For a third time this season, the LSU Tigers lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs scored 50 points in the second half and the Bayou bengals couldn’t keep up and lost 79-67. Darius Days had a double-double 14 points and 10 rebounds. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Tigers as a five seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Louisiana Tech is one win away from an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament as the Bulldogs won an ugly game over North Texas. The final score was 42-36. Tech shot just 29-percent from the field, but the Mean Green shot 24-percent. Two players finished in double figures for the Dunkin Dogs, Keaston Willis and Cobe Williams each had 12 points. The Conference USA Championship game is tomorrow night at 7:30.

In the Southland Tournament, top seeded Nicholls faces Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi, while UNO faces Southeastern Louisinana. The championship game is tomorrow.

In the SWAC Tournament, Grambling lost to Texas Southern today 73-54.

The Saints have reportedly restructured the contract of running back Alvin Kamara, saving the team eight million dollars in salary cap space. The team converted ten million dollars of Kamar’s salary into a signing bonuys.

And former Saints linebacker Craig Robertson has announced his retirement. Robertson played for New Orleans from 2016 to 2020. He did not play last season.

The LSU baseball team took game one of its three game series with Bethune Cookman eight to seven today. The Tigers trailed 6-2 in the fifth inning, but rallied back. Jacob Berry hit a two run homer run, Dylan Crews hit a solo shot and Brayden Jobert had the game winning hit in the seventh inning. Dylan Fontenot earned the win with 2.1 innings of shutout baseball.

The Pelicans face the Charlotte Hornets tonight, but CJ McCollum will not play as he’s in COVID protcol. Brandon Ingram is also out with a hamstring injury.

The LSU men’s basketball team will face Arkansas for a third time this season at 1:30 today in a quarterfinal matchup of the SEC Tournament. The Tigers took down Missouri yesterday 76-68 as Tari Eason had 19 points. It was LSU’s first game since we learned the program has received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA. Coach Will Wade says it has not been a distraction to his team…
cut 18 (14) “…with the investigation”
But Wade says he looks forward to commenting on the NCAA allegations in the future.

Louisiana Tech overcome a season-high 20 turnovers to beat Western Kentucky 59-57 last night to advance to the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament. Kenneth Lofton Junior registered his 17th double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds.

In the Southland, UNO eliminated McNeese 82-78 and in the SWAC Grambling edged Southern 60-58.

Because of the threat of rain tonight, the sixth-ranked LSU baseball team will begin its three-game series against Bethune Cookman at noon today. The Wildcats are 5-and-7 this season after not playing last year because of COVID. They were in a Regional in 2017. Tigers Coach Jay Johnson says Bethune Cookman has only hit three home runs, but they can score in other ways…
cut 20 (12) “….good opponent”
Blake Money will start on the mound today. Johnson has yet to name a starter for tomorrow and Sunday.

In other action today, the Cajuns host Houston for a 4 PM first pitch. U-L-M is at Nicholls, and Louisiana Tech hosts Houston Baptist.

Three state championship trophies will be handed out in Lake Charles at the boys high school basketball tournament. The Class B title game is tonight as Simsboro takes on Zwolle.

It is tournament time for basketball…in the LHSAA Boys Nonselect tournament, the field has narrowed as we approach the championships on Friday and Saturday at McNeese’s Burton Coliseum.

In Class 4A, Carver crushed Huntington, 84-35 to advance to the title game for the second consecutive season. Jaylon Hicks had a game-high 20 points to lead the Rams who will face McMain, the defending state champs in the final. The Mustangs defeated second-seeded Edna Karr, 52-41, paced by Alex Hammond’s 15 points.

Zachary will be making its second-straight appearance in the 5A title game after knocking off Ouachita, 75-60. Jordan DeCuir led the Broncos with 24 points. They will face the surprising Northshore Panthers, who will be making their first bid for a state crown after beating Walker 68-54 in the semis. James Bridges posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 boards for Northshore in the win.

Today’s semifinals will set up the championships for divisions 2A and 3A. Madison Prep advanced to the 3A championship game with a win over Donaldsonville. They will face Wossman on Saturday after the Wildcats got past Bossier. In the 2A semis, Amite takes on Lakeview and Rayville plays Port Allen.

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Moving from Marsh Madness to March Madness…Grambling is just 12-20 this season, but three of those wins have come over Southern, including today’s 60-58 upset of the Jags in the SWAC basketball tournament. Tra’Michael Moton nearly had a triple-double for the Tigers with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Grambling advances to face Texas Southern in the semifinals on Friday.

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LSU moves on to the SEC tournament quarterfinals after topping Missouri 76-68. Tari Eason led the Tigers with 19 points with Darius Days adding 16 more. They will face Arkansas Friday afternoon at 2 pm. McNeese faces UNO in the Southland tournament this evening, with top-seeded Nicholls and number two Southeastern off until tomorrow’s semifinals.

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The second-longest work stoppage in baseball’s history has finally come to an end. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement after the owners locked out the players for 99-days. According to reports, spring training camps will open on Sunday, with teams able to sign free agents and make trades once again. Aside from the financial pieces of the negotiations, there are some on-field changes coming as well, including the adoption of the DH by the National League, a 12-team postseason, and advertising on jerseys and batting helmets.

Will Wade leads the fifth-seeded LSU Tigers into the SEC men’s tournament in Tampa looking to find some momentum after going 9-9 in conference play. The Tigers won two of three to close the regular season and have some of the top individual talents in the league. Wade thinks his team is playing more like the team that started the season 15-1, rather than the one that scuffled through the SEC.

Cut 16 (13) “…we’re in Tampa.”

LSU will play Missouri at 1:30 today.

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Led by the bats of Gavin Dugas and Jacob Berry, the Tigers topped McNeese 6-3 at The Box last night. Dugas and Berry went a combined five-for-eight at the plate with two home runs and five R-B-I. Will Helmers pitched three scoreless innings to pick up his second win of the season for sixth-ranked LSU, which improved to 10-3. McNeese falls to 8-5.

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Louisiana Tech dominated Southeastern 13-1 in a mid-week matchup. Taylor Young went four-for-five with two R-B-I and Wade Elliott drove in three more for the Bulldogs.

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The New Orleans Pelicans have gone from one extreme to the other. After handing out beat downs during a four-game win streak, the Pels have lost three straight, including last night’s disappointing 102-106 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic. CJ McCollum scored 32 and Jonas Valanciunas added 30 more but they weren’t enough to overcome an early, 13-point deficit. Adding to the sting of the loss, forward Brandon Ingram will be out 7-10 days with a sore hamstring, meaning he will miss at least the next three games.

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In college hoops, Grambling and Southern will add another chapter to their rivalry when they meet in the SWAC tournament this afternoon at 2 pm. The Tigers took both games from the Jags during the regular season.

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Over in the Southland, McNeese advanced by beating Northwestern State Wednesday night. Their reward is a matchup with third-seeded UNO this evening. Top-seeded Nicholls and number two Southeastern are off until tomorrow’s semifinals.

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And Major League Baseball has announced the cancellation of 93 more games as the owner’s lockout drags on. So far 184 games have been chopped off the schedule, or just under eight percent. The earliest the season could begin is April 14^th. Both sides continue to negotiate.

The LSU men’s basketball team will face Missouri this afternoon in the SEC Tournament. Coach Will Wade’s team is looking to build momentum heading into next week’s NCAA Tournament and he believes the SEC has them battled-tested…
cut 17 (16) “…at the top”
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has LSU as a five seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Louisiana Tech advanced in the Conference USA Tournament last night with a 77-67 victory over Marshall. Tech shot 62-percent from the field in the second half and Kenneth Lofton had a team-high 21 points and nine boards. The Bulldogs will face Western Kentucky tonight.

McNeese beat Northwestern State 80-67 in the Southland Tournament and the Cowboys will play UNO tonight at 6:30.

The LSU baseball team improved to 10-and-3 last night with a six to three win over McNeese. Gavin Dugas and Jacob Berry homered. Right-hander Will Hellmers got the win as he fired three shutout innings.

Louisiana Tech trounced Southeastern Louisiana 13 to 1. Wade Elliot drove in three runs and on the mound Jackson Lancaster tossed three shutout innings and struck out five.

ULM ended a nine-game losing streak with a six to two win over Northwestern State. Sophomore Landon Cato crushed a three-run homer.

Elsewhere, Nicholls shut out St. Thomas 10 to nothing, Grambling swept a doubleheader from Wiley and Houston topped Southern seven to four.

In the NBA, Brandon Ingram didn’t play again last night and the Pelicans lost again as Orlando dribbled past New Orleans 108 to 102. The Pels are 2 and 14 when Ingram doesn’t play and he’s out at least a week with a hamstring injury.

Today…Southern faces Grambling at 2 PM in the SWAC Tournament.

March Madness is in full effect as we build towards Selection Sunday. Louisiana Tech, the third seed in Conference USA after posting a 12-6 league record, faces seventh-seeded Marshall tonight in its opener. The Bulldogs are chasing their first NCAA bid since 1991 when they were members of the now-defunct American South.

It isn’t the Bayou Classic, but Grambling and Southern will play each other in the quarterfinals of the SWAC tournament on Thursday. Grambling won both regular-season meetings with the Jaguars.

And Northwestern State faces McNeese in the opening round of the Southland tourney, with the winner facing UNO on Thursday.

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LSU opens play in the SEC tournament Thursday afternoon against the winner of tonight’s matchup between Missouri and Mississippi. The Tigers arrived in Tampa today, and Coach Will Wade says his team will be working hard prepping for either opponent. LSU lost by 4 to Ole Miss and beat Mizzou by 20 in their only meetings this year.

Cut 21 (16) “…both teams.”

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LSU’s initial response to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations regarding the men’s basketball program didn’t shed much light on the situation. A statement released by the athletic department reads as follows…

“Per NCAA rules and procedures, LSU is unable to comment on any aspect of the ongoing case. We will continue to cooperate fully with the IARP as we work together toward a resolution.”

The Tigers have been caught in the NCAA’s crosshairs since a federal investigation into corruption in college basketball produced voice recordings of head coach Will Wade discussing alleged payments made to then-recruit Javonte Smart in 2017.

LSU could face stiff penalties if there are major violations contained in the NOA.

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Tigers women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey has been named Coach of the Year by The Athletic after spearheading the largest turnaround by a first-year coach in SEC history. LSU, now 25-4 on the year, and ranked ninth in the latest AP poll, will likely host first and second-round games of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers have already recorded the most wins in a season since 2007-08 when they went to the Final Four under Van Chancellor.

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On the diamond, Northwestern State is at UL-Monroe, Tulane visits Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech welcomes Southeastern, and LSU hosts McNeese.

The LSU men’s basketball program could soon be hit with NCAA penalties for recruiting violations. Glen Guilbeau with outkick-dot-com says the clock is likely winding down on Wade’s time in Baton Rouge, despite his on-court success. Especially if athletic director Scott Woodward can mitigate the program’s punishment by cutting Wade loose.

Cut 15 (12) “…their penalties”

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Louisiana Tech begins play in the Conference USA Tournament tonight after finishing the regular season with a 12-and-6 league record. Bulldogs coach Eric Konkol on what it will take to make a long run in the league tourney.

Cut 16 (17) “…I’ve had.”

The Bulldogs will match up with Marshall today at 6 PM.

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After a four-game win streak, the New Orleans Pelicans have lost two in a row. Last night, the Pels took it on the gullet, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 111-132. The Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram, but he likely wouldn’t have made a difference against the Grizzlies buzz saw. CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 32 points and 11 assists. Memphis had three players score at least 20 points, including MVP-candidate Ja Morant, who had 24 to go along with eight boards and eight assists.

The Pels are back on the court tonight at home against the Orlando Magic to start a critical, four-game homestand.

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LSU’s Kim Mulkey has been named as a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year after leading the greatest turnaround by a first-year coach in SEC history. The Tigers have improved by leaps and bounds in Mulkey’s first season in Baton Rouge, taking their record from 9-13 to 25-5 so far this season, more than doubling their winning percentage, and giving LSU its best regular season since 2007-08 when the Tigers finished 31-6, making it all the way to the Final Four.

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They’ll try to play some college baseball today if the weather cooperates. One matchup has been postponed, as UL and UNO have moved their game from tonight in New Orleans to March 30.

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LSU may finally face penalties for recruiting violations within its men’s basketball program. David Grubb explains…
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m David Grubb.”

The Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram last night and Memphis went on to score 44 points in the first quarter to beat New Orleans 132 to 111. The Pels are now 2-and-13 when Ingram doesn’t play. He missed last night’s game with right hamstring soreness.

1991 was the last time the Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs will have to win four games over the next four days to get an automatic bid to this year’s tournament. Tech will face Marshall tonight in the Conference USA Tournament. The Bulldogs are led by six-foot-seven forward Kenneth Lofton Junior, who is averaging 16 points per game. Coach Eric Konkol says teams have tried a variety of ways to slow him down…
cut 17 (20) “….the season”
Tech and the Thundering Herd face off at 6:30.

In the Southland Tournament, McNeese meets Northwestern State at 7:30.

And at the Boys Basketball Tournament, The Calvin Cougars out of Winnfield will play in their first state championship in boys basketball since 1939 after beating Simpson 57-42 in the Class C semifinals yesterday.

Saints fans hoping for a big name under center in 2022 will just have to keep hoping after the two biggest potential prizes have been taken off the table. Earlier Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers reportedly reached agreement with Aaron Rodgers on a four-year deal worth $200 million that would make the four-time MVP the highest-paid player in NFL history. Then, this afternoon the Seahawks and Broncos came together on a trade that will send Russell Wilson to Denver for a bevy of draft picks.

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LSU has found another quarterback for its roster in Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels. Daniels threw for more than 6000 yards for the Sun Devils, and Brody Miller, who covers LSU for The Athletic, says Daniels brings explosive running talent to the position to bolster the Tigers’ talented offensive attack.

Cut 17 (21) “…in the pocket.”

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Cloudy skies are forcing the postponement of a number of college baseball games around the state. Northwestern State and UL-Monroe will have their mid-week battle pushed back for the third time with tonight’s 6 pm start moved to Wednesday in Monroe. It’s the same for LSU and McNeese, who will play tomorrow at 6:30 at The Box. Tonight’s game between Louisiana Tech and UL-Lafayette has been moved to April 6.

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The battery case against Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been continued until late April while defense attorneys await records from the prosecution relating to the incident. In February Kamara, along with three other men, was arrested for allegedly beating and stomping a man, resulting in a fractured eye socket for the victim. If found guilty, Kamara could face a sentence of one to five years in prison with a mandatory $10-thousand fine.

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In Memphis, the New Orleans Pelicans will be looking to bounce back from Sunday’s overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. It won’t be easy picking up a win against MVP candidate Ja Morant and the team with the NBA’s second-best record. The Pels have been pretty successful against the Grizzlies, winning seven of 10 overall and two of their last three road meetings. New Orleans sits 10^th in the Western Conference, one game behind the Lakers in the standings.

LSU has added another piece to its offensive arsenal on the gridiron with the addition of former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels spent three seasons with the Sun Devils, passing for more than six thousand yards. LSU beat writer, Brody Miller of The Athletic, says adding Daniels just makes sense.

Cut 16 (14) “…massive upside.”

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Tigers forward Tari Eason has been named SEC sixth man of the year, as voted by the coaches. Eason led LSU with 16.9 points per game, coming off the bench in 26 of 30 contests. The sophomore was also tabbed for All-SEC First Team honors. Senior Darius Days was named to the second team, and Brandon Murray earned an All-Freshman team selection for LSU, which starts play in the conference tournament on Thursday.

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All-SEC guard Khayla Pointer is one of five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year award. She’s averaging 19 points, 5.2 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game for LSU.

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LSU moves down and Tulane moves up in the latest DI college baseball rankings. After dropping two of three at the Shriners Classic this past weekend, the Tigers fall to 12^th in the rankings, sandwiched between Florida and Georgia Tech. The Green Wave rolls back in to the top 25 for the first time this season after a series win over defending NCAA champion Mississippi State. Tulane is 18^th, its highest ranking in six years.

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The Ragin Cajuns came up just short in their bid to become the highest-seeded team to win the Sun Belt men’s tournament, falling to Georgia State, 71-80. Jordan Brown led the eighth-seeded Cajuns with 24 points and eight rebounds. U-L finishes the season at 16-16.

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The USFL has started releasing details of the 10-game schedule for its inaugural season kicking off this spring. The New Orleans Breakers are one of eight teams playing this year and they will start the season on April 17 against the Philadelphia Stars. All games this year will be played in Birmingham, Alabama, with most teams scheduled to be back in their home markets in 2023.

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The Pelicans will try to get back on the winning side of things tonight on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans had its four-game win streak snapped Sunday in Denver. The teams have split the season series so far. The Pelicans have won 2 of their last 3 in Memphis.