It’s a big night of basketball across the state. The Pelicans are home to take on the Atlanta Hawks. New Orleans beat Atlanta 112-to-94 earlier this season. Former Louisiana Tech star Paul Millsap is averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds a game for the Hawks.

Louisiana Tech will host UTEP in the third annual Red Out game at the Thomas Asembly Center. The Bulldogs will wear red jerseys at home for the first time this year.

In the Southland Conference…Southeastern, McNeese and UNO are all off to 2-0 starts in league action and they are on the court tonight. The Lions are at Houston Baptist, the Cowboys host Sam Houston State and the Privateers are at Lamar. Northwestern State seeks its first Southland win tonight when the Demons visit U-I-W.

Last night, LSU earned its first win in the SEC . An 88-77 victory over a bad Missouri squad.

Michael Kim with 120 Sports is reporting that former LSU head coach Les Miles flew to the Twin Cities on Wednesday and met with University of Minnesota officials about their head coaching job. Miles has said he wants to resume his head coaching career at a Power 5 school.

High school football news…Rodney Guin is the new head coach at Calvary Baptist. Guin was the Cavaliers wide receivers coach this past season and before that he was the head coach of Haughton for 16 years, where he helped Dak Prescott get a scholarship at Mississippi State.

East Ascension four-star offensive tackle Adrian Ealy says he plans on signing at Oklahoma, instead of LSU.

Tomorrow at 10 AM, we’ll find out if LSU safety Jamal Adams will turn pro or return for his senior season. It’s expected he’ll enter the NFL draft.

And ESPN announces Chris Berman will no longer host NFL Countdown as he’s taking on a more limited role with the network.

According to the NFL, TV viewership fell an average of eight percent this season. On average, one-point-four million fewer people watched a game this year than in 2015.

High school football news…Rodney Guin is the new head coach at Calvary Baptist. Guin was the Cavaliers wide receivers coach this past season and before that he was the head coach of Haughton for 16 years, where he helped Dak Prescott get a scholarship at Mississippi State.

The LSU Tigers men’s basketball team started playing defense in the second half and it paid off as the Bayou Bengals beat Missouri 88-77. The Tigers trailed 40-35 at halftime, but limited Mizzou to just one three-pointer in the second half and Antonio Blakeney heated up offensively for the Tigers and he finished with 24 points.

Grambling State snapped a three-game losing streak with a 69-67 win over winless Alabama A-and-M. Nigel Riberio had 31 points to lead the way. Southern lost to Texas Southern 80-73.

Tonight…Louisiana Tech looks to improve to 2-0 in Conference USA play when they host UTEP. The Miners are just 2-and-11 on the year.

In the Southland…Southeastern, McNeese and UNO are all off to 2-0 starts in league action and they are on the court tonight. The Lions are at Houston Baptist, the Cowboys host Sam Houston State and the Privateers are at Lamar. Northwestern State seeks its first Southland win tonight when the Demons visit U-I-W.

LSU trailed by 5 points at halftime and needed a spark. They got it from Antonio Blakeney who made his first five shots of the 2nd half and finished with a game-high 24 points to lead the Tigers to a 88-77 win over the Missouri Tigers. The win evens LSU’s SEC record to 1-1. 9-4 overall and snapped a two-game losing streak. LSU returns home to play Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in the Maravich Center. The Bulldogs lost their SEC opener on Tuesday to Alabama.

Elsewhere around the state in college hoops last night, after rallying from a nine point second half deficit, Grambling beat Alabama A&M by a score of 69-67 to snap a three game skid. The Tigers are now 1-1 in the SWAC, and 6-9 overall.

Tonight, Louisiana Tech hosts UTEP. Southeastern travels to face Houston Baptist. McNeese takes on Sam Houston State at home. Northwestern State is at UIW.

The LSU baseball team announced the hiring of former Tiger relief pitcher Nate Fury as the coordinator of baseball operations. The staff is now filled after Coach Paul Mainieri announced that pitching coach Alan Dunn has been promoted to associate head coach.

In the NBA, the Pelicans return home to take on the Atlanta Hawks in the Smootie King Center tonight. The Hawks enter the game as the league’s No. 5 defensive efficiency, allowing just 103 points per 100 possessions. Tip off is 7pm.

LSU linebacker Tashawn Bower has been named to the Associated Press All-Bowl Team after a dominating performance against Louisville in the Citrus Bowl. Arden Key received honorable mention honors.

Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge was vandalized this week according to the LSU Police Department. They say nothing was permanently damaged, and they are in the process of investigating the incident. There is currently no information being given on the extent of the damage, suspect or motive. The field was covered by a tarp on Wednesday.

Former Saints Kicker Morten Andersen along with ex-LSU stars Kevin Mawae and Alan Faneca are among the 15 finalists that could be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. It’s the fourth time Andersen has been a finalist, while Faneca and Mawae were among the best offensive lineman during their long careers in the NFL.

LSU says All-American Safety Jamal Adams will announce Friday at 10 AM on whether he’ll enter the NFL draft or come back for his senior season. If he decides to go pro, he could be a Top 15 pick in the first round.

Dunkin Donuts will have a bigger presence in Louisiana thanks to Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Marketing manager with Dunkin’ Donuts in Louisiana, Erin Sheeran, says with Brees backing, nearly 70 Dunkin Donut shops will open in the coming months…
cut 11 (09) “..to do”
Brees’ other business endeavors include being a Jimmy John’s franchisee and co-owning Walk-On’s Enterprises.

LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri announced that pitching coach Alan Dunn has been promoted to associate head coach. Dunn is entering his sixth season in the Tigers dugout and has produced 14 LSU pitchers that were selected in the Major League Draft. Mainieri has also announced that former Tiger pitcher Nate Fury has been named coordinator of baseball operations.

In basketball….the Atlanta Hawks will reportedly retire “Pistol” Pete Maravaich’s number 44 jersey that he wore for the NBA team from 1970-74. The Hawks franchise has also retired the jersey of another LSU legend, Bob Petit’s number nine hangs from their arena’s rafters.

The LSU men’s basketball team visits Missouri at 8 PM tonight. The Tigers will try to end a two-game losing streak. In those two losses against Wake Forest and Vanderbilt, each team hit 16 three-pointers and the Tigers allowed 110 and 96 points respectively. Mizzou is a bad basketball team as they have a five and seven record.

There are 15 finalists for the Class of 2017 NFL Hall of Fame and three of them have ties to Louisiana. Former Saints kicker Morten Anderson is a finalist for a fourth time. He spent his first 13 seasons in New Orleans and finished his 25 year career in the NFL as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Former LSU Tigers Alan Faneca and Kevin Mawae are also among the finalists. Faneca was named to the All-Pro team eight times and won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mawae played for 16 seasons in the NFL and started eight games. He blocked for 13 1,000 rushers during his career.

The LSU men’s basketball team is at Missouri tonight for an 8:00 tip-off. The Bayou Bengals are looking to snap a two game losing streak. In both games, they’ve been torched for 16 three-pointers. But they face a Missouri team that ranks 13th in the league in scoring and they have an overall record of 5-7.

In the SWAC tonight…Grambling is at a winless Alabama A-and-M team while Southern hosts Texas Southern. Both teams are 5-9 on the year.

The Pelicans are off tonight, but tomorrow the Atlanta Hawks make their only appearance in the Smoothie King Center. The Pels Buddy Hield was named the league’s Rookie of the Month for his performance in December. He averaged nearly 11 points a game and shot 48-percent from three-point territory

Three football players with ties to Louisiana are finalists to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. Former Saints kicker Morten Anderson and former LSU Tigers Alan Faneca and Kevin Mawae. It’s the fourth time Andersen has been a finalist. The fourth round pick in 1982 scored 2,544 points, most ever in NFL history. Faneca was named to the All-Pro team eight times. Mawae has been a semifinalist the last two years and named an All-Pro eight times. They’ll find out Super Bowl weekend whether they made the Hall of Fame or not.

Former LSU football player Seth Fruge says an SEC championship ring and other football mementos were stolen from his Shreveport home over the Christmas break. Fruge played on special teams as a walk-on for the Tigers from 2009 to 2013. In a facebook post, Fruge says the thief took his blood, sweat and tears he shared with his teammates.

The LSU men’s basketball team takes on Missouri tonight at 8 Pm in Columbia. The Tigers are trying to end a two-game losing streak. In those two losses against Wake Forest and Vanderbilt, each team hit 16 three-pointers against LSU and the Tigers allowed 110 and 96 points respectively.

The Pelicans are off tonight, they host Atlanta on Thursday. First-round draft pick Buddy Hield has been named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month. The 23-year-old averaged 11 points a game and shot 48-percent from three point territory during December.

Saints Coach Sean Payton says it’s his plan that he will definitely be back next season. Payton says he’s already started working on what the roster might look like in 2017…
cut 10 (07) “…I’m doing”
Payton made the comments on WWL Radio in New Orleans. There’s been speculation he could be traded to another team.

And as usual, quarterback Drew Brees is confident about what next year’s team can accomplish. Brees says the right guys are in the locker room to make New Orleans a Super Bowl contender again….
cut 18 (20) “…very near future”
Brees and the Saints just wrapped up a third consecutive 7-and-9 season.

Former LSU football player Seth Fruge says an SEC championship ring and other football mementos were stolen from his Shreveport home over the Christmas break. Fruge played on special teams as a walk-on for the Tigers from 2009 to 2013. In a facebook post, Fruge says the thief took his blood, sweat and tears he shared with his teammates.

In the NBA, the Pelicans had their four game winning streak snapped last night with a 90-82 loss to Cleveland. New Orleans plays again on Thursday night when they host Atlanta.

And the Pelicans first-round draft pick Buddy Hield has been named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month. The 23-year-old averaged 11 points a game and shot 48-percent from three point territory during the month of 2016.

Nicholls State has now four in a row. The Colonels defeated Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi 68-64 last night.

Southeastern Lousiana won its 14th straight home game yesterday, a 74-63 win over U-I-W.

Saints Coach Sean Payton says it’s his plan to definitely be back next season. That’s based on what he said during an appearance on WWL radio last night. The head coach says he’s got four more years on a contract in New Orleans and he plans on honoring that. There’s been speculation that the Saints are interested in trading Payton for a draft pick compensation or possibly a player.

Quarterback Drew Brees is coming off another great season. He threw for over 5,000 yards for a 5th time. He also tossed 37 touchdown passes and completed 70% of his passes. The 37-year-old signed a one-year contract extension prior to the start of 2016 season…
Cut 17 (15) “at a time”
Brees also says the right guys are in the locker room to make New Orleans a Super Bowl contender again.

A former LSU football player living in Shreveport says someone broke into his house over the Christmas Break and stole his SEC championship ring and Outback Bowl ring, along with a BCS National championship watch. Walk-on Seth Fruge played on special teams and was a member of the Tigers from 2009 to 2013.

Last night at the Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma defeated Auburn 35-19. SEC teams went 6-and-6 during the bowl season.

In the NBA, the Pelicans four-game winning streak ended last night as New Orleans was defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-82. The Cavs rallied back from a 10-point third quarter deficit.

In the Sun Belt…Freshman Justin Miller had 15 points as the Cajuns defeated Little Rock 69-52. ULM lost badly to Arkansas State 76-45.

Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana, UNO and McNeese are all off to 2-0 starts in the Southland Conference. The Colonels topped Texas A&M Corpus Christi 68-64 last night. The Lions upended Incarnate Word 74-63 and the Cowboys knocked off Stephn F Austin 69-54.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said on his coach’s show last night that he definitely plans to be back next season. There’s been reports that the Saints and Los Angeles Rams are considering a trade that would send Payton to the West Coast and the Saints would receive draft or player compensation in return. But Payton said last night he plans on honoring the five-year contract he signed in 2016.

Quarterback Drew Brees has said that reports of Payton leaving have been completely made up and said it comes with the territory when you don’t make the playoffs…
cut 16 (14) “…speculation”
And Brees says his plan going forward is to play out the contract he signed in September that keeps him with the Black and Gold through 2017.
LSU has lost a verbal commitment from a linebacker out of Alabama. Three-star prospect Monty Rice now plans on attending Georgia as a mid-year enrolee.

Last night in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma defeated Auburn 35-19 as the Sooners won their 10th straight. The SEC is 6-and-6 in bowl games this year and Alabama still has to play Clemson in the national championship.

The Pelicans took on the World Champs last night as Cleveland upended New Orleans 90-82. LeBron James had 26 points for the Cavs, who have won 13 of their last 15. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for New Orleans. Anthony Davis had 20 points and 17 rebonds in a losing effort.

UL Lafayette looked good on ESPN Two last nigh as the Cajuns rocked Little Rock 69-52. Justin Miller had 15 points

Elsewhere…ULM fell to Arkansas State 76-45. In the Southland, Nicholls, McNeese State and Southeastern Lousiiana were all winners.

The Falcons beat the Saints Sunday in the regular season finale for the two meaning Atlanta clinches the two-seed in the NFC playoffs and a first round bye. The 38-32 loss drops the Saints to 7-9 for the season. It’s reported that New Orleans Coach Sean Payton met with GM Mickey Loomis after the game to discuss the coach’s future with the team. Sources also say the Rams are expected to ask New Orleans for permission to speak with Payton about the vacancy in Los Angeles.

NFL analyst Mike Detillier says changes need to be made with the team in the off season, but not much on offense…:
CUT 12 (10) “right tackle”
He says New Orleans needs a top pass rusher and definitely a new special teams coach — and more to avoid yet another losing season.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl kicks off tonight in the Mercedes Benz Superdome as the Auburn Tigers take on the Oklahoma Sooners. Chief Operating Officer for the bowl, Jeff Hundley, says ticket sales weren’t as great as they have been in the past, as attention is shifting away from these bowl games…:
CUT 9 (06) “great tradition”
Kickoff is at 7:30.

The Citrus Bowl was a fun one to watch for LSU fans as the No. 20 Tigers beat No. 13 Louisville 29-9. LSU running back Derrius Guice was the MVP of the game, finishing with 26 carries for 138 yards. Tigers defensive lineman Davon Godchaux will forego his senior season and enter the NFL draft, he announced on social media Sunday.

In college hoops, Louisiana Tech pounced Southern Miss Sunday 79-55. Tulane fell to Cincinnati 92-56.

In the NBA, tonight the Pelicans face the Cavs on the road for a 6pm tip-off.