In what was most likely his final home regular season game, LSU freshman Ben Simmons scored 22 points in an 80-71 victory over the Missouri Tigers. Simmons also had 14 rebounds and seven assists. It was his 21st double-double of the season. Simmons is expected to be the top pick in the NBA draft.

In college baseball…16th ranked UL Lafayette scored four runs in the seventh inning and rallied past UNO 7-4. Joe Robbins hit his third home run and drove in two runs.

ULM came back from a six-to-nothing deficit in the 2nd inning and beat Valparaiso 18-9 in its home opener. Nathan Pugh drove in a three runs.

Tonight, the 6th ranked LSU Tigers visit Nicholls State, who is 4-5 on the season. Coach Paul Mainieri is shuffing his infield. Kramer Robertson moves from second to short, while Cole Freeman moves over to second after starting at short. And Louisiana Tech is at 12th ranked Arkansas for a 3:05 first pitch.

The Sun Belt Conference is removing New Mexico State and Idaho from its league. The two football-only members will leave the conference following the 2017 season. With the addition of Coastal Carolina, the Sun Belt will be a 10-member league in 2018. Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson likes the idea of a 10-team league and will discuss with coaches and ADs about adding a conference championship game….
cut 16 (21) “….nine conference games”

In other Sun Belt news…former Northwestern State Head Coach Scott Stoker is the new linebackers coach at ULM. And a racial discrimination trail between the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and their former head football coach Jerry Baldwin begins today. Baldwin, an african-american, was 6-27 when fired in 2001.