 2016 football recruiting class just missed out on being ranked number one in the country. According to ESPN, it’s the 3rd best class, with Florida State coming in first and Alabama second. Coach Les Miles says whether it’s number one or third, they filled some holes on their roster…
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LSU also finished with the third best recruiting class according to 24-7 sports. They had Alabama number one followed by Florida State.

The Ragin Cajuns signed 22 players, six of them are considered three-star prospects by 24-7 sports. UL Lafayette also signed five players out of junior college. Highlighting that group of players is cornerback Artez Williams and safety Denarius Howard from Mississippi Delta Community College.

Louisiana Tech’s recruiting class contains some beef on the defensive line. Bulldogs Coach Skip Holtz….
cut 30 (23) “…immediate impacts”
Baker is from Livonia High School, while Mason played at McComb High School in Mississippi.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball begins a two-game road trip in Texas today as they visit Rice. The Bulldogs have won three in a row. The Ragin Cajuns are at Appalachian State. UL Lafayette has won seven straight.

In the NBA….the Pelicans lost to San Antonio 110-97 last night. Tonight, the Pels are back at the Smoothie King Center to host the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is questionable with a shoulder injury. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

LSU ends national signing day with a top five recruiting class that’s loaded with in-state talent. Jeff Palermo has the story…

cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

According to Rivals-dot-com, Louisiana Tech’s recruiting class is ranked as the fifth best in Conference USA. There are a couple of three-star prospects, Livonia defensive end Willie Baker and Pine Bluff, Arkansas defensive back David Beasley.

UL Lafayette did well in getting guys from the New Orleans area…Shaw running back Trey Ragas and East St. John cornerback Dontrell Allen.

New ULM head coach Matt Viator’s first recruiting class in Monroe features 19 players. Viator credits current players on the team for helping him bring in some talented players…

cut 24 (17) “…they need to be”

One of Viator’s top players in this class is Welsh wide receiver Brandius Batiste, who caught 17 touchdown passes during his senior season for the Greyhounds.

The San Antonio Spurs remain unbeaten at home after their 110-97 win over the Pelicans last night. The Spurs’ Lamarcus Aldridge led all scorers with a season high 36-points. Anthony Davis led the Pels with 28 points and 10 rebounds. The Pelicans will look to get back on track tonight when they host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers come into the game with the worst record in the Western Conference.

LSU did not land the nation’s number one recruiting class, but it’s in the Top five according to 24-7 sports, Scout-dot-com and ESPN. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says LSU brought in some outstanding prospects on the defensive line…
cut 14 (10) “…first year”
LSU also signed a quarterback. Zachary’s Lindsey Scott Junior who is the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2015. Scott’s high school coach, David Brewerton, says Scott’s five-foot-11 height hasn’t stopped him from making all the throws…
cut 18 (15) “…all right”
Unfortunately for LSU, Alabama won the recruiting title again as they are ranked number one by 24-7, Rivals and Scout.

According to Rivals-dot-com, Louisiana Tech’s recruiting class is ranked as the fifth best in Conference USA. There are a couple of three-star prospects, Livonia defensive end Willie Baker and Pine Bluff, Arkansas defensive back David Beasley.

UL Lafayette did well in getting guys from the New Orleans area…Shaw running back Trey Ragas and East St. John cornerback Dontrell Allen.

ULM signed a quarterback from Dallas. His name is Caleb Evans. They also received signed national letters of intent from Lafayette defensive back Jayrin Wilson, Parkview Baptist running back Kayin White, John Ehret defensive end Kerry Starks and Walker linebacker Kyle Nevels.

In the NBA…the Pelicans have a tough challenge tonight as they visit the San Antonio Spurs, who have won 35 straight regular-season home games. The Spurs will not have Tim Duncan, who is out with a sore right knee.

Finishing with the nation’s number one recruiting class might not happen for the Tigers. Erick Fowler a linebacker from Texas decommitted from LSU today and signed with the Texas Longhorns. He’s considered one of the top outside linebackers in the country. But LSU should have a top 5 recruiting class, thanks to signings from some very good defensive and offensive linemen like John Curtis offensive tackle Willie Allen. Patriots head coach JT Curtis says Allen has the intangibles to be an outstanding offensive lineman in the SEC…
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And Charles Hanagriff with ESPN 104.5 in Baton Rouge is reporting that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron could be leaving LSU. Cameron’s current three-year contract expires in March.

According to rivals-dot-com, Louisiana Tech has the fourth best recruiting class in Conference USA with three… three-star recruits and that includes Livonia defensive end Willie Baker.

Highlighting the Ragin Cajuns recruiting class is East St. John cornerback Dontrel Allen, Cecilia running back Raymond Calais and Breaux Bridge linebacker Korey Louis.

ULM’s recruiting class features some Louisiana talent as well. Parkview Baptist running back Kayin White, John Ehret defensive end Kerry Starks and Acadiana’s Jayrin White.

In basketball…the LSU Tigers have moved into sole possession of second place in the SEC after beating Auburn 80-68 last night. Ben Simmons had 21 points and 13 rebounds. Shawn Long scored a season high 28 points and had 17 rebounds as UL Lafayette beat ULM 72-65 in overtime. Justin Roberson had 21 for the Warhawks.

And Zeek Woodley poured in 30 points as Northwestern State defeated Central Arkansas 91-75.

It’s national signing day and the LSU Tigers are poised to have the number one recruiting class in the nation. One of the nation’s top defensive tackles is expected to sign with the Tigers and that’s Neville star Rashard Lawrence, who helped the Monroe school win back-to-back state championships. Neville head coach Mickey McCarty says he’s everything you want in a defensive lineman…

cut 16 (10) “with us”

LSU is expected to sign five defensive linemen and three offensive linemen, including four star John Curtis standout Willie Allen.

Sean Payton has finally made it official, Dennis Allen is the new defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. Allen took over the reigns of the defense after Rob Ryan was fired in November. In other Black & Gold coaching announcements: Dan Campbell has been hired as assistant head coach and tight ends coach, Aaron Glenn is the secondary coach, and Joe Lombardi rejoins the coaching staff as quarterbacks coach.

LSU shot nearly 57-percent from the field last night as they defeated Auburn 80-68. Freshman sensation Ben Simmons led the Tigers with yet another double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. LSU improves to 14-8 on the season and 7-2 in the SEC, which puts them in second place in the conference standings behind Texas A&M. The Bayou Bengals will host Ole Miss Saturday.

In Sun Belt Conference play, UL-Lafayette slipped past ULM in overtime 72-65. Ragin Cajuns forward Shawn Long led all scorers with a season high 28 points. Justin Roberson led the Warhawks with 21. UL-L extends their winning streak to seven games and improves their league record to 8-3. That’s good enough for second place in the Sun Belt. The Cajuns hope to make it eight in a row when they play at Appalachian State tomorrow night. ULM looks to bounce back when they play the Mountaineers Saturday.

In the Southland, Northwestern State rolled past Central Arkansas 91-75. Zeek Woodley scored 30 and Devonte Hall added 20 to lead the Demons to victory. Northwestern now finds themselves riding a three game winning streak.

After losing to number one ranked Oklahoma on Saturday, the LSU Tigers are back in action tonight against Auburn in an SEC match-up. The Bayou Bengals are 6-2 in league play, while Auburn is 3-5. It will be interesting to see how LSU freshman Ben Simmons will play. He had 14-points against the Sooners and faced criticism that he wasn’t aggressive enough or didn’t want the ball late in the second half. Tip-off is at 6 PM.

The Ragin Cajuns put their six-game winning streak on the line tonight as they host in-state foe ULM. The Warhawks have won four in a row and they are led by Majok Deng, who is averaging 20 points a game. But ULM is just 1-and-11 on the road, while UL Lafayette is 9-0 at home. Tip-off is at 7:15.

Also tonight, Northwestern State visits Central Arkansas. Two years ago and last year, these two teams played games that saw each team score over 100 points. Tip-off is at 6:30.

Tomorrow is national signing day. 24-7 sports and ESPN say as it stands now, LSU has the number one recruiting class in the nation. Ponchatoula offensive lineman Donavaughn Campbell who committed to LSU last January announced that he’s sticking with that verbal pledge and will sign with the Tigers tomorrow.

According to a survey of coaches, UL Lafayette is picked to win the Sun Belt in baseball. The Cajuns received eight first place votes, while South Alabama received three. ULM is picked to finish tenth in the 11-team league.

Southeastern Louisiana has been picked to win the Southland title in baseball this season. The Lions are the preseason favorites in the coaches and sports information directors polls. In the SID poll, Northwestern State is picked to finish in second place, followed by McNeese State and Nicholls State is expected to finish in fifth place.

The LSU men’s basketball team can’t worry about what happened on Saturday when they lost to number one ranked Oklahoma, because tonight they take on Auburn at Auburn Arena at six PM. The Tigers are 6-2 in league play, while Auburn is 3-5. LSU is still very much on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament and need to win games likes tonight.

There’s a good match-up in the Cajundome tonight as ULM squares off with UL Lafayette. The Warhawks have won four in a row, while the Cajuns have won six in a row. A win for ULM and they’ll move into a second place tie with UL Lafayette in the Sun Belt.

Also tonight…Northwestern State hosts Central Arkansas. Last night…Southeastern defeated McNeese 82-80, UNO thumped Nicholls 74-53 and Grambling lost.

The Pelicans ended their seven-game homestand with a 110-95 loss to Memphis. Memphis hit 9 three-pointers, five of them in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.

The Pelicans seven-game homestand concludes tonight as New Orleans hosts Memphis at the Smoothie King Center for a seven o’ clock tip-off. So far, New Orleans is 5-1 on this season-long homestand and they’ve won seven of their last nine. The Grizzlies are 28-20 on the year, but center Marc Gasol is questionable with a knee injury.

In college hoops action tonight…Nicholls is at UNO, Southeastern Louisiana hosts McNeese State and Grambling is at Mississippi Valley State.

The LSU Tigers travel to Auburn, where they’ll face the Auburn Tigers tomorrow night in an SEC match-up. The Tigers are 13-8 on the season, while Auburn has a losing record. According ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, LSU would be a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

UL Lafayette’s Shawn Long has been named the men’s Sun Belt Player of the Week. Long averaged 21 points and 15 rebounds last week as the Cajuns have won six in a row, heading into tomorrow’s game against ULM.

Louisiana’s Mr. Football for 2015, Zachary quarterback Lindsey Scott, has decided he’ll play for the LSU Tigers. Scott is listed as a three-star recruit, but put up big numbers the past two seasons and led the Broncos to the Class 5A championship this past year. Scott is the only quarterback commitment in the Tigers 2016 class.

Major changes are coming to the LHSAA after member principals voted to expand the select–nonselect championships to basketball, baseball and softball. LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine says he would like to survey coaches and student-athletes to see what they think…
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The expanded split will start with the 2016-17 school year.