6:45 LRN Sportscast January 7

The Pelicans snapped a three-game losing streak as they defeated a Golden State team that did not have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green last night. So Brandon Ingram was the best player on the court and he had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in the 101-96 win over the Warriors.

The 13th ranked LSU Lady Tigers had their 13-game winning streak snapped last night as they fell to top-ranked South Carolina 66-60.

In men’s college basketball….the Ragin Cajuns improved to 3-0 in the Sun Belt with an 83-77 overtime victory over Arkansas State. Kobe Julien led the way with 20 points and Theo Akwuba had 16 points and 15 boards.

ULM won its first Sun Belt game as the Warhawks defeated Little Rock 80-72. Russell Harrison had a career-high 28 points for ULM.

Louisiana Tech is 3-0 in Conference USA Play after a hard-fought 64-52 victory at UTEP. Cobe Williams had 17 points for the Bulldogs.

For the Saints to get back in the playoffs, New Orleans will have to beat the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday and the Rams need to beat the 49ers in Los Angeles. Both games will kick-off at 3:25 and Saints defensive end Cam Jordan says he will not be scoreboard watching…
Cut 16 (25) “…look outside.”
The NFL playoffs begin next weekend, so will online sports betting be available. Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns says no, but they are getting close…
cut 12 (14) “….very, very very soon”
The Saints are 3.5 point favorite to beat Atlanta on Sunday.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

No surprise here, but LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Junior has declared for the NFL draft. Stingley is expected to be one of the top picks in the first round, even though he played in just three games this year, before a season-ending foot injury. During the 2019 national championship season, Stingley had six interceptions and 38 tackles.

Other early LSU entrees into the draft are cornerback Cordale Flott, defensive back Cam Lewis and offensive guard Chasen Hines, who is committed to playing in the NFLPA Bowl on January 29th.

Another member of the Ragin Cajuns backfield has entered the transfer portal. Emani Bailey has entered the portal after rushing for eight touchdowns and 642 yards this past season. Fellow freshman running back Montrell Johnson has also entered the transfer portal.

In the NBA, the Pelicans host Golden State tonight. The Warriors have the best record in the Western Conference, while New Orleans is second to last in the West.

The PMAC is expected to be packed tonight as the 13th ranked Lady Tigers host top-ranked South Carolina. LSU is seeking its 14th straight win, while the Gamecocks are led by National Player of the Year candidate Aliyah Boston, who is averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds a game. Coach Kim Mulkey understands the excitement around this game, but she says it will not make or break their season…
cut 20 (25) “…remain the same”
Tip off is at 7 PM.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team is on the road tonight to face UTEP. The Bulldogs are off to a 2-0 start in Conference USA Play. U-L Lafayette is 2-0 in the Sun Belt and the Cajuns will host Arkansas State, while ULM hosts Little Rock. The Warhawks are 0-2 in league play.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

As expected LSU cornerback, Derek Stingley Junior has entered the NFL draft. He’s expected to be a first-round pick after missing most of the season with a foot injury.

Cornerback Cordale Flott has also announced he’s entering the draft. The junior from Alabama recorded 41 tackles and an interception this past season. With Flott and Stingley headed to the NFL and Elias Ricks now at Alabama, LSU’s three cornerbacks who started in the season opener are now gone.

The 13th ranked LSU women’s basketball team puts its 13 game winning streak on the line tonight when they host top-ranked South Carolina. Lady Tigers Coach Kim Mulkey says this is a tremendous challenge and opportunity for her squad…
Cut 19 (13) “…size to rebound”
South Carolina is led by National Player of the Year Candidate Aliyah Boston, who is averaging 17 points and ten rebounds a game.

The Ragin Cajuns host Arkansas State in their Sun Belt home opener tonight. U-L Lafayette is off to a 2-0 start in league play, while the Red Wolves beat Georgia Southern in their lone Sun Belt game of the season and they are 10-and-3 overall. Coach Bob Marlin says A-S-U is led by Caleb Fields, Norchad Omier and a talented shooter by the name of Marquis Eaton, who had 32 points against the Cajuns in a game last February…
Cut 18 (16) “ …player inside”
Elsewhere, ULM hosts Little Rock tonight. The Warhawks are looking for their first win in league play. Louisiana Tech is at UTEP. The Bulldogs are 11-and-3 and 2-and-0 in Conference USA. The Miners lost their first Conference USA game of the season a week ago, falling to UAB 75-62.

6:45 LRN Sportscast January 6

LSU football general manager Austin Thomas will not return after one season at the helm. Many expected he would remain on Brian Kelly’s staff as he also performed general manager duties at LSU from 2013 to 2017.

Meanwhile, Kelly is getting close to finalizing his staff as LSU announced the hiring of Jamar Cain, as the Tigers defensive line coach and run game coordinator. Cain was the outside linebackers and defensive ends coach at Oklahoma the past two seasons. Also, the Advocate reports new LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will make about one-point-four million dollars a year.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Michael Desormeaux has named Jorge Munoz as his Associate Head Coach. Munoz is a former offensive coordinator at U-L Lafayette and now he’ll coach tight ends after stints at Baylor and LSU.

Saints defensive Cam Jordan has been named NFC defensive player of the week after his 3.5 sack performance against Carolina.

Pelicans star Zion Williamson will continue his rehab on his injured right foot away from the team. ESPN reports Williamson will conduct the rehab in Portland, Oregon near the headquarters of Nike. He has a huge sponsorship deal with the Jordan Brand. The Pels say Williamson will remain under the supervision of the team’s medical staff. New Orleans hosts Golden State tonight.

In college basketball today, After beginning Sun Belt play with two victories on the road, the Ragin Cajuns return home tonight to host Arkansas State. U-L Lafayette Coach Bob Marlin says they want to build on what they accomplished last week…
cut 17 (16) “….front of us”
Elsewhere, ULM hosts Little Rock tonight. Louisiana Tech is at UTEP, the Lady Tigers host top-ranked South Carolina at the Maravich Center.

4:45 LRN Sportscast January 5

The 21st ranked LSU men’s basketball team rebounded from last week’s loss to Auburn to beat 16th ranked Kentucky 65-60 last night. The Bayou Bengals trailed by nine points at one point in the second half but outscored the Wildcats 24 to 10 the rest of the way. Coach Will Wade…
cut 15 (15) “…in Tennessee”
18th ranked Tennessee hosts Ole Miss tonight. If they win, the Vols and Tigers will both be 1-and-1 in SEC play when they meet Saturday in the PMAC.

The Pelicans announced today that injured star Zion Williamson will continue his rehabilitation away from the team, but will remain under the supervision of the Pelicans medical staff. In a statement, Williamson says he will continue to put in the time necessary to get back on the floor.

LSU’s football season ended with a disappointing 42-20 loss to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl last night. This despite the best efforts of 5th-year senior wide receiver Jontre Kirklin, who stepped up to fill in at quarterback. Kirklin is known as a hard worker and team leader.
Cut 7 (10) “…here I am”
Kirklin completed seven of his eleven pass attempts for 138 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. It was Kirklin’s first game at quarterback since 2016 when he was at Lutcher high school. Meanwhile, Kansas State Quarterback Skylar Thompson started his 41st game and threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly continues to clean house. General Manager Austin Thomas was let go today. Thomas was brought in a year ago by athletics director Scott Woodward and many thought he would survive the regime change.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

On a night LSU named the basketball court inside the PMAC after legendary coach Dale Brown, the 21st ranked Fighting Tigers defeated 16th ranked Kentucky 65-60 in front of 11-thousand fans. LSU rallied back from a nine-point deficit with 13 minutes to play thanks to good defense and rebounding. It was Coach Will Wade’s second victory over Kentucky in his five years at LSU…
cut 16 (20) “…move forward quickly”
LSU is now 1-and-1 in the SEC.

The Pelicans lost for the second straight night last night as Phoenix hit 17 three-pointers to beat the Pels 123 to 110. New Orleans has now dropped three straight overall as they failed to rally back after giving up 42 points in the first quarter.

For the first time since 1999, LSU football finishes the season with a losing record. An undermanned Fighting Tigers team lost to Kansas State 42-20 in the TaxAct Texas Bowl in Houston. LSU had only 38 scholarship players available for the game, and wide receiver Jontre Kirklin was the Tigers starting quarterback. The former quarterback at Lutcher high school tossed three touchdown passes…
cut 18 (13) “…came naturally”
Kirklin threw for 138 yards on the night, but also tossed two interceptions.

Prior to Sunday’s win over the Panthers, there was no Who-Dat chant prior to the game. Saints Coach Sean Payton says it was not intentional and simply an oversight. Defensive end Cam Jordan says he’ll take the blame and promises they’ll do a pre-game who Who Dat chant at the team’s next home game, which will come next season.

4:45 LRN Sportscast January 4

The LSU football Tigers close out the 2021 season with an appearance in the Texas Bowl tonight as they face Kansas State. LSU has about 40 scholarship players available and some of them will be playing their final game in the purple and gold, including center Liam Shanahan. He’s looking forward to finishing the season with a win, even though the roster of available players has shrunk…
cut 18 (17) “…everyone watching”
Kick-off is at 8 PM and ESPN is televising.

Ragin Cajuns running back Montrell Johnson has reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal. Johnson was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year this past season.

Calvary Baptist Quarterback and Louisiana Tech signee Landry Lyddy is the Class One-A offensive player of the year after throwing 42-hundred yards and 53 touchdowns as a senior.

Legendary LSU basketball coach Dale Brown will be honored tonight when the court inside the PMAC is officially named after him. Brown took the Tigers to the Final Four twice during his coaching career at LSU which lasted from 1972 to 1994….
Cut 15 (11) “…their lives better.”
The unveiling of the Dale Brown Courts comes on a night when 21st ranked LSU hosts 16th ranked Kentucky. The Wildcats are 11-and-2 and led by six-foot-nine forward Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEE-bway) who is averaging 16 points and 15 rebounds a game. Coach Will Wade says keeping Oscar off the glass will be a challenge…
cut 19 (15) “….total”

11:40 LRN Sportscast January 4

LSU has about 40 scholarship players available for tonight’s Texas Bowl matchup with Kansas State. The Tigers will have a skeleton crew out there because of players entering the transfer portal, opt-outs, suspensions and COVID protocols. But interim head coach Brad Davis says the goal remains to win the football game
Cut 16 (15) “…from me.”
The Wildcats are favorite by a touchdown and it’s unclear who will start at quarterback. Many are speculating it will be Jontre Kirkland who starts at Q-B as Garrett Nussmeier will not play in order to preserve his red-shirt season.

Ragin Cajuns running back Montrell Johnson has reportedly entered the transfer portal. Johnson was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year this past season after rushing for 833 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The 21st ranked LSU men’s basketball team looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season by hosting 16th ranked Kentucky at 6 PM. The Wildcats lead the SEC in scoring, averaging nearly 84 points a game. Tigers coach Will Wade says Kentucky is excellent in the half court…
cut 20 (16) “…in transition” (2x)
Kentucky is 11-and-2 and is led by six-foot-nine forward Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEE-bway), who is averaging 16 points and 15 rebounds a game.

The Pelicans lost to the Utah Jazz last night 115 to 104 in the Smoothie King Center as Utah hit 19 three-pointers. Brandon Ingram returned after suffering an Achilles injury had just ten points. New Orleans hosts the Phoenix Suns tonight.

6:45 LRN Sportscast January 4

LSU football closes out of the season tonight by facing Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. It’s unclear who will start at quarterback for the Bayou Bengals. On the depth chart, Garrett Nussmeier is listed as the starting QB, but he might not play tonight, because he would lose the ability to call this a red-shirt season. That means wide receiver and former Lutcher star Jontre Kirkland could line up at quarterback. Interim head coach Brad Davis says whoever starts at Q-B, they want to be consistent…
Cut 17 (15) “ …good game.”
On defense, LSU will need to figure out a way to slow down Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn, who has rushed for 12-hundred yards and averages nearly six yards a carry. Kick-off is at 8 PM.

The 21st ranked LSU men’s basketball team looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season by hosting 16th ranked Kentucky at 6 PM. The Wildcats lead the SEC in scoring, averaging nearly 84 points a game. Tigers coach Will Wade says Kentucky is excellent in the half court…
cut 20 (16) “…in transition”
Kentucky is 11-and-2 and is led by six-foot-nine forward Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEE-bway), who is averaging 16 points and 15 rebounds a game.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has been named ESPN’s Team of the Week for its victories Marshall and Western Kentucky to begin Conference USA play. And Cobe Williams was voted CUSA player of the week as the sophomore guard averaged 20 points in those two victories.

16:45 LRN Sportscast January 3

The Saints kept their playoff hopes alive with an 18-10 win over the struggling Panthers yesterday. The defense led the way as they sacked Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold seven times. Defensive end Cam Jordan had 3.5 sacks and cornerback C-J Gardner-Johnson had the game-sealing interception. Gardner Johnson credits the defensive line
Cut 18 (18) “ ..one on one”
If the Saints beat Atlanta on Sunday and the 49ers lose to the Rams, New Orleans is in the playoffs. Linebacker Demario Davis is glad the 17th game of the season has meaning…
Cut 11 (11) “…with it”
Kick-off is at 3:25.

The LSU Tigers have fallen five spots to number 21 in both college basketball polls after suffering their first loss of the season last week to ninth-ranked Auburn. Tomorrow night, the Tigers will host 16th ranked Kentucky and they’ll officially name the court inside the PMAC after legendary coach Dale Brown. Tip-off is at 6:00.

After winning their 13th straight game yesterday with a 75-66 win over Texas A-and-M, the Lady Tigers are up to number 13 in the A-P Poll. LSU will try to improve to 3-0 in the SEC when they host top-ranked South Carolina on Thursday.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has been named ESPN’s Team of the Week for its victories Marshall and Western Kentucky to begin Conference USA play. And Cobe Williams was voted CUSA player of the week as the sophomore guard averaged 20 points a game in the Bulldogs two victories at home. Tech is at UTEP on Thursday.

The Pelicans host Utah Jazz. Starting center Jonas Valanciunas is back in the lineup after missing Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee because of COVID protocols.