The schedule is set for the Pelicans best of seven Western Conference playoff series against the Trail Blazers. Game one is Saturday night in Portland at 9:30. Game two is Tuesday night and then the series shifts to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is Thursday night at 8 PM and Game 4 is at 4 PM on Saturday from the Smoothie King Center.

New Orleans beat San Antonio 122 to 98 last night to secure the sixth seed. Anthony Davis was named Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in March and April. Over the final 20 games, Davis averaged 28 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.

LSU has added much needed depth to its defensive secondary as former John Curtis standout Terrence Alexander has been added to the Tigers roster. He’ll be eligible to play in 2018 as he’s coming to LSU as a grad transfer. He appeared in 41 games for Stanford and had one interception. He also missed nearly of 2017 because of an injury.

The NFL draft is two weeks from tonight. Draft Analyst Mike Detillier expects New Orleans to use the 27th pick to select a player on defense…
cut 18 (07) “…round one”

Former Saints special teams standout Steve Gleason is under consideration for the Congressional Gold Medal. Gleason is battling A-L-S and has been a leader on efforts to develop and provide technology for those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow.

Several reports say new Browns receiver and former LSU Tiger Jarvis Landry is closing in on a new five-year contract that would pay him over 15-million dollars a season. That’s pretty good for a slot receiver and probably has the attention of Odell Beckham, who is also looking for a monster contract.

The Pelicans finished the regular season with a 122-98 win over San Antonio. Jrue (Drew) Holiday had 23 points, Anthony Davis had 22 and Nikola Mirotic (Knee-co-luh Mear-uh-tich) added 21 points. New Orleans record for the year is 48-34. And now the Pels will get ready for the playoffs. They will face the Trail Blazers in the first round. Game one will be in Portland this weekend.

Five-star forward Emmitt Williams has signed with the LSU Tigers, giving Coach Will Wade the third best recruiting class in the country according to 24-7 sports. Williams is considered an elite rebounder at six-foot-seven and he also gets to the line a lot.

In college baseball last night, the Ragin Cajuns outlasted Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 in 11 innings as Kennon Fontenot drove home the winning run with a two-out single. Nicholls scored 12 runs in the 1^st inning and beat Alcorn State 18-0. Brady Bell homered and drove in four runs. And UNO defeated Southern seven to five.

The Saints are signing restricted free-agent wide receiver Cam Meredith. New Orleans offered him a two-year deal and the Chicago Bears, who control his rights, decided not to match the offer. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says Meredith gives the Black and Gold a big target in the red zone and on third downs

Cut 16 (16) “…Meredith is”

Curtis Johnson who coached him in Chicago is the Saints wide receivers coach. Meredith caught 66 passes with the Bears in 2016, but missed all of last season with a knee injury.

The Saints have announced their preseason opponents for the upcoming season. They will open the exhibition schedule by playing the Jaguars in Jacksonville and then return home to host Arizona. In week 3, they ‘ll visit the Los Angeles Chargers and they’ll end the preseason with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Chicago Bears have decided not to match the Saints offer for wide receiver Cameron Meredith, which means the free-agent will join the Black and Gold on a two-year deal worth 10 million dollars. The 25-year-old caught 66 passes for four touchdowns in 2016, but missed all of 2017 after tearing his A-C-L and M-C-L.

The Saints have announced their preseason opponents for the upcoming season. They will open the exhibition schedule by playing the Jaguars in Jacksonville and then return home to host Arizona. In week 3, they ‘ll visit the Los Angeles Chargers and they’ll end the preseason with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Pelicans conclude their regular season tonight as they host the San Antonio Spurs. New Orleans is playing for seeding as they can still finish as high as the fifth seed, but they could also end up as the 8th seed and open the playoffs this weekend in Houston against the Rockets. Tip time is 7 PM.

Soon to be sophomore LSU quarterback Myles Brennan says the biggest thing he’s trying to learn is not to force throws. Brennan is also trying to add weight, right now he weighs 195 pounds and wants to get up to 210-215 pounds….
cut 19 (21) “…pay off”
Brennan spoke with the media for the first time yesterday since he arrived on campus last June.

In college baseball tonight, the Ragin Cajuns host Southeastern Louisiana. UL-Lafayette is coming off a wild 12-10 win over McNeese in which the Cajuns turned a triple play. The Lions lost to Jackson State in Hammond last night.

LSU is off after a 2-0 win over Louisiana Tech last night.

The Pelicans face the Spurs tonight and a win can give New Orleans a better seed in the NBA playoffs which begins this weekend. If New Orleans wins, they could be either the fifth or sixth seed, while a loss means the Pels could be a seventh or eighth seed and they’ll face either Houston or Golden State.

LSU’s Brandon Sampson has reportedly hired an agent and will enter the NBA draft, forgoing his senior season. The six-foot-five shooting guard never really lived up to his potential after a standout prep career at Madison Prep High School in Baton Rouge.

And the LSU men’s basketball team will reportedly play St. Mary’s on December 15th in Las Vegas. St. Mary’s won 30 games last season.

The Saints have reportedly met with Louisville Quarterback Lamar Jackson. Last month, Coach Sean Payton said the former Heisman Trophy winner is a special guy and you can see why he’s been so successful. Payton also said he can run an offense that’s based on the talents of that Q-B and doesn’t need another Drew Brees.

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan says the compeitition has been good this spring between himself, Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan….
cut 18 (19) “…each other”
Brennan says he’s been eating a lot as he tries to gain another 15 pounds. He currently stands at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds.

LSU won a pitcher’s duel with Louisiana Tech last night beating the Bulldogs two to nothing. David Leal was tough luck loser as he gave up two runs in the sixth inning. A-J Labas was the winning pitcher as he threw 63 pitchers over six solid innings.

The Ragin Cajuns won a wild game over McNeese 12-10. UL Lafayette turned its first triple play in eight years and it was the most runs scored by the Cajuns this season.

Elsewhere, Third ranked Arkansas scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Grambling seven to six. Nicholls thumped Alcorn 13-6, Jackson State edged Southeastern four to three, and Northwestern State knocked off Lamar 15-3.

In a game that lasted just one-hour and 54-minutes, LSU blanked Louisiana Tech two to nothing at Alex Box Stadium last night. The only runs came in the sixth inning. A Zach Watson RBI single and an Antoine Duplantis RBI single. Four LSU pitchers held the Bulldogs to two hits. AJ Labas (Lay-biss) pitched six innings to get the win, Austin Bain the save and David Leal suffered the loss despite striking out seven.

Two of the lowest scoring teams in the country combined to score 22 runs in Lafayette last night as the Ragin Cajuns beat McNeese 12-10 to sweep the season series. UL Lafayette turned a triple play in this game and Zach LaFleur drove home a season-high four runs.

Elsewhere, Third ranked Arkansas scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Grambling seven to six. Nicholls thumped Alcorn 13-6, Jackson State edged Southeastern four to three, and Northwestern State knocked off Lamar 15-3.

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan spoke with reporters for the first time since he arrived on campus. Brennan believes he’s improving on a daily basis….

Cut 17 (20) “…this year”

Brennan says he’s eating insane amounts of food in order to gain 15 pounds, so that he weighs 210 pounds next fall.

Tiger Rag-dot-com is reporting Brandon Sampson is forgoing his senior season at LSU and plans to enter the NBA draft. In 85 career games, Sampson averaged nearly eight points.

The Pelicans conclude the regular season tonight by hosting San Antonio. A win and New Orleans is either the 5^th or 6^th seed in the West, a loss and they could drop down to a 7^th or 8^th seed.

The Pelicans are headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season, as they clinched a berth with their 47th win of the season last night, a 113 to 100 victory over the Clippers. Anthony Davis had 28 points and he’ll make his second postseason appearance…
cut 30 (17) “…can happen”
New Orleans is in a three-way tie for fifth place. They can still get the four seed and host a first round playoff match-up, but for that to happen they need to win their regular season finale against San Antonio and Utah needs to lose twice. The Pelicans can also finish with the eighth seed and face top-seeded Houston.

Top 25 matchup at Alex Box Stadium tonight as 23rd ranked LSU hosts 25thr anked Louisiana Tech. It begins a big week for the Tigers, who will host Tennessee this weekend. LSU Coach Paul Mainieri says the focus is on tonight’s game, where the Bulldogs are excellent on the mound…
cut 18 (19) “…twice”
Pitching for the Bulldogs tonight is left-hander David Leal, who has surrendered just three extra-base hits and nine earned runs in nearly 50 innings this year. AJ Labas is set to start at LSU and Mainieri has hinted some changes to the weekend rotation, so if Labas pitches well, he could replace Caleb Gilbert.

The Pelicans are in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2015 as they clinched a spot last night with a 113 to 100 win over the Clippers. MVP candidate Anthony Davis led the way with 28 points, as he stepped up his game after fellow big man DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season-ending AChilles injury on January 28th…..
cut 30 (15) “…to do”
New Orleans is in a three-way tie for fifth place and they can still capture home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs when they host San Antonio on Wednesday in the regular season finale.

Acadiana alum Matt McCullough has been named the new head football coach for the Wreckin Rams.

And after one season, D’Arbonne Woods has fired David Feaster as its head coach.

LSU is anxious to get its starting middle infield back. Shortstop Josh Smith has been out since the opening weekend with a bad back and second baseman Brandt Broussard just got the splint off his surgically repaired thumb. Coach Paul Mainieri says not having them in the line-up has led to the team’s struggles at the plate…
cut 17 (16) “…going in”
Mainieri says Smith should face live pitching this week and first baseman Bryce Jordan should only miss a week with a bone bruise in his knee. The Tigers host 25th ranked La Tech at Alex Box tonight.

Elsewhere, the Ragin Cajuns host McNeese. UL Lafayette Coach Tony Robichaux says catcher Handsome Monica will likely miss the rest of the season as he needs elbow surgery and lefty Hogan Harris starts tonight against the Cowboys.

Former University High golfer Patrick Reed won his first major as he won the Masters by one shot over Rickie Fowler and two shots over Jordan Speith. Reed had to make a short, but difficult putt on 18 to claim the Green Jacket….
cut 12 (11) “….first major”
Reed is a native of San Antonio but went to high school at U-High in Baton Rouge.

Matt McCullough has been named as the new head football coach at Acadiana High School. He has some big shoes to fill as he replaces Ted Davidson, who won four state titles before retiring in February. McCullough graduated from Acadiana and has served as the Wreckin Rams quarterbacks and offensive line coach the last three seasons.

Former LSU star and now free agent safety Eric Reid is scheduled to meet with the Bengals. Reid says interest in him has been low, because he has kneeled during the national anthem.

Its possible the Pelicans can wrap up their first postseason berth since 2015 when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. With two regular season games left, New Orleans can finish anywhere as high as fourth in the Western Conference Standings or miss out on the playoffs all together. The Clippers were elimianted from playoff contention on Saturday when they were blown out by Denver.

LSU commit Emmit Williams broke a Jordan Brand Classic by scoring 44 points on 22 of 23 shooting. LeBron James was the previous record holder as he scored 34 points in the 2003 All-star contest. Williams is a six-foot-six power forward from Florida and he’s expected to sign with LSU this week.

After four weeks of SEC play, LSU is 6-6 after losing a series to Texas A-and-M. But Coach Paul Mainieri gave some good injury news today. Infielder Josh Smith is expected to hit off of live pitching this week and Bryce Jordan’s knee injury is not as serious as first thought.

Former University High golfer Patrick Reed is this year’s champion at the Masters. Reed finished 15-under par, one stroke better than Rickie Fowler to win his first Green Jacket. Reed, who spent several years growing up in Baton Rouge says it’s a dream come true…
cut 11 (10) “…Augusta national”
It’s Reed’s first major championship and he takes home 1.9 million dollars in winnings.

If the Pelicans win tonight in Los Angeles against the Clippers, they will secure a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. If New Orleans wins its final two regular season games, they can finish as high as fourth place in the West and earn home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. But if they lose tonight and Wednesday versus San Antonio in the regular season finale, they might not make the postseason at all. Tip off is at 9:30.

Former University High in Baton Rouge golfer Patrick Reed is the owner of a Green Jacket as he outlasted Rickie Fowler by one stroke to win his first Masters. It’s also the first major for the 27-year-old, who finished the tournament 15-under par. The San Antonio native now has six wins on the P-G-A Tour and he takes home one-point-nine million dollars for winning the Masters.

Two games left in the season for the Pelicans and they can finish anywhere from 4^th in the Western Conference to out of the playoffs. New Orleans faces the Los Angeles Clippers tonight, who have been eliminated from the postseason. Currently, the Pels are in a three-way tie for fifth place with Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The Spurs are in the Big Easy Wednesday for the regular season finale.

After four weekends of SEC play, LSU is in third place in the Western division, two games back of division leader Arkansas. The Tigers lost two of three from Texas A-and-M, while the 8^th ranked Razorbacks swept a series from 15^th Auburn.

________________________________________________________________________-

Louisiana Tech’s Hunter Wells hit for the cycle in yesterday’s 13-0 run-rule victory over U-T-S-A. Wells crushed a three-run home run to complete the cycle. The 22^nd ranked Bulldogs scored plenty of enough runs for Logan Bailey, who threw seven shutout innings. Tech took two of three from the Roadrunners and they are now 9-3 in Conference USA play.

Turner Francis hit a two-run home run in the 8^th inning and ULM edged Texas State three to two. Cole Gray was the winning pitcher in relief. The Warhawks are 6-6 in the Sun Belt.

The Cajuns fell to 5-7 in league play after losing four to two in 10 innings to U-T Arlington. Daniel Lahare had four hits in a losing effort.

Elsewhere….Nicholls split a doubleheader with Sam Houston State, Northwestern State split a doubleheader with Stephen F Austin. UNO swept Lamar in a double dip, McNeese defeated Abilene Christi six to two, Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi crushed Southeastern Louisiana 13-7. Grambling lost to Prairie view 8-7 and Tulane fell to Wichita State 8-2.