The LSU men’s basketball team is getting ready to play Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were bounced out of the SEC Tournament rather quickly, playing in just one game. Interim head coach Tony Benford says they want to go much farther in the Big Dance…
cut 30 (27) “….some shots”
Both teams like to play up tempo, so a lot of points are expected.

Former Saints Center Max Unger said today he decided to retire, because he didn’t think he could make it through another season, because of lower body injuries.

The 10th ranked LSU baseball team started SEC play by sweeping Kentucky in a three-game series. The Tigers completed the sweep with a 7-2 win. Senior third baseman Chris Reid had a two-run single and he says starting fast in conference play is a confidence booster…
Cut 16 (15) “phenomenal job”

Elsewhere, the Ragin Cajuns took two of three from Little Rock, winning four to two yesterday. Both ULM and La Tech were swept. McNeese took two of three from Lamar, winning yesterday six to four. Northwestern State and Nicholls are both three and three in the Southland. The Demons beat UNO eight to one, while the Colonels edged Central Arkansas two to one.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron is receving a two-year contract extension that will keep him at LSU through 2023 and he’s also getting a 14-percent boost in pay. The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to sign off on the new deal on Wednesday.

LSU is a three-seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament and the Tigers will play the Yale Bulldogs on Thursday in Jacksonville. Yale is led by junior guard Miye Oni (Me-A Own-ee), who is averaging 18 points a game. LSU interim head coach Tony Benford…
cut 10 (12) “…push the ball”
Tip time is at 11:40 on Thursday. And if LSU can beat Yale, they’ll face either sixth seeded Maryland, or 11th seeded Temple or Belmont on Saturday.

Three Louisiana teams are in the C-I-T tournament. ULM will host Kent State on Thursday, Grambling State will travel to Texas Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday. UNO will host Johnny Jones and the Texas Southern Tigers also on Wednesday.

The Pelicans visit the Dallas Mavericks tonight. New Orleans has lost six in a row.

The Saints and former Vikings offensive lineman Nick Easton have reportedly agreed to a four-year contract. Easton is expected to take center Max Unger’s spot on the O-L ine. Unger unexpectedly retired over the weekend. Easton didn’t play last season because of a neck injury, but he started at left guard for Minnesota in 2017 and can also play center.

LSU’s pitchers threw the ball well this past weekend in a three-game sweep against Kentucky. It all started with a solid start from Zach Hess in game one of the series and yesterday four LSU pitchers held Kentucky to just four hits. Tigers assistant coach Sean Ochinko says they threw strikes against the Wildcats…
cut 17 (23) “…great job”

LSU is a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament and they’ll face Ivy League Tournament champion Yale on Thursday at 11:40 in the morning in Jacksonville. 2015 was the last time LSU was in the NCAA Tournament. They only have one player on the roster who has been in the Big Dance and that’s Kavell Bigby-Williams, who formerly played at Oregon. Interim head coach Tony Benford says they are looking forward to playing Yale…
Cut 11 (12) “NCAA Tournament.”
If LSU wins, they’ll play either Maryland, Belmont or Temple on Saturday. The top two seeds in the East Regional are Duke and Michigan State.

ULM will reportedly host Kent State in the college-insider-dot-com tournament on Thursday. Also in that tourney, Grambling will travel to Texas-Rio Grande Valley and UNO will host Texas Southern.

The Saints have reportedly signed Nick Easton to take the place of center Max Unger, who unexpectedly retired over the weekend. Easton has played both center and guard and this will be his fourth team. He missed last season with a neck injury.

The 10th ranked LSU baseball team is off to a strong start in SEC play as the Tigers completed a three-game sweep of Kentucky with a seven to two victory on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium. Tigers hitting coach Sean Ochinko handled the postgame media duties for Paul Mainieri, who left right after Sunday’s game for his father’s visitation. Demie Mainieri will be buried today. Ochinko says the players wanted to provide Mainieri with some comfort…
Cut 18 (21) really helps”

The LSU basketball team was one and done in the SEC Tournament. Florida hit a three-pointer with a second left which led to the Gators upsetting the Tigers 76-73. LSU led for much of the game and at one time had a 13-point lead. LSU now awaits Sunday at 5 PM, which is when the NCAA Tournament brackets are released. Interim head coach Tony Benford believes the Tigers should be seeded high…
cut 16 (11) “…two seed”

ULM’s run through the Sun Belt tournament ended last night in New Orleans with an 81-67 loss to Georgia Southern.

UNO upset top seeded Sam Houston State 79-76 in the Southland Tournament to reach the championship game. The Privateers will play Abilene Christian in the title game tonight The Wildcats defeated Southeastern Louisiana 69-66 last night.

The Saints have added depth to their defensive line by signing defensive end Mario Edwards Junior. Last season with the Giants he had two sacks and three tackles for a loss. The former Florida State standout can play both inside and out.

The SEC baseball opener for the LSU Tigers was rained out last night and the two teams will play a doubleheader today, starting at 2 PM.

Elsewhere, Southern Miss outscored Louisiana Tech 12-9. Bulldog pitchers Matt Miller and Jonathan Fincher allowed nine runs.

Little Rock downed the Cajuns four to one, as UL-Lafayette was held to three hits. ULM pitching gave up four home runs in a 13-3 loss to Coastal Carolina.

Central Arkansas edged Nicholls four to three as an RBI single by the Bears in the ninth led to a walk-off win. McNeese defeated Lamar six to one. Brett Whelton led the offense with a three-run home run, while Rhett Deaton got the win on the mound. Oklahoma State blanked Southeastern nine to nothing and Northwestern State upended UNO four to three. Ridge Heisler tossed a complete game victory.

Javonte Smart is back with the LSU Tigers as they begin play in the SEC Tournament. The university released a statement this morning that said Smart has fully cooperated and participated in a joint investigation conducted by LSU and the NCAA. Smart’s name surfaced in an FBI wiretap conversation purportedly involving head coach Will Wade and a recruiting middleman where the two allegedly discussed a strong offer for Smart when he was still at Scotlandville High School. LSU says the investigation is not closed, but as of now they have not found any wrongdoing conducted by Smart. And because of his full cooperation and transparency, he’s been cleared by university officials for play. The Tigers battle the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals this afternoon.

ULM has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament after an easy 80-50 win over Coastal Carolina. The Ragin Cajuns were eliminated as they suffered a one point loss to South Alabama.

The Saints have re-signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. ESPN reports a one-year deal for the 26-year-old and it’s worth 7.25 million dollars a year.

The Saints have also signed former first round pick Malcom Brown. The defensive tackle spent his first four seasons in New England.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly signed former Saints defensive end Alex Okafor to a three-year deal. Okafor had 8.5 sacks in 26 games for the Black and Gold.

The 10th ranked LSU baseball team begins SEC play tonight by hosting Kentucky. The Wildcats lead the SEC in stolen bases and that’s a concern for the Tigers as they’ve only thrown out one would be base stealer this season. Coach Paul Mainieri…
cut 17 (13) “…every time”
First pitch is at 7 PM.

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.