The Saints 2018 draft has a Louisiana flair to it this year as the Black and Gold selected two local products, running back Boston Scott in the sixth round and offensive lineman Will Clapp in the seventh round. Clapp is the first former Tiger drafted by New Orleans since defensive tackle Al Woods in 2010. Head Coach Sean Payton says he didn’t have to make a long distance call to let Clapp know he’ll be playing for his childhood team…
cut 13 (10) “on rent”

For the second straight week, the LSU Tigers are not ranked in any of the four more college baseball polls. They lost two of three from Ole Miss this past weekend and they are 10-11 in league play and they are tied for fourth place in the West Division.

The Ragin Cajuns scored two runs in the ninth yesterday and defeated Georgia State nine to seven. UL Lafayette is a half game back of Little Rock for first place in the Sun West Division.

The Pelicans are down one game to nothing in their best of seven Western Conference playoff series with Golden State after a 123-101 loss in Oakland on Saturday night. Head Coach Alvin Gentry said the Pels were a little rusty after a week off between games, but point guard Rajon Rondo disagrees
Cut 16 (09) “be fine”
Game two is tomorrow night and it’s expected two-time MVP Stephen Curry will return after missing five weeks with a knee injury.

In the other Western Conference playoff series, Houston quieted the Utah Jazz 110-96 to win Game one.

LSU’s 2019 recruiting class has received a verbal commitment from Texas four-star linebacker Marcel Brooks, who visited the Baton Rouge campus this past weekend. He’s six-foot-three, 200 pounds and ranked as the fifth best outside linebacker in the country.

After getting blown out on Saturday night in Game one of the Western Conference semis, the Pelicans are looking to bounce back tomorrow night versus Golden State. New Orleans Coach Alvin Gentry says there’s no panic in the locker room…

Cut 18 (17) “….supposed to do”

Game two is tomorrow night at 9:30.

It was another rough weekend for the LSU baseball team as they dropped their second straight SEC series. Ole Miss took two of three from the Tigers, winning the series on Saturday. In Saturday’s finale, Caleb Gilbert gave up five runs in the 7^th inning in a 9-8 loss. The Tigers are 10-11 in the SEC tied for fourth place in the West. They will host first place Arkansas this weekend.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Saints 2018 class features two players with local ties, former LSU offensive lineman Will Clapp and ex-Louisiana Tech running back Boston Scott, who walked on at the Ruston school after a stellar prep career at Zachary High School. Coach Sean Payton says Scott can fill a couple of roles on their team…

Cut 14 (12) “….punt returner”

Back to college baseball, Louisiana Tech took two of three from Western Kentucky and the Bulldogs are a game and a half back of Southern Miss.

The Ragin Cajuns are a half a game back of Little Rock for first place in the Sun Belt Western Division. UL Lafayette took two of three from Georgia State.

In the Southland, Southeastern Louisiana has won five in a row after sweeping Stephen F Austin.

And Scott Piercy and Billy Horschel won by one-shot in the Zurich Classic team event at TPC Louisiana in Avondale.

The Saints believe Marcus Davenport is the pass rusher they’ve been looking for during this offseason. The Black and Gold traded up last night to select the six-foot-six defensive end from Texas-San Antonio. Davenport was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year last year and finished his collegiate career with 22 sacks. Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic says says Davenport is a gifted athlete, who needs some polish…
cut 14 (09) “….pretty quickly”
The Saints have one third round selection tonight and then four more picks on Saturday. Garic says his sources around the league believe the Saints will look to add to their defensive line….
cut 15 (10) “…told me that”

Derius Guice was NOT selected in last night’s first round of the NFL draft. He should be one of the first picks in tonight’s second round. A year ago, pass rusher Arden Key was a projected first round selection, but his stock has fallen because of injuries, weight gain and off the field issues. Draft analyst Mike Detillier anticipates a team selecting Key tonight between the middle of the second and third rounds….
Cut 17 (12) “shot at him”
Detillier says Wide receiver DJ Chark from Alexandria and cornerback Donte Jackson are also expected to be a second round pick.

LSU baseball looks to rebound from a 14-3 loss to Ole Miss last night when the Tigers and Rebels meet again tonight in Oxford at 6:30. The Ragin Cajuns are Georgia State, while Louisiana Tech visits Western Kentucky.

The Saints made a bold move to select a pass rusher they desperately wanted last night. New Orleans sent three picks to Green Bay, including next year’s first round selection, to get the Packers 14th overall selection and with that pick the Black and Gold took University of Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport. He’s been labeled a freakish athlete who can get after the quarterback off the edge. Head Coach Sean Payton says Davenport is also a smart player….
cut 20 (17)_ “….passion business”
The Saints have one more pick tonight and that’s a late third round selection.

LSU running back Derrius Guice is still waiting to be picked. It’s the third time in the last four years that the Tigers did not have a player selected in the first round.

Several Tigers could be drafted today. We already talked about Guice, but wide receiver DJ Chark from Alexandria should be a second round selection according to draft analyst Mike Detillier…
cut 18 (18) “…that catch”
Chark ran 4.34 in the 40, the fastest wide receiver time in the draft. Another speedster, cornerback Donte Jackson is also expected to be a second round pick.

LSU’s bullpen is a mess. The Tigers gave up 11 runs in the sixth inning and lost to Ole Miss 14-3. It’s the Bayou Bengals fourth straight loss in the SEC. John Kordros, Matthew Beck and Taylor Peterson each gave up multiple runs in that sixth inning. The Tigers will try again at 6:30.

Getting a pass rusher was a priority for the Saints this offseason and it appears they have found their man. New Orleans traded up from the 27th pick to the 14th pick to take Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport. He had six and a half sacks and 10 tackles for a loss for the Roadrunners last season. Coach Sean Payton says Davenport plays with a high motor…

Cut 19 (13) “any young player” 

The Saints do not have a second round pick, so their next selection will be in the third round. If they don’t make any more trades, they’ll have five more picks after that.

Former LSU running back Derius Guice was not selected in the first round. There were reports that some teams had concerns about Guice’s character, even though he never got in trouble during his time at LSU. DJ Chark, Donte Jackson and Will Clapp are other potential LSU Tigers who will be drafted today.

——————————————————————————————————————-

There was another implosion with the LSU bullpen last night and this was the worst one yet. Ole Miss scored 11 runs off of four different relievers in the sixth and the Rebels cruised to a 14-3 victory. John Kodros (Co-dros) faced three batters and they all scored. Taylor Peterson gave up three runs and recorded just one out and Matthew Beck allowed five runs.

In other college baseball action, Louisiana Tech is at Western Kentucky, the Cajuns visit Georgia State, McNeese hosts Southland Conference leader Sam Houston State.

After one round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at the TPC Louisiana, Americans Chez Reavie and Lucas Glover are tied with a duo from China.

Steph Curry is listed as questionable for tomorrow night’s series opener between the Pelicans and Warriors. Curry participated in his first full practice yesterday since suffering a Grade 2 left MCL sprain on his left knee. Head Coach Steve Kerr said the two-time MVP looked good. Game 1 is tomorrow night at 9:30.

It’s draft day in the NFL. The Saints have the 27th pick in the first round and have seven picks after that one. The Saints 2017 draft was one of the strongest in recent history. Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams and Alvin Kamara were impact players on a playoff team. General Mickey Loomis says it will be difficult to be as successful this season….
Cut 18 (11) “is different”
Former LSU running back Derius Guice is in Dallas, the site of this year’s NFL draft. Draft analyst Mike Detillier says the running back from Baton Rouge should be a late first round selection….
Cut 19 (18) “interesting”

Quarterback Jordan Davis announced on Twitter he’s leaving the U-L Lafayette football program. Davis was in a three-way battle for starting Q-B. The Spring, Texas, native began last season as the starter, but lost his job when he went down with a knee injury in late September.

Will two-time MVP Stephen Curry be healthy enough to play in Game 1 of the playoff series between the Pelicans and Warriors? Golden State general manager Bob Myers says it’s conceievable Curry could play on Saturday night. New Orleans Head Coach Alvin Gentry doesn’t expect Curry to be rusty, even though he hasn’t played in a month because of a knee injury.

LSU begins a three-game series tonight in Oxford against the Ole Miss Rebels. Ole Miss and Arkansas lead the SEC West with a 10-8 conference record. The Tigers are one game back at 9-9. LSU is 2-10 in road games this year, while the Rebels are 22-and-3 at home. First pitch is at seven PM.

Former LSU running back Derius Guice says he’ll be dressing casual tonight for the NFL draft. The Baton Rouge native is expected to be a first round pick, but stories have been written that say NFL teams have character issues with Guice. Draft analyst Mike Detillier believes these reports are agent driven….
cut 20 (20) “….for everyone”
Detillier says Pittsburgh has the 28th pick and they are interested in Guice, but he could go sooner.

Detillier has the Saints using their 27th pick to select Harold Landry, a defensive end and outiside linebacker from Boston College. NFL-dot-com’s Ian Rapoport reports the Saints are looking to make a major jump from 27.

One more practice today at their training facility in Metairie and then the Pelicans are on their way to Oakland as Game 1 of their series with Golden State begins Saturday night at 9:30. It’s unknown if two-time MVP Steph Curry will be avaiable to play in Game 1 or any point during the series. He’s been sidelined by a Grade 2 MCL strain for the last month.

The LSU basketball program has received a verbal commitment from junior college forward Marlon Taylor. He’s six-foot-six and averaged 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game at Panola College. Taylor also shot 44-percent from three point territory.

LSU baseball begins a series tonight against Ole Miss. The Tigers are hoping the return of Josh Smith in the line-up can help jump start an offense that’s struggled to score runs at times. Smith hit a home run in a win over Lamar on Tuesday. It was his first game back since injuring his back in the opening weekend.

Flowers are in bloom, crawfish are boilin, the weather is just right, and Louisianans know, that means festival season. Michael Farrar has more.

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Michael Farrar”

______________________________________

An invasive species of tree frogs has hopped the Gulf and is gaining a foothold in New Orleans. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (29) I’m Jeff Palermo”

__________________________________

A Houma Representative’s bill which would require public schools provide 30 minutes of recess passed committee. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29) “I’m Matt Doyle”

____________________________________________

Festival season is kicking off in Louisiana, with a busy schedule that’s bound to keep the Bayou State buzzing for months to come. This weekend may be the busiest, with huge celebrations in New Orleans and Lafayette. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser is calling on folks to “staycation” in Louisiana with a trip to New Orleans this weekend.

Cut 4  (06) “golf tournament” 

The golf tournament is the Zurich Classic, in Avondale just south of New Orleans.

But New Orleans isn’t the only town throwing down this weekend. Lafayette is hosting the Festival International, and Nungesser says visitors will be treated to a multicultural cornucopia of talent

Cut 5  (08)  “in Lafayette”

Jazz Fest is expected to bring in roughly 300-million dollars. Nungesser says thousands of tourists will be in the state and he hopes their visit will lead to more tourism…

Cut 6 (12) “in Louisiana”

________________________________________

Cuban tree frogs have moved into New Orleans, and are now threatening to muscle out the locals according to the US Geological Survey. The frogs are invasive, and are suspected to have hopped a ride to the Crescent City on palm trees imported from Florida. Ecologist Brad Glorioso says it’s a threat to the state amphibian, the green tree frog.

Cut 7 (08)  “other frogs”

It’s not just the local wildlife that’s at risk, Glorioso says they have a history of terrorizing homeowners.

Cut 8 (07)  “power outages”

He also warned that the frog’s skin causes a burning sensation in people and animals that touch it.

Glorioso has some advice for New Orleanians brave enough to fight back against the foreign threat.

Cut 9 (10)  “in anything”

Cuban Tree Frogs are known to grow as large as a human palm.

___________________________________________________

The House Education Committee passed a proposal that would require schools provide a 30 minute recess break to students. Currently schools must have 30 minutes of physical activity, which is covered in many districts by PE class. Houma Representative and sponsor Beryl Amedee says recess is crucial to a child’s educational development.

Cut 10 (06) “unstructured play”

But the legislation received opposition from the Louisiana Association of Principles, who raised concerns that it would cut back on classroom time. Executive Director Debra Schum says schools would struggle to accomplish this under current class time requirements.

Cut 11 (10) “a cost”

Schum says schools have other ways to get students active besides relying on recess

Cut 12 (12) “the classroom”

But Amedee says despite the difficulties that would come with requiring recess, it’s still a worthwhile endeavor.

Cut 13 (06)  “worth it”

_________________________________________

A Senate Committee approved a bill that would allow families to put video cameras in the nursing home rooms of loved ones. The legislation was inspired by a Louisiana family who suspected a nursing home staff member was beating a family member in their room. Houma Senator Norby Chabert says the legislation is designed to keep the elderly safe.

What a return to the line-up for LSU infielder Josh Smith, who hit a home run in an 8-0 win over Lamar last night. Smith had been sidelined since the opening weekend with a bad back. The Tigers also got a great pitching performance from AJ Labas, who tossed a complete game shutout. LSU leaves today for Oxford, where they’ll begin a series versus Ole Miss tomorrow.

The Ragin Cajuns ended Louisiana Tech’s five game winning streak with a nine to four victory win over the Bulldogs last night. Junior Daniel Lahare equaled a career-high four hits, while freshman left-hander Austin Perrin threw a career-high eight innings for the victory.

McNeese rallied from a late 3-1 deficit and defeated ULM seven to three in eleven innings. Tha’s seven wins for the Cowboys in their last eight games.

It will be the Pelicans versus Golden State in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors finished off the Spurs in five games last night. And Game one will be Saturday night in Oakland at 8:30 on TNT. New Orleans has struggled against Golden State in recent seasons as the defending NBA champs have won 20 of the last 22 games. No word on when All-star guard Stephen Curry will return. He’s been out since March 23rd with a sprained MCL in his left knee.

LSU point guard Tremont Waters has put his name down for the NBA Early entry draft list, but if he doesn’t hire an agent, Waters can return to LSU for his sophomore season. Waters has until May 30th to withdraw his name. The Connecticut native made the All-SEC Freshman team after averaging 16 points, six assists and two steals last season.

There’s a report that the NBA and its players association are in talks to eliminate the one and done rule after the 2020 season.

The LSU baseball team snapped a four-game losing streak with a resounding eight to nothing win over Lamar last night. AJ Labas (Lay-biss) went the distance for the complete game shutout as he scattered six hits and struck out nine. Josh Smith returned to the line-up for the first time since injuring his back in the opening weekend and homered. Jake Slaughter, Antoine Duplantis and Daniel Cabrera each drove in two runs.

Louisiana Tech’s five game winning streak ended with a 9-4 loss to UL Lafayette. Daniel LaHare had four hits and scored three times, while Hunter Kasuls (Castles) drove in three runs for the victorious Cajuns.

ULM lost to McNeese seven to three in extra innings. The Cowboys have won six of their last seven.

Northwestern State clobbered Mississippi Valley State 21 to 0 in seven innings. The first time the Demons scored 20 runs since 2012. Nicholls thumped Southern 12-3.

_____________________________________________________________

The Pelicans have voided orders for 2,500 playoff tickets purchased for the second round, because of a password problem. The team announced that a presale password given out Monday to season ticket holders was shared with many non-season ticket holders. The Pelicans say they want to give their most loyal fans the first crack at postseason tickets, so they need to get this right. The team has notified those whose tickets have been voided.

New Orleans Pelican’s will be facing the Golden State Warriors in round two of the playoff’s. Golden State offed the San Antonio Spurs 99-91 to win the series four games to one.

Philadelphia moved on to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 104-91 win over a Miami Heat. Former LSU Tiger Ben Simmons had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

There are 51 finalists to be a Saintsation next season and for the first time there’s a male finalist. Twenty-five-year-old Jesse Hernandez from the Lafayette area will compete in today’s final round which will be streamed on the Saints website.