Selection Sunday is three days away and will the growing off the court controversy involving suspended LSU coach Will Wade impact the Tigers NCAA tournament seeding? CBS Sports bracketologist Jerry Palm says the recruiting scandal should not factor into the selection committee’s analysis.
Cut 4 (07) “…the court.”
Palm has LSU a two-seed in his latest bracket and he says they have the potential to go to a number one seed if they win the SEC tournament. Palm says if LSU loses to Florida today, the Tigers could drop down to a three seed.

LSU and Florida will face off in the SEC quarterfinals at noon. The two games between these teams in the regular season went into overtime, with each team winning once. Still no word on whether Javonte Smart will play in the tourney. The school continues to look into whether his family received improper benefits.

The Saints have re-signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and he’ll serve as Drew Brees back-up. Bridgewater also had interest from the Dolphins. New Orleans has also inked former Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown to a three-year, 15-million dollar contract. The 25-year-old Brown is a former first round draft pick and won two Super Bowls in New England.

In college basketball, Louisiana Tech and UL-Lafayette’s seasons ended last night as they both suffered one point defeats. ULM advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament with an 80-50 win over Coastal Carolina.

And Southeastern Louisiana and UNO have advanced to the semifinals of the Southland Tourney.

The 10th ranked LSU baseball team begins SEC play tonight as they host Kentucky. Coach Paul Mainieri says he’s still trying to determine which guys he can really count on…
cut 16 (18) “…the league”
First pitch is at 7 PM.

LSU basketball coach Will Wade has asked for his suspension to be lifted, so he can return to his coaching duties immediately. But Glen Guilbeau, who covers LSU for the USA Today Network, says Wade will still not talk with LSU about reports that link him to potential recruiting violations…
cut 3 (10) “..said before”
LSU’s legal counsel also released its own statement today saying Coach Wade has yet to deny any wrongdoing to them or publicly and that puts the university in a difficult position with regard to compliance. So don’t expect Wade back on the sidelines anytime soon or maybe ever again.

Tomorrow, the LSU basketball team will play Florida in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. The two teams played in the regular season twice, each game went into overtime, with each team winning on the other team’s home court. Tip-off tomorrow is at noon.

The Saints have announced they’ve signed former Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown to a three-year contract. The former 2015 first round pick won two Super Bowls in New England, but the Patirots elected not to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. The nose tackle has only missed four games in four seasons in the NFL.

For the Saints fans hoping the team would sign free agent slot receiver Golden Tate, he’s elected to sign a four-year deal with the New York Giants.

It’s a big night of conference tournament basketball action for Louisiana teams. At the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, it’s the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament. The Ragin Cajuns face South Alabama, while ULM takes on Coastal Carolina.

In the Southland Tournament in Katy, Texas, UNO goes up against Lamar, while Southeastern Louisiana battles Central Arkansas. Both of those games are second round action.

And tonight in Frisco, Texas, Louisiana Tech takes on the top seed in the Conference USA Tournament when the Bulldogs meet up with the Monarchs of Old Dominion.

LSU and suspended men’s basketball coach Will Wade fired off statements today and it doesn’t look like Wade’s status is changing anytime soon. Wade issued the first statement , asking LSU officials to reinstate him, but he also said that he will not discuss the FBI wire tap reports until the investigation into college basketball corruption is completed.

LSU’s legal counsel responded by saying Coach Wade will remain suspended until he talks with university administration about the FBI wire tap that has Wade allegedly discussing an offer to a recruit. Glen Guilbeau of the USA Today Network says LSU wants to look good in the eyes of the NCAA, in case violations occurred…
cut 4 (12) “…Will Wade situation”
LSU’s statement also points out that Wade has never denied any wrongdoing.

The NFL Network reports the Saints have restructured quarterback Drew Brees contract to free up nearly 11-million dollars in salary cap space this year. New Orleans could use the extra money to offer quarterback Teddy Bridgewater more money. The Dolphins are interested in Bridgewater and he visited with team officials yesterday.

In college basketball, Louisiana Tech beat Florida Atlantic in the Conference USA Tournament last night. Tonight the Bulldogs will face top seeded Od Dominion at 6 PM. The Monarchs beat Tech by one point earlier this season.

At the Southland Tournament in Katy, Texas, third seeded Southeastern Louisiana faces Central Arkansas at 6:30. Before that game it’s UNO versus Lamar.

College baseball….Zach Watson went four for four, including his first home run of the season as the Tigers defeated Texas Southern 16 to 5 last night. Coach Paul Mainieri was in the dugout, despite the death of his father, Demie Mainieri, who passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 90

Orynn Veillon blasted a home run in the 12th inning as the Ragin Cajuns defeated Southern Miss six to five at Russo Park last night.

LSU Athletics Director Joe Alleva and the university’s lead counsel Tom Skinner told the Advocate that suspended basketball coach Will Wade could return to the team this season, but he has to give his side of the story regarding FBI wiretaps that reportedly have Wade talking with a recruiting middleman about a strong offer made to a recruit. It’s unlikely Wade will talk with LSU, the Advocate reports Wade’s attorney has instructed him not to discuss the issue until the federal criminal investigation into college basketball corruption concludes, which could be months from now.

Meanwhile, the LSU basketball team is in Nashville, getting ready for its SEC Tournament game. Alleva says an internal investigation into whether Javonte Smart received any extra benefits to sign with LSU should be concluded soon. The Tigers will play tomorrow at noon against the winner of today’s game between Arkansas and Florida.

The Saints have officially announced they’ve signed free agent running back Latavius Murray, while Mark Ingram is moving on to Baltimore as the Ravens are giving him a three-year, 15-million dollar contract.

The Saints have also resigned Will Lutz to a five year deal. Lutz has made 87-percent of his NFL kicks and last season he was 28 of 30 on field goals.

The LSU baseball team beat Texas Southern 16-5 last night as Zack Watson had his first four-hit game of his career and hit his first home run of the season. Paul Mainieri was in the dugout for the Tigers, but was mourning the death of his father. Hall of fame junior college coach Demie Mainieri passed away Wednesday morning at 90.

Senior Orynn Veillon hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning as the Ragin Cajuns defeated Southern Miss six to five.

In college hoops, Louisiana Tech advanced in the Conference USA Tournament with a 57-56 win over Florida Atlantic. DaQuan Bracey had 17 points and nine rebounds. Tech faces Old Dominion today at 6 PM.

The Mark Ingram era in New Orleans is over as the Saints have reportedly inked former Vikings running back Latavius Murray to a four-year contract worth just over 14-million dollars. The 29-year-old Murray rushed for 578 yards and six touchdowns last season. Ingram is a year older and he reportedly wanted more than what Murray got.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is expected to remain with the Saints after reportedly turning down a bigger offer to go to Miami. Bridgewater enjoyed his time in New Orleans last season and he’ll serve as the primary back-up for the 40-year-old Drew Brees.

Former LSU stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are teammates again as the Giants have sent Beckham to Cleveland in a blockbuster deal that went down last night. O-B-J and Landry were a dynmaic pair at LSU and the two of them can help the Browns make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
These transactions are all expected to finalized today as a new league begins at 3 PM.

__________________________________________________________

Northwestern State beat LSU in baseball for the first time since 2011 last night in front of over three-thousand fans in Natchitcoches. Jeffrey Elkins two-run double snapped a one-one tie in the sixth inning and senior Cullen McDonald pitched into the 8th inning and gave up just one run.

Elsewhere, Louisiana Tech blanked Sam Houston State seven to nothing, UNO beat the Cajuns 10-3, ULM over Southern 10-6, Nicholls defeated alcorn state 10-1 and Tulane topped McNeese nine to three.

LSU basketball leaves today for Nashville, where they’ll play in the SEC Tournament. Naz Reid is ready to play after missing Saturday’s game because of injuries. But Javonte Smart remains sidelined as LSU continues to look into whether his family received improper benefits to attend LSU.

Last night in the Sun Belt tournament, ULM advanced with an 89-80 win over Appalachian State as Travis Munnings had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Grambling beat Arkansas Pine Bluff 59-52 and Texas Southern eliminated Southern 80-70.

The LSU basketball team returns to practice today. Interim head coach Tony Benford says he plans on coaching the team at this weekend’s SEC Tournament, while the status of freshman guard Javonte Smart could be determined today. Glen Guilbeau covers LSU for the USA Today Network…
cut 15 (09) “…of what ifs”
LSU is trying to determine if Smart’s family received a payment, which was suggested in reported FBI wiretap involving Coach Wade.

It doesn’t look like the Saints are re-signing running back Mark Ingram as there are reports the Black and Gold have inked former Vikings running back Latavius Murray to a four-year contract worth 14-million dollars.

But quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is set to come back. The NFL Network reports Bridgewater is expected to resign with the Saints, even though he received a bigger offer from the Dolphins.

Later tonight at the Fant-Ewing Colisuem, ULM will host Appalachian State in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament. The winner will advance to play Coastal Carolina in New Orleans on Thursday night.

The SWAC Tournament also gets underway tonight, Grambling hosts Arkansas Pine Bluff, while Southern is at Texas Southern.

The 13th ranked LSU baseball team visits Natchitoches for the first time since 2014 when they play Northwestern State at Brown-Stroud Field. Demons head coach Bobby Barbier says it should be a fun night at the park…
Cut 16 (15) “tickets sold”
The Demons are 7-6 on the season, while LSU is 11-4.

In other action today, ULM hosts Southern. UNO is at UL-Lafayette, McNeese visits Tulane, Louisiana Tech hosts Sam Houston State, while Nicholls hosts Alcorn State.

So what benefit is it to LSU to suspend head basketball coach Will Wade for his alleged role in an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption? LSU beat reporter for the USA Today Network Glen Guilbeau says it makes the school look better in the NCAA’s eyes since they’ve taken steps towards self-disciplinary actions
Cut 13 (06) “…of institutional control.”
The NCAA is watching what federal prosecutors find as they investigate the practice of giving recruits and middlemen money to play at certain schools.

The LSU basketball team returns to practice today. Interim head coach Tony Benford says Naz Reid will play in Friday’s SEC Tournament game after missing Saturday’s contest, because of injuries, but Javonte Smart’s status remains uncertain.

The Saints have re-signed linebacker and special teams captain Craig Robertson to a two-year contract extension. The team also re-signed special teams standout and Safety Chris Banjo to three-year contract extension.

NFL teams could begin talking with free agents yesterday and safeties did very well on the open market. Former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu has reportedly agreed to a three-year 42-million dollar contract with the Chiefs. The Redskins have agreed to sign former Dutchtown star Landon Collins to a six-year deal worth 84-million dollars, 45-million of it is guaranteed.

In college baseball…10th ranked LSU is at Northwestern State tonight. The Demons are 7-and-6, while the Tigers are 11-and-4. LSU shortstop Josh Smith says not a bad start so far…
cut 17 (13) “….how it goes”
Also tonight, Louisiana Tech hosts Sam Houston State, while Southern is at ULM.

LSU head basketball coach Will Wade remains suspended. Interim head coach Tony Benford says they should have more information tomorrow about freshman guard Javonte Smart after he was held out of Saturday’s game, so the university can look into alleged improper payments made to his family. But Benford says they expect freshman Naz Reid back after missing Saturday’s game because of injuries….
cut 4 (11) “…his situation”
LSU’s first game in the SEC Tournament is Friday against either Florida or Arkansas.

The Saints have signed veteran linebacker Craig Robertson to a two-year contract extension. Robertson has been with the Black and Gold since 2016 and the 31-year-old has served as a team captain, playing on both defense and special teams. The team has also a re-signed safety Chris Banjo to a three-year deal.

Free agency begins Wednesday and safeties will get paid. When teams can officially sign free agents, former Dutchtown star Landon Collins will reportedly receive a massive six-year, 84 million dollar contract with the Redskins.

Former Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro is reportedly staying with the Titans as Tennessee is signing him to a four-year, 26-million dollar contract.

Former LSU Tiger Kwon Alexander has reportedly agreed to a four-year 54 million dollar contract with San Francisco.

The Pelicans are in Milwaukee tomorrow night to take on the Bucks. New Orleans has already ruled guard Jrue Holiday out for the game, because of a lower abdominal strain. The Pels have lost three straight after falling to Atlanta yesterday.

Also tomorrow, the LSU baseball team will be in Natchitoches to take on the Northwestern State Demons. It’s been the Tigers have been at Brown-Stroud Field since 2014. LSU is 11-and-4 after splitting a doubleheader with Cal on Saturday, while the Demons are seven and six.

Also tomorrow, Louisiana Tech hosts Sam Houston State, Southern is at ULM, McNeese visits Tulane and the Ragin Cajuns host UNO.

A raucous LSU crowd celebrated an SEC title in basketball on Saturday, but before and during the games expressed anger towards athletic director Joe Alleva for suspending coach Will Wade. Freshman Javonte Smart was also held out, because of reports the FBI has a recorded conversation with Wade trying to set up a payment for a recruit, believed to be Smart. With Smart out, Marshall Graves hit four three-pointers. He says the players fed off the crowd’s energy…
Cut 13 (15) “…represent them well.”
It doesn’t appear Wade’s suspension will be lifted anytime soon. Interim Head Coach Tony Benford was asked on today’s SEC coaches teleconference about whether he’ll continue directing the program…
cut 3 (11) “…the tournament”
LSU’s first game in the SEC tournament is Friday.

NFL teams can begin negotiationing with free agents today and officially sign them on Wednesday. It’s been reported the Bears and Packers are interested in running back Mark Ingram, who has expressed interest in re-signing with the Saints. But will New Orleans sign a big check for a running back that is 29-years-old.

Here’s the upcoming schedule for conference basketball tournaments, ULM is the seven-seed in the Sun Belt Tournament and the Warhawks wil host Appalachian State tomorrow night. The Ragin Cajuns have a bye and they’ll play on Thursday in New Orleans the winner of tomorrow night’s game between South Alabama and Arkansas State.

Louisiana Tech has a first round game against F-A-U on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas.

UNO and Southeastern Louisiana will play in the second round in the Southland tournament in Katy Texas.

The first round of the SWAC begins tomorrow. Grambling hosts Arkansas Pine-Bluff, while Southern is at Texas Southern.

The LSU basketball team is SEC regular season champs for the first time in a decade after pounding Vanderbilt 80-59. The Tigers won on Saturday night without suspended head coach Will Wade. Tony Benford is the interim head coach in Wade’s absence and Freshman forward Darius Days says the coaches had the Tigers prepared….
Cut 14 (14) “…we won.”
It’s unclear if Wade will return after multiple reports say the FBI has a recorded conversation with Wade and a recruiting middleman that discusses a payment for Javonte Smart’s family. Legal analyst Tim Meche doesn’t expect any legal ramifications against the university if the allegations are true…
cut 6 (11) “….Mr Smart’s scheme”
Wade has also been subpoenaed for the upcoming college basketball corruption trial.

The Pelicans lost their third straight last night as they fell to Atlanta 128 to 116. New Orleans played without injured guards Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore.

In NFL news, Ian Rapoport reports the Bears and Packers are among the teams interested in signing unrestricted free agent running back Mark Ingram. Ingram has said he hopes to re-sign with the Saints, but it’s unclear what kind of offer he’ll get from New Orleans.

And the Bucs are reportedly looking to trade wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Jackson has made it known he would like to go to the Eagles.