The latest salary-cap-related move for the Saints involves star receiver Michael Thomas.  Thomas has restructured his contract and converted his salary into a signing bonus to help free up $8.7 million in cap space as New Orleans inches closer to the salary cap.

Also, the Saints have now cut defensive tackle Malcolm Brown and are now just $12 million over the salary cap number.

LSU will begin SEC tournament play when they take on Ole Miss tonight.  The Tigers are the three seed and earned a double-bye in the tournament.  Coach Will Wade is still waiting for his team to play a complete game.

Cut 16 (13) “make it happen”

Grambling beat Southern 72-67 in overtime in round 1 of the SWAC tournament.  The Tigers will take on Prairie View in the semifinals tonight at 8:30.

LSU two-sport athlete Maurice Hampton will no longer be part of the football and baseball programs as he’s entered his name in the transfer portal.

Minute 2

The New Orleans Pelicans were blown out by the Timberwolves last night 135-105 in their first game since the All-Star break.

Nicholls is two wins away from earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament as the Colonels will play tonight in the semi-final round of the Southland Tournament. Nicholls Coach Austin Claunch has told his team they need to stay mentally sharp in order to win the Southland Tournament Championship…

Cut 19 (19) “two and a half hours”

Louisiana Tech beat Florida Atlantic 75-69 in the Conference USA tournament behind Isaiah Crawford’s 21 points.  Tech will play North Texas in the semifinals at 2 p.m.

McNeese basketball coach and athletic director Heath Schroyer will step away from coaching duties to focus solely on the role of athletic director.  Effective immediately, associate head coach John Aiken will be promoted to head coach.

The Saints have reportedly released cornerback Janoris Jenkins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the move will save the team seven million dollars. Jenkins’s release comes on the heels of the team cutting Emmanuel Sanders and Kwon Alexander this week. New Orleans is still an estimated 22-million dollars above the salary cap.

LSU Safety Maurice Hampton has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Hampton also plays on the baseball team and it was coach Paul Mainieri who broke the news. Hampton started five football games last season and has appeared in five baseball games this year.

The Athletic’s Brody Miller reports LSU linebacker Micah Baskerville is not enrolled at school this spring, but according to the report, there’s a chance Baskerville can still return to the team.

Bad loss for the Pelicans last night as the worst team in the NBA, Minnesota, mauled New Orleans 135 to 105. Coach Stan Van Gundy called the performance embarrassing. The Pels host the Cavaliers tonight.

Louisiana Tech advanced in the Conference USA Tournament last night as Isaiah Crawford had 21 points to help the Bulldogs beat Florida Atlantic 75-69. La Tech was down three with a little over three minutes left but finished the game on an 11 to two-run. The Bulldogs will face North Texas at 2 PM today.

Trenton Massner had 20 points and Northwestern State defeated UNO 82-79 in the Southland Tournament and the Demons will face top-seeded Nicholls at 5 PM today. The Colonels swept the season series from Northwestern State.

Cam Christon had 26 points as Grambling defeated Southern 72-67 in the SWAC Tournament.

Ole Miss defeated South Carolina in last night’s SEC Tournament so the Tigers will take on the Rebels in the quarterfinals. LSU freshman guard Cam Thoms says Coach Wade’s message is to be excited and energetic for the possibility of making a postseason run…
cut 17 (12) “….can happen”
Tonight’s game will start at around 8:30 PM.

The Saints have reportedly released cornerback Janoris Jenkins. That’s according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter who says the move will save the team seven million dollars. The news of Jenkins’s release comes on the heels of the team cutting Emmanuel Sanders and Kwon Alexander this week. New Orleans is still an estimated 22-million dollars above the salary cap.

A former LSU tennis player who was allegedly raped by former running back Derius Guice spoke to lawmakers yesterday about how the school failed to take her claim seriously. Abby Owens said her Dad told tennis coach Julia Sell what happened, but Owens said Sell called her a liar and when the incident was reported to Associate A-D Miriam Seger it was never investigated.
Cut 4 (10) “…came after.”
Guice is facing domestic violence charges in Virginia. He denies any wrongdoing while at LSU.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team will face Florida Atlantic in a Conference USA Tournament quarterfinal match-up tonight. Tech is the number one West seed and needs to win three games to receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Coach Eric Konkol says his team will not worry abut the added pressure…
cut 28 (16) “….best basketball”
Tip-off is at 8:30.

Tonight, Northwestern State will face UNO in a quarterfinal matchup in the Southland Tournament. The Privateers have won six of their last seven.

Southern and Grambling meet in a SWAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup at 8:30 in Birmingham. The teams split the regular-season series at one win apiece.

The Pelicans return from the All-Star Break tonight to host the Timberwolves. It was a year ago today when the NBA halted its season.

The Saints have released 33-year-old receiver Emmanuel Sanders. A move that will save the team four million dollars towards the salary cap. Linebacker Kwon Alexander has also reportedly been let go, which saves the Saints more than 13-million dollars against the cap. New Orleans still has a ways to go to get under the salary cap, which has been set at 182-million dollars, a decline from last season because there were limited fans in the stands in 2020.

First, it was Les Miles now it’s Jeff Long who is gone from Kansas University. The Jayhawks A-D is stepping down two days after he fired Miles after a report was released that alleges Miles acted inappropriately with female students at LSU.

Will Hellmers pitched five shutout innings as 15th ranked LSU blanked UNO 5 to 0. Tre Morgan stayed hot as he picked up three more hits and drove in two runs. No runs for the Ragin Cajuns last night as second-ranked Mississippi State shutout U-L Lafayette four to nothing.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team will begin Conference USA Tournament play today and will take on Florida Atlantic tonight at 8:30 PM in Frisco, Texas. Tech coach Eric Konkol says he may add some new wrinkles for the game.
Cut 17 (15) “…conference tournament.”
F-A-U beat UTEP 76-70 last night. The Owls and the Bulldogs did not play this season.

UNO advanced in the Southland Tournament as the Privateers eliminated Southeastern Louisiana 80-63. Derek St. Hilaire led the way with four three-pointers and finished with 20 points. UNO will face Northwestern State at 5 PM. The Demons are 9-7 in Southland Play.

The Pelicans return from the All-Star Break tonight as New Orleans hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves. Capacity will increase to 37-hundred fans at the Smoothie King Center.

On the day the NFL set the salary cap for the 2021 season at 182-million dollars the Saints reportedly released receiver Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Kwon Alexander. Sanders caught 61 passes this past season, while Alexander came to New Orleans via a mid-season trade and injured his Achilles. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the release of Alexander will save the Saints over 13 million dollars against the salary cap. Sanders’s release will save four million dollars against the cap.

The Kansas City Star reports that Kansas will pay Les Miles nearly two million dollars not to coach anymore. Kansas Athletics Director Jeff Long said he asked Miles if there was anything that could embarrass the program and the mad hatter told him no. And breaking this afternoon, Long has been ousted as the school’s athletic director. He made the decision to hire his longtime friend in prior to the 2019 season. Long has been at K-U since 2018.

After beating Texas Southern 10-4 last night, 21st ranked LSU is at U-N-O tonight. Cade Doughty returned to the lineup last night after missing the Oral Roberts series with a shoulder injury and hit a home run and drove in three runs. Doughty also started at third base and Jordan Thompson was moved to shortstop.

Also tonight, the Ragin Cajuns are at third-ranked Mississippi State.

The SEC men’s basketball Tournament gets underway tonight in Nashville. The Tigers will play Friday night, looking to win a couple of games to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding. Associate Editor for Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Blake Lowell says the Tigers can’t afford to lose on Friday…
cut 28 (11) “…the ten maybe”
LSU will face either Ole Miss or South Carolina on Friday night.

In the Southland Tournament, Southeastern Louisiana takes on UNO tonight.

The NFL has released its salary cap numbers for the 2021 season and the Saints’ cap will be around 185.5 million.  According to Luke Johnson with The Advocate New Orleans, this means the Saints are around 54-57 million dollars over the salary cap.

New Orleans has already begun offseason moves in hopes of reducing the cap hit this season.  NOLA.com reports that the team has restructured contracts for Malcolm Jenkins and Andrus Peat in order to free up cap space.  Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Saints are expected to cut linebacker Kwon Alexander which will save them 13 million dollars.  They have also franchise-tagged safety Marcus Williams, he will be paid around 10.5 million next season.

The LSU baseball team took down Texas Southern 10-4 last night.  Infielder Cade Doughty hit a home run in his first at-bat since returning from injury.

Louisiana Tech tops ULM 10-3 behind a seven-run seventh inning.

The LSU Basketball team seems to be a lock to make the NCAA tournament but the Tigers are still playing for seeding in the Big Dance.  ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projects LSU as an 8 seed in the NCAA tournament which puts them in an 8-9 matchup in round one, with the winner playing the number 1 seed in the second round.  Associate Editor for Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Blake Lovell says that if LSU wins a couple more games they could move up to a 7^th seed.

Cut 17 (16) “seven or higher”

The Southeastern Louisiana men’s basketball team held off McNeese 71-68 in round one of the Southland Conference Tournament.

The Conference-USA men’s basketball superlatives have been announced and the Gene Bartow Coach of the Year Award has been given to Louisiana Tech’s Eric Konkol.  Also, Tech forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. was named Freshman of the Year.

The Saints have placed the franchise tag on safety Marcus Williams who is coming off his best season since he arrived in New Orleans in 2017. Williams intercepted three passes and he had 59 tackles in 14 games. The projected franchise tag means Williams will get paid about ten-million dollars in 2021, unless he and the Saints reach a long-term deal.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron said he’s deeply saddened by the Husch Blackwell report and told a Baton Rouge radio station that his staff is committed to fully implementing the protocols described by the university. Husch Blackwell investigated ten different LSU football players accused of sexual misconduct, nine of them played under Orgeron.

In college baseball, LSU topped Texas Southern ten to four last night as Tre Morgan and Cade Doughty combined to drive in seven runs. Louisiana Tech scored seven runs in the seventh inning to beat ULM ten to three for the Bulldogs sixth straight win at Warhawk Field.

The LSU Basketball team seems to be a lock to make the NCAA tournament but the Tigers are still playing for seeding in the Big Dance as they prepare for the SEC tournament. Associate Editor for Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Blake Lovell says LSU is well-positioned to have success in the conference tournament.
Cut 16 (19) “…matchup standpoint.”
LSU’s first game in the SEC Tournament is Friday night against either Ole Miss or South Carolina.

Southeastern Louisiana eliminated McNeese in the Southland Tournament last night as the Lions held off the Cowboys 71-68. S-L-U faces U-N-O in Katy, Texas today at 5 PM.

Louisiana Tech’s Eric Konkol has been named Conference USA Coach of the Year, while Kenneth Lofton was named the league’s freshman of the year.

Les Miles is out as the head football coach at Kansas University as a result of the reports that surfaced last week where Miles acted inappropriately with female students at LSU and was told to quit texting them. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says the 67-year-old’s coaching days are likely over…
cut 6 (10) “…yeah”
Miles’ attorney has denied the allegations that were investigated in 2013 that include kissing a student and performing unwanted touching.

Former LSU President F-King Alexander said in a letter to students and faculty at Oregon State where he is now the president that he regrets not taking stronger action against Coach Miles in 2013.

The Saints have slapped the franchise tag on safety Marcus Williams. This prevents Williams from becoming a free agent and the Black and Gold can still try to sign him to a long term deal.

The 15th ranked LSU baseball team hosts Texas Southern to begin a five-game week. The Tigers enter tonight’s game with a 9-3 record. Coach Paul Mainieri says despite the weekend series loss to Oral Roberts, starting pitchers A-J Labas (Lay-bus) and Landon  Marceaux (Mar-so) have pitched well so far.

The Tigers will start freshman left-hander Javen Coleman tonight. Also tonight, La Tech hosts ULM. Southern visits Tulane and Grambling is at fourth-ranked Mississippi State.

Despite leading the SEC in scoring, Cam Thomas was not named SEC Freshman of the Year. Instead that honor goes to Moses Moody of Arkansas.

Louisiana Tech’s Eric Konkol has been named Conference USA Coach of the Year, while Kenneth Lofton was named the league’s freshman of the year.

The Pelicans return from their NBA-Allstar Game break Thursday night with a game against the Timberwolves.

Les Miles is out as the head football coach at Kansas as a result of the reports that surfaced last week accusing Miles of sexual misconduct at LSU.  Miles’ attorney has denied the allegations made against his client that were investigated in 2013. The former Tigers coach allegedly tried kissing a student and performing unwanted touching. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says Kansas had no choice but to let him go…

Cut 7 (12) “any level”

Tulane’s Willie Fritz and Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz are possible candidates to replace Miles as the next Jayhawks head coach.

In basketball news, the Southland begins its conference tournament today as Southeastern Louisiana faces McNeese. Nicholls State’s Austin Claunch has been named the Southland Coach of the Year while Ty Gordon has been named newcomer of the year after averaging almost 15 points per game this season.

After losing a weekend series to Oral Roberts, the 15th ranked LSU Baseball team returns to the diamond tonight to begin a five-game week as they will host Texas Southern. After scoring one run in a loss on Sunday, Coach Paul Mainieri is eager for Cade Doughty to return to the starting line-up after missing the weekend series with a left shoulder injury…

Cut 16 (12) “…(x2) yesterday”

Freshman left-handed pitcher Javen Coleman will be on the mound for the Tigers in his second start of the season.

Louisiana Tech Athletics announced that the upcoming home baseball series against Arkansas and Ole Miss at JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park are sold out.  The Bulldogs will host the top-ranked Razorbacks Friday through Sunday before a two-game series against Ole Miss next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tulane will host Southern on the diamond tonight in New Orleans at 6 p.m.

The Ragin Cajuns baseball team will travel to Starkville to take on Mississippi State tomorrow night.

Les Miles is out as the head football coach at Kansas after allegations of inappropriate behavior with female student workers while he was the head coach at LSU. In a statement, Miles said it’s a difficult day for him and his family. The 67-year-old was 3-and-18 in two seasons at Kansas and the team failed to win a game in 2020. Tulane’s Willie Fritz and Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz are possible candidates to replace Miles.

Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, a student-led organization performed a sit-in in the driveway of the LSU Football Operations Center yesterday as the students called for the firing of athletic administrators Verge Ausberry and Miriam Segar after an extensive report showed how LSU mishandled sexual misconduct cases….
cut 23 (10) “…cover ups”
LSU interim president Thomas Galligan says there are no plans to change the disciplinary decisions.

LSU baseball has dropped from eighth to 20th in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll after the Tigers dropped a weekend series to Oral Roberts. LSU Coach Paul Mainieri says he’s looking for more consistency from his bullpen. He says Blake Money has looked good and so have a couple of the other new relievers…
cut 17 (15) “…bit more”
The Tigers host Texas Southern tonight. Also tonight, La Tech hosts ULM. Southern visits Tulane and Grambling is at fourth-ranked Mississippi State.

In basketball, the Southland begins its conference tournament today as Southeastern Louisiana faces McNeese. Nicholls Austin Claunch has been named the Southland Coach of the Year while Ty Gordon has been named newcomer of the year.

The U-L Lafayette women’s basketball team lost in the Sun Belt Tournament Championship. They’ll have to wait until next Monday to see if they are in the NCAA Tournament.