The Advocate newspaper reports Saints first round pick Marcus Davenport will need surgery on this thumb, but should be back in time for training camp. Davenport will also hold off on getting the surgery until after this week’s minicamp, which is open to the public Tuesday through Thursday at the team’s training facility in Metairie.

LSU has received a verbal pledge from a cornerback out of Houston. Marcus Banks chose the Tigers during his visit to Baton Rouge this past weekend. He also has scholarship offers from Alabama, Texas A-and-M and Texas. He’s rated as the 37th best cornerback in the nation by 24-7 sports. Banks gives LSU two cornerbacks in its 2019 recruiting class. The other is four-star prospect Maurice Hampton from Memphis. LSU is also hoping to land the nation’s number one cornerback, Derek Stingley from Dunham High School in Baton Rouge. He’s will announce his college choice on June 20th.

College football insider Brett McMurphy reports we can see three more bowl games added to the schedule for the 2020 season. One in Chicago that would be played at historic Wrigley Field and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina looks like they are getting a bowl game too. Conference USA and the Sun Belt could be tie-ins for the bowl game at Myrtle Beach. The third bowl game destination has not been decided.

The Ragin Cajuns have agreed to a home-and-home series with Rice for 2022 and 2025. The two schools haven’t played each other in football since 1989. UL Lafayette will play in Houston in 2022, and the Owls return the trip in 2025.

Four college baseball teams have reserved their spot in the College World Series, four others can punch their ticket today. Oregon State, North Carolina, Washington and Mississippi State is in after a wild 10-6 victory over Vanderbilt in 11 innings last night.

LSU did not sign a cornerback in its 2018 recruiting class, but for the 2019 class, they now have two commitments. Three-star prospect Marcus Banks from Texas gave his verbal pledge to the Tigers during an official visit this past weekend. Banks joins four-star Memphis corner Maurice Hampton as one of 12 commitments for the 2019 class, which is ranked ninth nationally, according to 24-7 sports. LSU is also hoping to get a verbal pledge from the nation’s top cornerback, Derek Stingley. The Baton Rouge native will announce his decision June 20th.

The LSU women’s track and field team finished sixth at the 2018 national championships in Eugene, Oregon. Aleia Hobbs won the 100-meter dash and the Lady Tigers four-by-100 meter relay team was a national champion as well.

LSU track and field signee Armand Duplantis won the pole vault in a Diamond League meet in Sweeden as the Lafayette native cleared 19-feet and two and three-quarters of an inch.

There were a couple of wild Super Regional Baseball games last night. In Nashville, Mississippi State outlasted Vanderbilt 10-6 in 11 innings. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the ninth inning to take a 6-3 lead, but Vandy came back with three runs on two home runs in the 9th inning to tie the game. Mississippi State put the game away with a four run tenth inning and they are heading to Omaha.

Out in California, Washington is also heading to the College World Series after beating Cal State Fullerton six to five in 10 innings. The Huskies tied the game at four in the ninth with an RBI single. The Titans hit a home run in the tenth inning to take a five four lead, but the Huskies won the game with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

After just two seasons, the Saints Michael Thomas has become one of the top receivers in the NFL by setting a league record for most catches in a player’s first two seasons. The former Ohio State Buckeye says he’s not complacent with what he’s done…
cut 30 (25) “…sky’s the limit”
Thomas has looked good in O-T-A’s and fans can see him in action next week during an open to the public mini-camp at the team’s training facility from Tuesday to Thursday, beginning at 11 AM each day.

Saints defensive end Alex Okafor will not be ready for O-T-A’s, after tearing his Achilles tendon last November. But Okafor says he’ll be ready for training camp after signing a two-year, 10-million dollar deal this offseason.

NBA free agents know Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry is staying in the Big Easy after agreeing to a two-year contract extension. Publisher of Locked on Pelicans podcast, Jake Madison, says the Birds will seek a specific kind of free agent…
cut 18 (20) “…draw here”
The NBA free agency period begins July 1st.

LSU Coach Paul Mainieri believes his incoming recruiting class could be the best in the country….
cut 20 (15) “….that are here”
The class features power arms in Destrehan’s Landon Marceaux, Cole Henry and Jaden Hill. The Tigers also signed three potential catchers, C-J Willis, Brock Mathis and Saul Garza.

Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry has agreed to a two-year contract extension that keeps him on the Pelicans sidelines through the 2020-21 season. Locked on Pelicans podcast publisher Jake Madison says the extension is warranted after Gentry kept the team together after the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins…
cut 17 (16) “…franchise”
Now we wait to see if the Pelicans are able to re-sign Cousins and point guard Rajon Rondo. Both players have expressed interest in returning.

Saints defensive end Alex Okafor believes he’ll be healthy enough to participate in training camp after tearing his Achilles tendon last November. Okafor had four and half sacks and then the injury came. But New Orleans still re-signed him to a two-year, 10-million dollar deal in this offseason.

LSU Coach Paul Mainieri believes his incoming recruiting class could be ranked number one….
cut 20 (15) “….that are here”
The class features power arms in Landon Marceaux from Destrehan, Cole Henry and Jaden Hill. The Tigers also signed three players who can catch, C-J Willis, Brock Mathis and Saul Garza.

Conference USA has a new deal with ESPN which means the sports network will broadcast at least 175 more events on ESPN 3 and E-S-P-N-plus. Tech will have four of its football games on E-S-P-N-plus, which requires a monthly or annual subscription to watch.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri is confident pitcher Zack Hess and outfielders and Zach Watson and Antoine Duplantis will return to the Tigers program, after they were drafted in the lower rounds. Mainieri is bullish on the 2019 season, because the Major League Baseball draft could not have gone better for the Tigers….
cut 19 (20) “…on our program”
Mainieri says the incoming recruiting class is also largely intact as he only expects a couple of his signees to decide on a professional career, instead of coming to college.

Super Regionals begin today. In Nashville, Mississippi State will face Vanderbilt at seven PM tonight.

Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry has agreed to a two-year contract that keeps him in New Orleans through the 2020-2021 season. The Pels are coming off an appearance in the Western Conference semifinals. Locked on Pelicans Podcast Publisher Jake Madison says Gentry piloted the team through a rollercoaster season, starting with a first half that included a radically different roster.
Cut 16 (14) “Houston Rockets”
And the Pelicans went 20-8 in their final 28 games of the regular season, despite the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins.

Conference USA announced a new multi-year deal with ESPN which will triple ESPN’s inventory of Conference USA events from the previous deal. ESPN-plus will televise five Bulldog games this fall including the season opener at South Alabama.

The Pelicans announce they’ve reached an agreement on a contract extension with Head Coach Alvin Gentry. The new deal will keep Gentry under contract through the 2020-21 season. General Manager Dell Demps says Gentry did a tremendous job last season. He says when the team faced adversity his coaching staff continually discovered ways to place the team in situations where they could be successful.

Former LSU basketball star Glen Davis was set to be arraigned today after he was indicted on a felony assault charge for a fight that occurred outside a West Hollywood nightclub last April. Davis could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty. The victim reportedly suffered multiple broken bones and was on a ventilator for the day.

Four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell from Houston has committed to Coach Kevin Sumlin and the Arizona Wildcats. LSU is one of several schools who offered a scholarship to the nation’s number three pro-style quarterback for the Class of 2019. .

The Saints wrapped up their third week of O-T-As today and Coach Sean Payton was asked about former LSU wide receiver and Breaux Bridge native Travin Dural, who spent last season on the team’s practice squad. Payton says Dural is in better shape this season…
cut 30 (19) “…I’m encouraged”

Conference USA announced a new multi-year deal with ESPN which will triple ESPN’s inventory of Conference USA events from the perious deal. ESPN-plus will televise five Bulldog games this fall including the season opener at South Alabama and the home opener against Southern. Both games will kick-off at 6 PM.

ESPN is reporting the Pelicans and Head Coach Alvin Gentry have agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep Gentry in New Orleans through the 2020-21 season. In his third season in the Big Easy, Gentry led the Pels to a 48-34 record this past season and a semifinal appearance in the Western Conference playoffs.

Former LSU star and NBA player, Glen “Big Baby” Davis faces a prison sentence of up to seven years. after he was indicted in Los Angeles on a felony assault charge. Davis will be arraigned today for his role in a fight outside of a West Hollywood nightclub in April. The victim reportedly suffered multiple broken bones and was on a ventilator for the day.

The LSU baseball program was not hurt too bad in the Major League Baseball Draft. The Tigers top hitter this past season, Antoine Duplantis, was drafted in the 19th round and since he was drafted so low, it increases the possibility he’ll return for his senior season. Jake Slaughter and Cam Sanders were both drafted by the Chicago Cubs and it’s expected they will both sign.

Jeff Duncan from the Times-Picayune reports that former Saints offensive tackle Zach Strief has emerged as a strong and viable candidate to succeed Jim Henderson as the Voice of the Saints. Strief has limited broadcasting experience, but served as an analyst on WWL’s coverage of this year’s NFL draft.

Southeastern Louisiana men’s basketball coach Jay Ladner has a new contract that runs through the 2020-21 season. This past season Ladner guided the Lions to a share of the Southland Conference regular season title and a berth in the N-I-T Tournament.

The State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries seeks to get more people outdoors with a free fishing weekend. So Saturday and Sunday residents and visitors can fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise required fishing license. LDWF Spokesperson Rene LeBreton says they hope to attract new anglers…
Cut 7 (4) “them hooked”
LeBreton says the LDWF website provides more information on Free Fishing Weekend and information on places to drop a line this weekend.

Six LSU Tigers were selected on day three of the major league baseball draft, including Antoine Duplantis, who was picked in the 19th round by the Cleveland Indians. Duplantis has one year of eligibility left and could return for his senior season after he was drafted so low.

Right-handed starting pitcher Zack Hess could also be back as his name wasn’t called until the 34th round by Atlanta. Zach Watson is also likely to return after he was picked in the last round by Boston.

The three others Tigers drafted yesterday may have played their last game at LSU. Cam Sanders and Jake Slaughter were both picked by the Chicago Cubs. Catcher Hunter Feduccia was selected in the 12th round by the Dodgers.

Other notable selections, Southeastern Louisiana pitcher Josh Green was picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Seatttle selected McNeese right-hander Grant Anderson in the 21st round and Ragin Cajuns left-hander Colten Schmidt went in the 23rd round to the Colorado Rockies.

Jeff Duncan from the Times-Picayune reports that former Saints offensive tackle Zach Strief has emerged as a strong and viable candidate to succeed Jim Henderson as the Voice of the Saints. Strief has limited broadcasting experience, but served as an analyst on WWL’s coverage of this year’s NFL draft.

This weekend it will be a Free Fishing weekend across Louisiana, which means you don’t need a license to drop a line in state waters. Rene LeBreton with the Lousiaina Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they have the free fishing weekend now, so a novice fisherman who enjoys the experience, will hopefully purchase a license and they would have it for more than a year….
cut 8 (11) “…in June”

Golden State took a commanding three games to nothing lead in the NBA Finals after beating Cleveland 110-102.

Today is the third and final day of the Major League Baseball Draft and the LSU program has not been hit too hard, when it comes to draft-eligible sophomores and juniors taken. In fact the only Tiger picked so far, is left-hander Nick Bush, who was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the eighth round. Draft-eligible sophomores Zack Hess and Zach Watson were not selected in the first 10 rounds and the same goes for junior outfielder Antoine Duplantis of Lafayette.

The Ragin Cajuns had three pitchers taken, Logan Harris in the third round to the As, and in the ninth round right-handers Logan Stoelke and Nick Lee were selected. Stoelke goes to the Pirates and Rays drafted Lee.

Northwestern State’s David Fry went in the 7th round to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Southeastern Louisiana has promoted Andew Gipson to associate head coach and pitching coach. The Alabama native has spent the past four seasons as an assistant at SLU.

The Super Regional series are set in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Three of the eight match-ups feature SEC teams battling each other for the right to go to Omaha. In Nasvhille, Vanderbilt will host Mississippi State in a best of three series that starts Friday. Auburn will visit top-seeded Florida. The series in Gainesville begins Saturday. South Carolina is at Arkansas for a Super Regional series that starts Saturday.

Florida State won the Women’s College World Series las tnight with an eight to three win over Washington. It’s the first national title in softball for the Seminoles who started by losing their first game in Oklahoma City.

Tonight is Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Cleveland. The Cavs are down two games to none, they also trailed in their series against the Celtics and Pacers this season.

Former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams has reportedly returned to coaching as he’ll serve as the 76ers lead assistant. Williams has been working in the front office for the Spurs. He was the Oklahoma City Thunder’s associate head coach, but left the bench after his wife was killed in a car accident in February 2016.

The only LSU player selected during day two of the Major League Baseball Draft is sophomore left-hander Nick Bush who was drafted in the eight round by the Colorado Rockies. Bush boasted an ERA of 3.40 in 47.2 innings this past season.

No LSU baseball players were selected in the first seven rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft, which is good news for Coach Paul Mainieri. Zack Hess, Zach Watson and Antoine Duplantis are draft eligible and if they were selected high enough and received a big enough signing bonus, they may decide to end their college career and play professional baseball.

An LSU signee was drafted in the first round last night. Shortstop Brice Turang of California was selected with the 21st overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers. It was considered a long shot that Turang would end up on LSU’s campus. He’s been compared to former LSU standout Alex Bregman.

Ragin Cajuns pitcher Hogan Harris was selected in the third round today by the Oakland Athletics. He’s been listed as a Top 150 prospect. And Tulane outfielder Grant Witherspoon went in the fourth round to the Tampa Bay Rays after hitting .330 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs. And Southland Conference Player of the Year, Northwestern State’s David Fry was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round.

The Super Regional Series are set and the nation’s number four national seed Ole Miss is not among the 16 teams left. The Rebels were defeated twice yesterday by the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, winning game 15-5 and the night cap 3-2.

Georgia also failed to make the super regionals are losing twice to Duke.

The Sun Belt Conference has changes to the format of its mens and women’s basketball tournament. And the tourney will move to the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans in 2020.