The Saints can lock up home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Black and Gold and the Steelers only play each other once every four years. Quarterback Drew Brees says the Steel Curtain defense is playing like you expect them to play…
cut 17 (17) “prepared for”
The Steelers are 8-5-1 and in first place in the A-F-C North, but have yet to clinch a playoff spot. Kick-off is at 3:25.

The 15-and-17 Pelicans are in Los Angeles tonight to visit Lebron James and the Lakers. There’s speculation Anthony Davis could team up with King James in L-A, but the Pels reportedly have no interest in trading Davis.

The LSU men’s basketball team hosts 24th ranked Furman tonight at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The Paladins are 12-0 and their head coach is 35-year-old Bob Richey, who is a Lake Charles native. Furman is led by five-foot-11 junior Jordan Lyons, who is averaging 18 points a game.

Also tonight, ULM hosts Coppin State and Tulane takes on Towson.

Last night in women’s basketball, LSU defeated the Lady Cajuns 76-54 in the Cajundome. Five Lady Tigers were in double figures as LSU scored 23 points off of turnovers. And Grambling upset previously undefeated Indiana 65-62.

The LSU football program has received a verbal commitment from four-star defensive tackle CamRon Jackson from Haynesville. He’s the 13th ranked Louisiana prospect in the Class of 2020 by 24-7 sports.

Tomorrow night, Louisiana Tech will face the 8-and-5 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The Bulldogs will try to slow down sophomore quarterback Cole McDonald, who is the nation’s seventh ranked passer.

LSU signed 19 players on the first day of college football’s early signing period. Three of the signees are 5-star prospects from Louisiana, Derek Stingley, John Emery and Kardell Thomas. Coach Ed Orgeron likes the diversity of this class…
cut 17 (21) “for us”
LSU can still sign six more players and those signees should take place in February. Amite defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher is a must get.

Starting nose tackle Ed Alexander will not play in the Fiesta Bowl as he’s made the decision to turn pro. The Tigers will be missing several key defensive players for their Fiesta Bowl matchup against U-C-F.

The Saints can clinch the number one playoff seed in the NFC with a win Sunday over Pittsburgh. Let’s see if playing at home can get the Black and Gold’s offense going. They are 5-1 in the Superdome this season and averaging 38 points a game in those contests.

Back to college football recruiting….Louisiana Tech signed 11 players yesterday, nine of them are three-star recruits and most of them are on the defensive side of the ball. The Bulldogs also signed wide receiver Kyle Maxwell, who is just led Amite to a Class Two-A stat championship.

ULM signed 17 players, five of them are from the junior college ranks. According to 24-7 sports-dot-com, seven of the signees are three-star prospects. West Monroe offensive tackle Victor Cutler decided to stay home and signed with the Warhawks.

The Ragin Cajuns signed two quarterbacks, Chandler Fields from Rummel High School and Clifton McDowell from Spring Texas. UL-Lafayette also signed a couple of south Louisiana wide receivers Brandon Legendre from Thibodaux and Lake Charles Brian Smith.

LSU received 19 National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of college football’s early signing period. Three five-star prospects signed with the Tigers, cornerback Derek Stingley, running back John Emery and guard Kardell Thomas. Coach Ed Orgeron says Thomas is the type of student-athlete they like to bring to LSU….
cut 19 (17) “…great parents”
Orgeron says starting defensive tackle Ed Alexander will not play in the Fiesta Bowl against UCF on January 1st. That’s because Alexander has decided to turn pro and forgo his senior season. Orgeron says with Alexander gone and defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko out with an injury, Tyler Shelvin will have to step up.

Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn Junior who has been on injured reserve since October 19th because of knee surgery, was back at practice yesterday. Ginn is eligible to come off I-R and the former Ohio State standout says he’s up to speed, but it’s up to the organization on whether he’ll play Sunday against the Steelers.

The Pelicans got 27 points from Anthony Davis, 25 points from Jrue Holiday, but New Orleans lost to Milwaukee 123-115. The Bucks shot 51-percent from the field and 80-percent from the free throw line. Gannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points for Milwaukee. New Orleans visits Lebron James and the Lakers on Friday. King James said last night it would be amazing if L-A traded for A-D, but Davis told ESPN that right now his focus is with the Pels.

In college basketball last night, Ivy Smith hit two free throws with four seconds left as Grambling defeated Southeastern Louisiana 69-68. California Baptist beat Southern 79-76.

One of the nation’s top high school football players signed with LSU today on the opening day of the early college football signing period. Cornerback Derek Stingley Junior of Baton Rouge says he chose LSU, because it will benefit him after his playing days are over…
cut 5 (12) “….after football”
A couple of other local five-star prospects also signed with LSU. Destrehan running back John Emery and offensive guard Kardell Thomas. Five-star linebacker Marcel Brooks from Texas is also officially an LSU Tiger.

The early signing period lasts through Friday. Some recruits will wait until February to sign. One of the nation’s best defensive tackles, Ishmael Sopsher from Amite, has made that decision. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran…
Cut 18 (08) the mix“

Saints Coach Sean Payton said today they know the corrections that need to be made in order to get the offense scoring at a high rate again. Through the first 11 games of the season, New Orleans averaged 37 points a game, but in the last three, they’ve scored a total of 50 points. Payton says cutting down on the penalties would be a start, they had nine of them on Monday against Carolina. New Orleans hosts Pittsburgh this Sunday. A win and they lock up homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

The Pelicans begin a four-game road trip tonight in Milwaukee. Power forwards Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle will not play, because they both have sprained ankles. New Orleans is already short-handed, as point guard Elfrid Payton is still out with a broken finger. Tip-off tonight is at 7 PM.

Back to national signing day, Louisiana Tech received a signed national letter of intent from wide receiver Kyle Maxwell, who helped Amite win a Class Two-A state championship. West Monroe defensive tackle Dalvin Hutchinson signed with the Ragin Cajuns, and former Amite quarterback Elijah Walker signed with ULM.

College football’s early signing period is underway and LSU has received a signed national letter of intent from the nation’s top prospect. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says it appears cornerback Derek Stingley Junior from Dunham High in Baton Rouge is next great star at D-B-U…
Cut 16 (15) at cornerback”
Moran says LSU’s 2019 recruiting class also features two of the state’s best running backs, Destrehan’s John Emery and Southern Lab’s Tyrion Davis.

Alvin Kamara is a pro bowl snub. The Saints dynamic running back did not make the Pro Bowl team. Five players from the Black and Gold are on the squad, Drew Brees, Terron Armstead, Cam Jordan, Michael Thomas and Max Unger.

College football’s early signing period begins today as the LSU Tigers are expected to sign 16 players, including the nation’s number one prospect, cornerback Derek Stingley Junior from Dunham High School in Baton Rouge. Tiger Rag Editor James Moran says LSU’s 2019 recruiting class also features two highly rated running backs. Destrehan’s John Emery and Southern Lab’s Tyrion Davis…
cut 17 (20) “…tough yards”
The class also features five-star offensive lineman Kardell Thomas from Southern Lab.

Five Saints have been selected to the Pro Bowl, Drew Brees, Terron Armstead, Cam Jordan, Michael Thomas and Max Unger.

For the fourth straight time, UL-Lafayette beat McNeese in hoops last night. Senior Malik Marquetti had a career-high 29 points as he hit seven-three-pointers. Marcus Stroman added 20 points.

ULM’s Daishon Smith had 23 points as the Warhawks defeated Nicholls 95-68. Michael Ertel added 17 ponts.

Northwestern State downed Louisiana College 84-64 as the Demons improved to 4-and-8 on the year. And it was UNO over Williams Baptist 90-62.

The Pelicans begin a four-game road trip tonight in Milwaukee. Power forwards Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle will not play, because of sprained ankles. Point guard Elfrid Payton remains out through the end of the month with a broken finger. With Mirotic and Randle both down, Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry Jahlil Okafor could see additional minutes, as he’s barely played this season.

And Collegiate Baseball Magazine ranks LSU number one in its preseason poll.

The Saints are 12-and-2 after beating Carolina 12-9 last night. It was another great performance for the Black and Gold defense as they recorded two turnovers and four sacks…
cut 4 (10) “….that 2013”
That’s NFL analyst Mike Detillier who says six different Saints have four or more sacks on the year.

The Saints will attempt to bring down Ben Roethlisberger this Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. A win for New Orleans and they will lock up home field advantage throughout the N-F-C playoffs.

Linebacker Devin White has been named LSU’s M-V-P for the 2018 season. The Butkus Award winner led the Tigers in tackles and tackles for a loss. The offensive player of the year award went to three players, Joe Burrow, Nick Brossette and Justin Jefferson.

The first college baseball preseason poll is out and the Tigers are ranked number one. Collegiate Baseball newspaper has LSU ranked at the top of their poll. Vanderbilt is second, behind UCLA, Texas Tech, Stanford and then Florida. The Ragin Cajuns are ranked 38th, while Louisiana Tech, Tulane and Northwestern State are receiving votes.

In college basketball tonight….McNeese and UL-Lafayette meet for the 94th time. The Cajuns have won three straight in the series and they are looking to start a new winning streak, after seeing their five-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday in a loss to Louisiana Tech. The Cowboys are 3-and-7. The game tips at 6:30 and it will be televised by CST.

Also tonight, ULM hosts Nicholls State. The Colonels are 5-and-5, while the Warhawks are 5-and-4. And Northwestern State hosts Louisiana College.

Tomorrow, the Pelicans begin a four-game road trip at Milwaukee. The Bucks have the second best record in the Eastern Conference.

For the second week in a row, the Saints came away with a tough win on the road against a division opponent. Last night it was a 12-9 victory over Carolina in which the offense didn’t produce a touchdown until the fourth quarter. Quarterback Drew Brees believes this road trip has made his team battled tested…
cut 16 (15) “….for a victory”
New Orleans is now 12-and-2 and a victory this Sunday over Pittsburgh and the Black-and-Gold will have homefield advantage throughout the N-F-C playoffs.

LSU is ranked number one in the 2019 Collegiate Baseball newspaper preseason poll. The Tigers return six position players who were starters last season and the starting pitching staff will feature Zack Hess and Eric Walker who is coming back from Tommy John surgery.

The Saints offense once again had a tough night, but New Orleans defense continues to play at a championship level as the Black and Gold found a way to beat Carolina 12-9 last night. Quarterback Drew Brees was 25 of 35 for 203 yards and one interception. Brees says they had chances to score more points, but penalties were a problem, they had nine of them. But he says in the end they made enough plays, especially in the fourth quarter to win…
cut 15 (11) “win the game”
The Saints “D” kept Carolina from moving the ball into field goal range in the final two minutes. The defense held Panthers quarterback Cam Newtn to 131 yards passing, sacked him four times and forced two turnovers. New Orleans is 12-and-2 and a win at home Sunday against Pittsburgh gives them homefield advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs.

LSU inside linebacker Devin White has been named the team’s M-V-P. He was given the Charles McClendon award at a ceremony last night at the Union Theatre. The Butkus Award winner led LSU in tackles this season and tackles for a loss.

In other college football news, last year’s number one recruiting prospect and now Georgia quarterback Justin Fields has reportedly told the Bulldogs he plans to transfer. Fields didn’t see a lot of snaps playing behind Jake Fromm this season.

Alabama’s Nick Saban says quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is ahead of schedule as he recrovers from ankle surgery. The Crimson Tide is getting ready to play Oklahoma in a national semi-final game at the Orange Bowl on December 29th.

In college basketball last night, Tulane over Texas Southern 77-70, California Baptist beat Southeastern 73-52. Tonight, Nicholls is at ULM and the Ragin Cajuns visit McNeese in a game that can be seen on CST.

The Saints and Carolina Panthers meet tonight on Monday night football. Carolina ranks 22nd in the NFL in pass defense , but New Orleans Quarterback Drew Brees knows the Panthers are still loaded with talent, especially at linebacker….
cut 14 (10) “…as well”
And former LSU Tiger Dante Jackson has also had a big season for Carolina. The rookie has four interceptions, one forced fumble and 53 tackles.

The Saints are just two wins away from securing the top seed in the NFC playoffs. New Orleans received help last night when the Eagles upset the Rams in Los Angeles.

Elsewhere in the NFL, the Cowboys are no longer the hottest team in the N-F-C. The Colts blanked Dallas 23 to 0 to end the Cowboys five-game winning streak. Atlanta snapped its five-game losing streak with a 40-14 victory over Arizona.

The Pelicans were hoping to take a two-game winning streak on the road, but New Orleans lost to Miami 102-96 last night. The Pels shot just 41-percent from the field and they were out rebounded 57-to-38. New Orleans will now begin a four-game road trip on Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Tulane finished its football season with a 7-and-6 record after starting the year losing five of their first seven. The Green Wave beat UL-Lafayette 41-24 in the Autonation Cure Bowl. Darius Bradwell was the game’s MVP with a career-high 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Cajuns ended the year with a seven and seven record.

Louisiana Tech arrives in Hawaii later today for it’s bowl game against Hawaii on Saturday night. The Bulldogs are seven and five and Coach Skip Holtz told the News-Star he’s looking for more out of quarterback J’Mar Smith, who has thrown for fewer yards and touchdowns this season, while his interceptions are up from five in 2017 to nine this season.