LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron announced star outside linebacker and defensive end Arden Key has decided to take some time away from football for personal reasons. Coach O said he fully supports the decision and is looking forward to welcoming him back at the appropriate time.

In the NBA, the Pelicans got yet another nice road win last night soaring over Memphis 95-91. They finish up this away trip 3-1. The Pels get a nice break now as their city hosts All-Star weekend and will return to the court on February 23rd.

There was a rumor going around that star Anthony Davis, who is taking part in the events in New Orleans this weekend, was discussing joining the Lakers. But Davis told Nola.com that he doesn’t plan on leaving the Pels, and to write that down. He’s under contract with New Orleans for 2 more seasons.

The Advocate in Baton Rouge reports that the Saints and Nick Fairley are in talks to keep the defensive tackle in New Orleans. He’d likely seek a multi-year contract after his one-year deal with the Black and Gold in 2016.

LSU baseball announces junior outfielder Greg Deichman practiced Wednesday with no problems. They say he will return today and play in Friday’s season opener.

LSU junior pitcher Alex Lange and senior shortstop Kramer Robertson are named to the 2017 Gold Spikes Award Watch list. Lange was 12-0 in his freshman year and enters his junior season with a 20-4 career mark at LSU. Robertson batted a .324 with 20 doubles in 2016, two triples, two homers and 39 RBI.

College hoops, Tulane fell last night to SMU, 80-75. Today Louisiana Tech hosts Florida Atlantic. Nicholls hosts Central Arkansas. McNeese State is at Abilene Christian. Southeastern is at in-state rival Northwestern State.

LSU announced today star outside linebacker and defensive end Arden Key is taking a leave from football for personal reasons. In a statement, Head Coach Ed Orgeron says he fully supports Key in his decision and they look forward to welcoming him back at the appropriate time. No further comments were made. Key had 12 sacks last season and could be a first round pick next year.

The New Orleans Advocate says there’s mutual interest for defensive tackle Nick Fairley to return to the Saints. Fairley signed a one-year deal with New Orleans last year and played well in 2016 and recorded 6.5 sacks. Fairley would likely seek a multi-year contract that could pay him around 10-million dollars a year.

The Pelicans play their final game before the All-Star break tonight as they visit Memphis. With a win, New Orleans can finish this road trip with a 3-1 record. Tip-off is at seven o’ clock.

The LSU men’s basketball team lost its 12th straight game last night as the Tigers were outscored 39-10 in the final ten minutes and were defeated by the Ole Miss Rebels 96-76. Antonio Blakeny led LSU with 29 points, but did not take a single shot in the final 7:03 of the game.

For the second straight week and the sixth time this season, Louisiana Tech’s Erik McCree has been named as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Tomorrow night the Bulldogs host Florida Atlantic. Tech is seeking its fifth straight win and they are in second place in the CUSA standings, two games back of first place.

We’re two days away from opening day and there’s more bad injury news for the LSU baseball team. Coach Paul Mainieri says he’s not expecting senior catcher Jordan Romero to be available for this weekend, because of a sprained ankle. And a Monroe TV station is reporting that senior Warhawk outfielder Cade Stone will miss the 2017 season because of an ACL injury. Stone hit .230 last year with two home runs and 21 RBI.

The LSU men’s basketball team lost its 12th straight game last night as the Tigers were outscored 39-10 in the final ten minutes and were defeated by the Ole Miss Rebels 96-76. Antonio Blakeny led LSU with 29 points, but did not take a single shot in the final 7:03 of the game. The dozen losses in a row ties for the third longest in program history.

For the second straight week and the sixth time this season, Louisiana Tech’s Erik McCree has been named as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. McCree averaged 22 points a game in two victories last week in Texas. Tomorrow night the Bulldogs host Florida Atlantic.

The Pelicans are in Memphis tonight. New Orleans is attempting to finish this four-game road trip with a 3-1 record. It’s the final game for the Pels before the All-Star break.

Former Saints special teams coordinator Greg McMahon has reportedly been added to LSU’s staff as a consultant. LSU currently has nine fulltime assistants, so he can’t coach on the field, but can do film room and office work. The NCAA is expected to vote in April to increase the number of full-time assistants allowed and if that happens, McMahon could become a fulltime coach.

Former Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem will spend the next month in the Jefferson Parish jail after a judge determined he’s at fault for not paying almost 400-thousand dollars in child support and alimony. The judge says if Meachem can come up with 100-thousand dollars, he’ll get out of jail sooner.

There’s more injury news involving the LSU baseball team. Coach Paul Mainieri has told the Baton Rouge Advocate that catcher Jordan Romero will likely not play this weekend because of a sprained ankle. We’ll find out tomorrow if right fielder Greg Deichman will be available for the opening weekend, after taking a pitch to the face last Friday.

Brandon Harris decision to transfer, leaves LSU with a lot of inexperience behind starting quarterback Danny Etling. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says there will be three quarterbacks this spring battling for the number two spot on the depth chart….
cut 18 (21) “….make a case”
LSU has also made it official that it’s spring game on April 22nd will kick-off at 7 PM and it will be televised on the SEC Network.

First-year Quarterback James Tabary has been named MVP of the McNeese Football team. Tabary received the award at last night’s Cowboy football banquet.

Former Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem will spend the next month in the Jefferson Parish jail after a judge determined he’s at fault for not paying almost 400-thousand dollars in child support and alimony. The judge says if Meachem can come up with 100-thousand dollars, he’ll get out of jail sooner.

In college basketball tonight, LSU is at Ole Miss. The Tigers have lost 11 in a row, while the Rebels are 6-6 in league play.

Last night, the Ragin Cajuns ended a four-game losing streak with an 87-61 win over South Alabama. Bryce Washington recorded his 19th double-double of the season and Jay Wright eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for his career as he had eight points.

Also last night, Troy topped ULM 73-72 in overtime. Southern knocked off Mississippi Valley State 81-72. Grambling upended Prairie View 61-58.

The Pelicans are off tonight after their win over the Suns. They visit Memphis tomorrow, their final game before the All-Star Break.

LSU quarterback Brandon Harris has decided to transfer and said Coach Orgeron is letting him choose any school. Tiger Rag associate editor James Moran …:
Cut 17 (13) “terribly surprising”
Harris played in just four games during the 2016 season, passing for 139 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

And LSU has announced that it’s spring game on April 22nd will kickoff at 7 PM and it will be televised by ESPN U.

And there are multiple reports that say former Saints special teams coordinator Greg McMahon has joined LSU’s staff as a special teams analyst and could become the special teams coordinator next month when the NCAA allows teams to have 10 full-time assistantss

Anthony Davis had 24 points and made some key baskets down the stretch last night as new Orleans defeated Phoenix 110-108. Jrue Holiday helped out with 18 points. New Orleans completes its four game road trip on Wednesday against Memphis.

The struggling LSU Tigers are on the road tonight to face Ole Miss. The Bayou Bengals will look to end an 11-game losing streak, while the Rebels are 6-and-6 in league play. LSU has won the last thee games played in this series.

Last night….Grambling State ended a three-game losing streak by beating Prairie View 61-58. Avery Ugba had 21 points. Shawn Proudhomme had 25 points as Southern defeated Mississippi Valley State 81-72. Tough loss for ULM last night as Troy banked in a three-pointer in the final couple seconds of overtime to beat the Warhawks 73-72. And Bryce Washington had a double-double, 25 points and 13 points as the Cajuns clobbered South Alabama 87-61.

LSU Quarterback Brandon Harris is looking for a new school. The one-time starting Q-B for the Tigers says he’s transferring and head coach Ed Orgeron will allow Harris to transfer to any school he chooses. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says this is not a surprise, since Danny Etling is the likely starting signal caller in 2017..:
Cut 16 (06) “next year”
Harris started the first two games of the 2016 season, but was benched during the Jacksonville State game. This after starting all 12 games in his sophomore campaign.

In the NBA, the Pelicans got a much deserved win last night over the Suns, 110-108. Anthony Davis scored 24 points, including six points in a row for New Orleans and the last two baskets with 40.3 seconds to play. The Pels stay on the road tomorrow night against the Grizzlies.

College hoops, ULM hung in there with Troy Monday night, but could never overcome a late three-pointer from the Trojans and the Warhawks fell 73-72.

UL-Lafayette snapped a four-game losing skid with a nice win over South Alabama last night in the Cajundome. Bryce Washington recorded his 19th double double of the season, and Senior Jay Wright became the 44th player in school history to reach the 1,000 point mark.

Grambling held on to beat Prairie View A&M 61-58 last night at home to snap a three game skid and improve the Tigers to 7th place in the SWAC. Southern defeated Mississippi Valley State 81-72 and now could be a top 4 seed in the SWAC tournament.

A struggling LSU basketball team will hit the court again tonight to take on Ole Miss in Oxford. The Tigers have lost 10 SEC contests in a row, and 11 overall.

The Krewe of Bacchus is getting some national press for a float that takes a jab at the Saints biggest rival Atlanta Falcons. The theme of the February 26th parade is “Bacchus Salutes the Saints 50th,” and one of the floats features Falcons players and is called, “The Young and the Ringless.”

Quarterback Brandon Harris has announced he’s transferring from LSU. Harris announced his decision on twitter and said he decided to leave LSU after consulting with his family and head coach Ed Orgeron. Harris lost his job as starting quarterback in September after a rough start to the season. The former Parkway star says he’s been given his full release, so he can transfer to any school and he’ll have one year of eligibility left.

Ten LSU football players have been invited to participate in the NFL combine in Indianapolis. The Tigers and Alabama lead all SEC teams for NFL combine invites. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith is one of the 10 invitees, even though he tore his ACL in the loss to Florida.

The Cajuns announce they’ll kick-off the 2018 season against Grambling State on September 1st. New Mexico State, Alabama and Mississippi State are the other non-conference opponents for the Cajuns in 2018.

The Pelicans continue their four-game road trip tonight in Phoenix against the Suns. New Orleans lost last night 105-99 to Sacramento. The Pels beat the Suns by five a week ago at the Smoothie King Center.

There’s plenty of college basketball in the state tonight….the Cajuns host South Alabama, ULM takes on Troy in Monroe and Grambling hosts Prairie View. Grambling’s women’s team is also in action tonight. They are tied with Alabama State for the lead in the SWAC.

The LSU Lady Tigers are at Vanderbilt for a six pm match-up on the SEC Network.

The girls high school basketball brackets were released today. Because of the expanded split, 12 state championships will be awarded in Hammond during the first weekend in March.

College baseball…Coach Paul Mainieri says he’ll provide an update on Thursday on whether Greg Deichmann will play in Friday’s season opener. He was hit by a pitch in the face last Friday and fractured his right cheek bone.

The college baseball season has yet to start and the nationally ranked LSU Tigers are already dealing with two major injuries to position players. It was announced last week designated hitter Bryce Jordan is done for the season with a torn ACL and then on Friday night, starting right fielder Greg Deichmann was hit by a pitch during practice and suffered a fracture to his right cheekbone. Mainieri says a decision on whether Deichmann will be able to play opening day will be determined on Thursday.

The Pelicans lost for a sixth time in eight games as Sacramento beat New Orleans 105-99. The loss drops the Pels record to 21-34 and it looks like for the second straight season they will fail to make the playoffs. There’s a report in Bleacher Report from a source close to Anthony Davis’ agent that A-D one day could end up in L-A with Russell Westbrook and play for the Lakers. New Orleans is at Phoenix tonight.

The Ragin Cajuns and ULM men’s basketball teams are both at home tonight. UL Lafayette has lost four in a row and they’ll host South Alabama. Both teams have a losing record in league play. ULM will look to end a three-game losing streak as they host Troy.

In the SWAC, Southern is at Mississippi Valley. The Jaguars are in third place in the league and Grambling hosts Prairie View. Both teams each have five wins in league play.

And the LSU women’s basketball team is at Vanderbilt.

The LSU men’s basketball team lost its 11th straight on Saturday night, despite a 14-point lead in the first half. Arkansas rallied back from a 78-70 win. Tomorrow, the Bayou Bengals are at Ole Miss.

Louisiana Tech enters the week two games back of first place Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs host Florida Atlantic and Florida International this week.

And UNO is in first place in the Southland after beating Southeastern on Saturday. The Privateers host Central Arkansas on Saturday.

The LSU baseball Tigers get more rough news announcing outfielder Greg Deichmann had surgery Sunday morning, and whether or not he can play the season opener Friday is not certain at this time. Last week LSU learned it would be without designated hitter Bryce Jordan for the entire season due to a knee injury. Deichmann was hit in the face by a pitch which broke his cheekbone. The Tigers hit the diamond February 17th against Air Force in Alex Box Stadium.

The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a tough loss on the road last night to Sacramento, 105-99. All-Star Anthony Davis had another stand-out performance though putting up 32 points and 10 rebounds for the Pels. Jrue Holiday added 16 points and 11 assists. The Pels are now 7-19 on the road, and they’ve lost eight of the last 10. They’ll face the Suns tonight in Phoenix.

In college hoops, LSU lost for the 11th time in a row on Saturday night in the PMAC. This time it was to Arkansas by a score of 78-70, even though the Tigers did put on a nice show in the first half when they had a 14 point lead that was eventually squandered. They’ll take on Ole Miss tomorrow night.

Today UL-Lafayette returns to action as they face Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama in the Cajundome. The Ragin Cajuns dropped a 100-88 decision to Troy Saturday. ULM plays the Trojans tonight in Monroe. The Warhakws are coming off a three point loss to South Alabama on Saturday.

Grambling faces Prairie View A&M tonight after losing to Texas Southern on Saturday; 77-70.

The Baton Rouge Advocate reports New Orleans area high school coaches will not follow through with a threat of a boycott of LSU. It was reported last week that several NOLA coaches were upset with the dismissal of former Edna Karr Head Coach Jabbar Juluke. But Coach Orgeron reportedly had a productive meeting with a couple of the coaches and the Tigers head man pledged to provide more communication to the prep coaches.

The Baton Rouge Advocate reports New Orleans area high school coaches will not follow through with a threat of a boycott of LSU. It was reported earlier this week that several NOLA coaches were upset with the dismissal of former Edna Karr Head Coach Jabbar Juluke from the LSU staff. But Orgeron reportedly had a productive meeting with a couple of the coaches and the Tigers head man pledged to provide more communication to the prep coaches.

The Saints have made the decision to hold training camp at the team’s facilities in Metairie. The last three years the boys in Black and Gold prepared for the season in West Virginia. Saints analyst Mike Detillier says the team’s indoor facility in Metairie is one reason why they decided to stay home this year…
cut 18 (18) “…in Metairie”
Training camp will kick-off in late July.

LSU basketball will look to avoid its 11th straight defeat on Saturday when they host Arkansas at the Maravich Center. Coach Johnny Jones’ team is 9-14 overall, 1-and-10 in the SEC. During an appearance on the Jim Engster Show, LSU President F King Alexander was asked about whether a coaching change is needed..:
Cut 15 (10) “the year”
During the 10-game losing streak, all but two of LSU’s defeats have been by double digits.

Big basketball game in Hammond Saturday as UNO visits Southeastern Louisiana. The Privateers have won two in a row and they’ve moved into first place in the Southland standings. The Lions are 6-and-6 in league play and they’ve lost four of their last five.

At 7:15 inside the Cajundome, UL Lafayette will host Troy. The Cajuns will look to snap a three-game losing streak.

While in Conference USA, Louisiana Tech takes a three-game winning streak to Texas-San Antonio. The Bulldogs are two games back of Middle Tennesse for first place in the league standings.