06:45 Sportscast, January 31st, 2018

After losing by 25 points to 11th ranked Auburn on Saturday, LSU gets another chance at a ranked team tonight when they visit No. 18 Tennessee. Tigers Coach Will Wade expects a better performance tonight…:
Cut 19 (14) “effort”
LSU is 3-5 in the SEC, while the Volunteers are 5-3. Tipoff is at 5:30.

Also in college hoops tonight, Tulane is at East Carolina. UNO hosts Northwestern State. Southeastern plays Texas A&M Corpus Christi in Hammond.

Last night McNeese State fell to Southland conference foe Sam Houston State 67-57.

In the NBA, the Pelicans can’t catch a break without season-ending injured DeMarcus Cousins as New Orleans fell to the Kings last night, 114-103. Anthony Davis had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Pels, while Jrue Holiday scored 21. The Pelicans next will visit Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Southeastern Louisiana names Abbeville native Frank Scelfo as its new head football coach. He takes over for Ron Roberts who left the Lions after six seasons to coach UL-Lafayette’s defense. Roberts led the Lions through their most successful run since the school restarted its football program in 2002, and a fired up Scelfo says he expects to maintain that momentum…:
Cut 16 (15) “we wont blink”
Scelfo was a former offensive coordinator for Tulane and LA Tech, and also spent time in the NFL as an assistant with Arizona and Jacksonville.

LSU football got some great news this week when five-star offensive lineman Kardell Thomas shut down his recruiting process. Thomas said via Twitter he is “110 percent” committed to the Tigers.

 

16:45 LRN Sportscast January 30

LSU basketball will be short handed for their matchup with 18th ranked Tennessee. Coach Will Wade has suspended two players for tomorrow night’s game, Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachal for violating team polices. And Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander are done for the rest of the season, because of discplinary reasons. Not having Kiir and Sims leaves the Tigers short handed in the post. Wade says he will not use that as an excuse…
cut 18 (08) “…figure that out”
Tip-off tomorrow is at 5:30 central time.

Tonight in college hoops, McNeese State can move to 5-4 in the Southland, if they are able to beat Sam Houston State. 6:30 is tip time.

Frank Scelfo was introduced today as the new head football coach of Southeastern Louisiana. The Abbeville native has previously been an offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech and Tulane. Scelfo has also spent time as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL.
The Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings tonight at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans beat the Kings in the first meeting between these two Western Conference foes and the Kings defeated the Pelicans in game two of the regular season series. Its game two without injured All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. The Pelicans are looking to bolster their roster and have spoken to the Chicago Bulls about forward Nikola Mirotic, but ESPN reports the deal couldn’t be completed because of a contract issue.

The Ragin Cajuns have been picked by the league’s coaches to win the Western Division of the Sun Belt. UT Arlington is picked to finish in second place, Texas State third place and ULM was predicted to finish in last place. South Alabama is the favorite to win the East Division.

And Ragin Cajun athletics announced a two-year patnership with Cox Sports Television today. C-S-T will be televising several softball and baseball games this year, including the LSU contest on March 7th.

11:40 LRN Sportscast January 30

LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade announces reserves Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander of Breaux Bridge will not play for the Tigers again this season for violating team policies. Wade says Alexander will look to play somewhere else next season, while there’s a chance that the six-foot-nine Kiir will return to the team following the spring semester
cut 17 (19) “…our team”
Wade has also suspended Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachaal for tomorrow night’s game against 18th ranked Tennessee.

Grambling State has won its sixth straight last night as they defeated Mississippi Valley State 92-89 in overtime. Ivy Smith Junior led the way with 26 points. Grambling is now in a three-way tie for second place.

The Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings tonight. New Orleans looking to rebound after a tough loss on Sunday when the Pels squandered a 21 point lead and lost to the Clippers 112 to 103. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

Southeastern Louisiana is set to name Abbeville native Frank Scelfo as the Lions new head football coach. Scelfo graduated from ULM in 1981 and spent eight seasons as the offensive coordinator at Tulane and he was also the O-C at Louisiana Tech from 2007 to 2009.

ESPN has released its 2018 college baseball schedule and LSU is scheduled to appear on ESPN networks 12 times.

UL Lafayette has been picked as the favorite to win the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference in a poll of the league’s coaches. U-T Arlington is picked to finish second, Texas State third and ULM is expected to finish in last place. South Alabama is the preseason favorite to win the East.

06:45 Sportscast, January 30th, 2018

LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade announces reserve Mayan Kiir and Galen Alexander of Breaux Bridge are on a leave of absence from the program and Alexander has indicated he will not return next season. Wade has also suspended Wayde Sims and Brandon Rachal for Wednesday night’s game against 18th ranked Tennessee…:
Cut 16 (12) “those guys”
Wade says there’s a chance that the six-foot-nine Kiir can return to the team next season.

Southeastern’s next head football coach will be a guy with strong ties to Louisiana. According to multiple media reports, Frank Scelfo will be introduced as the Lions head coach today. Scelfo is a native of Abbeville and graduated from ULM in 1981.

ESPN released its television schedule for the 2018 SEC baseball season Monday afternoon and it includes 12 LSU games. The Tigers debut on the SEC Network on St. Patrick’s Day against the Missouri Tigers at The Box. LSU will make one appearance on ESPN2, three on ESPNU, eight on the SEC Network.

The New Orleans Pelicans stay home to face the Sacramento Kings tonight at 7pm.

Last night in college hoops, Grambling State beat Mississippi Valley State 92-89. The Tigers are now 10-12 overall, and 6-3 Southwest Athletic Conference.

Tonight on the hardwood, McNeese State hosts Sam Houston State.

Recreational fishing and hunting licenses will be unavailable today and tomorrow, as the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries begins their transition to a new sales system. The licenses will not be available for purchase via regular retail vendors until April 2.

16:45 LRN Sportscast January 29

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri plans on starting the 2018 season by using Zack Hess as a starting pitcher. The sophomore right-hander excelled out of the bullpen last season, but Mainieri believes the flame thrower is best suited to be a starter this year and not the team’s closer…
cut 19 (19) “…starting pitcher”
Mainieri has Hess as his Saturday night starter, while he plans on Caleb Gilbert being the Friday night pitcher. Todd Peterson could be the third starter in the weekend rotation.

Southeastern Lousiaina will reportedly introduce its new head football coach tomorrow. Football Scoop-dot-com reports it will be Frank Scelfo, who is a ULM grad and has previously been an offensive coordinator at Tulane and Louisiana Tech.

The Pelicans blew a 21-point first half lead and lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 112 to 103 in the team’s first game since the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins. The loss dropped New Orleans into a sixth place tie with Portland in the Western Conference standings. New Orleans hosts Sacramento tomorrow night.

In college basketball, after getting thumped by Auburn 95-70 last Saturday, LSU faces another ranked opponent on Wednesday night. The Tigers visit 18th ranked Tennessee for a 5:30 tip.

The Ragin Cajuns are 19-3, but they are not getting any votes for the Top 25. UL Lafayette begins a three-game road trip on Saturday when they visit ULM.

In the Southland, UNO leads with an 8-2 record, a half-a-game better than Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State. The Privateers host Northwestern State on Wednesday and then Nicholls makes a trip to Lakefront Arena on Saturday.

Tonight Grambling is at Mississippi Valley State.

06:45 Sportscast, January 29th, 2018

In the NBA, the Clippers completed the franchise’s greatest road comeback in more than a decade in New Orleans as the Pelicans fall to Los Angeles 112-103. The Pels had won seven of 8 coming in to the game, but played without Demarcus Cousins for the first time who is reportedly out for the season with a broken Achilles. Anthony Davis had 25 points and 17 rebounds for the Pelicans. New Orleans will host Sacramento tomorrow night.

In women’s hoops, LSU upset No. 10 Tennessee in Baton Rouge as the Lady Tigers picked up a 70-59 victory. Louisiana Tech fell to Western Kentucky, 74-64 in Ruston.

The AFC overcame a 17-point halftime deficit and four turnovers to win the Pro Bowl over the NFC, 24-23.

The 2018 LSU baseball team has a different look to it this year as several star players have moved on to professional baseball. Caleb Gilbert is slated to be the Friday night starter, Zack Hess is scheduled to start on Saturdays and Todd Peterson would be the Sunday starter, if the season started today. Coach Paul Mainieri believes Peterson is ready to have a big season…:
Cut 18 (17) “simulated games”
LSU opens the season on February 16, when the Tigers play host to Notre Dame in Alex Box Stadium.

The LSU men’s basketball team was no match for No. 19 Auburn Saturday on the road. Auburn easily won by a score of 95-70. LSU now drops to 12-8 overall and 3-5 in the SEC heading into another tough conference road game Wednesday against Tennessee.

16:45 LRN Sportscast January 26

The Pelicans, who are playing their best basketball of the season, face a tough test tonight as they host the Houston Rockets, who are 34-and-12 on the year. New Orleans has won six of its last seven and they are in sixth place in the Western Conference.

The select…non-select playoffs will continue in the sports of basketball, baseball and softball. High School principals voted to keep the current format in place. The most notable change that came out of the LHSAA convention is that girls and boys state select basketball championships will be held one week and then the following week the girls and boys non-select schools will have their semifinals finals. That will begin with the 2018-19 season.

High school football recruiting…West Feliciana three-star defensive back Derek Turner has committed to Louisiana Tech. And Rummel wide receiver JaMarr Chase says he’ll decide between Auburn and LSU on national signing day.

College baseball teams can begin practice today. LSU Coach Paul Mainieri says his weekend rotation as of now is Caleb Gilbert on Friday night. Zack Hess on Saturday and Todd Peterson on Sunday.

The LSU men’s basketball team visits 19th ranked Auburn on Saturday. Auburn is 18-2 on the year and playing with a lot of confidence according to Tigers Coach Will Wade.

Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana will battle for first place in the Southland Conference on Saturday night at Stopher Gym in Thibodaux. The Colonels have won five in a row, 7-1 in league play, while the Lions are 6-2. Nicholls head coach Richie Riley says S-L-U is a big test for his team…
cut 18 (14) “….game changer”
Tip off is at 6:30.

The Ragin Cajuns look to stay undefeated in Sun Belt play as they host Troy at 2 PM, while Louisiana Tech seeks its third straight win when they host Southern Miss on Saturday night.

11:40 LRN Sportscast January 26

LSU men’s basketball team heads to Auburn today for their SEC match-up at 5 PM on Saturday. Auburn is 18-2 on the season and they lead the SEC in scoring, averaging 86 points a game. Coach Will Wade says he wans to keep Auburn off the free throw line…
cut 20 (19) “…they have”
Meanwhile, Coach Wade has received another verbal commitment from a five-star propsect. Florida forward Emmitt Williams chose the Tigers over Oregon and Florida. Williams joins Naz Reid as two five-star prospects in LSU’s 2018 recruiting class.

Tonight in the NBA, a sell out crowd is likely at the Smoothie King Center as the Pelicans host the Houston Rockets. The Pels have won six of their last seven, while Houston has won seven of eight. Tip off is at 7 PM.

The Ragin Cajuns men’s hoops team won their eighth straight last night as Louisiana beat South Alabama 76-57. Malik Marquetti had 21 points and drained five three-pointers.

ULM had a big second half and it led to a 76-71 win over Troy. The Warhawks tailed by 14 points at halftime but ULM got some big performances. Michael Ertel had 22 points, Travis Munnings had 21 and Sam McDaniel had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Tulane fell to a 3-5 record in the American Conference with an 80-75 loss to South Florida, who won its first league game of the season.

In college football news…West Feliciana star Derek Turner has committed to Louisiana Tech. He runs a 4.4 forty and turned down offers from Auburn and TCU. Turner played quarterback and safety for the 3A champion Saints and is expected to play strong safety in Ruston.

And Southeastern announces they’ve added former LSU defensive back Xavier Lewis to its roster.

06:45 Sportscast, January 26th, 2018

The LSU men’s basketball team gets a chance at beating the first place team in the SEC on Saturday when they visit the 19th ranked Auburn Tigers. LSU Coach Will Wade believes Auburn is one of the ten best teams in the nation:
Cut 19 (19) “to beat”
Auburn is 18-2 on the season and they lead the SEC in scoring, averaging 86 points a game.

The 2018 All-Star game rosters have been set, and New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins will both play for LeBoron James’ team. They’ll go against opposing captain Steph Curry and his selections.  The All Star game is Sunday, February 18th in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Pelicans will look to keep their momentum going tonight as they host Houston.

Also in college hoops, UL-Lafayette rolled over South Alabama 76-57 last night in the Cajundome. The Cajuns improve to 10-0 at home to start the season, and will conclude its home-stand tomorrow with defending SBC Tournament champion Troy.

The Nicholls State men’s basketball team is on a roll, riding a five game win streak to the top of the Southland Conference. The Colonels won their last 5 by an average of 7 points a game, with a supercharged offense scoring about 85 a night. Nicholls started the season 8-8, but head coach Richie Riley says the team is really coming into form…:
Cut 16 (13) “came around”
They’ll face conference and in-state rival Southeastern tomorrow.

Also Saturday, McNeese State is at Lamar. Southern hosts Alcorn State. Grambling is at Arkansas Pinebluff, and Louisiana Tech hosts Southern Miss.

16:45 LRN Sportscast January 25

LSU’s all-time leading rusher and three time Super Bowl Champion Kevin Faulk has been named as the Director of Player Development for the LSU football program. Faulk says he will help the players not only on the field, but away from the game as well…
Cut 3 (09) “long time.”
Head Coach Ed Orgeron says their mission is to develop every aspect of a young man’s life and Faulk will be instrumental in this process.

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis is confident they’ll be able to sign Quarterback Drew Brees to a new contract. The 39-year-old’s contract is set to expire in March, but Loomis doesn’t have a time line on when a new deal may get done…
cut 11 (11) “…Drew Brees”
Louisiana fans heading to the Cajundome tonight to watch the men’s basketball team host South Alabama are encouraged to wear black. The Cajuns are 17-3 overall, 7-0 in the Sun Belt. Coach Bob Marlin says they are playing winning basketball and he hopes that leads to large crowds at the Cajundome…
cut 18 (16) “…fun to watch”
Tip off is at 7:15.

Also tonight, ULM hosts Troy. The Warhawks will need to figure out how to defend Troy’s Wesley Person, who is averaging 19 points a game. Tulane is also home tonight as the Green Wave hosts South Florida, who is winless in American Conference this season.

Nicholls State is in sole possession of first place in the Southland after beating Lamar 79-74 last night.