The LSU football team finished 16th in the final AP Top 25 ranking of the season. And running back Leonard Fournette is the NCAA rushing champion as he rushed for 163 yards a contest. He’s the first player in LSU history to lead the nation in rushing.

D-1 Baseball came out with its preseason rankings today….LSU is ranked seventh, while UL Lafayette is ranked 18th.

The NCAA handed down additional penalties against UL Lafayette today as a result of a former assistant coach who designed a scheme that resulted in fraudulent college entrance exam scores for five recruits. The school was fined five-thousand dollars, it losses a handful of scholarships over the next two years and it may have to vacate some victories. The voice of the Cajuns, Jay Walker says NCAA cleared head coach Mark Hudspeth of wrongdoing, but…
cut 14 (06) “…responsible for it”

The Pelicans Anthony Davis is questionable for tonight’s game against the Lakers. Davis missed Sunday’s loss to the Clippers because of a back injury. Also the team has announced that Quincy Pondexter will miss the rest of the season because he’ll need surgery on his left knee.

The LHSAA has handed down its penalties against Amite and Bogalusa High Schools for being involved in a bench clearing brawl during football playoff game in November. Both schools were fined 25-hundred dollars and when they play each other in football in October, fans will not be allowed at the game. LHSAA assistant director Keith Alexander says they wanted to send the message that behavior like this will not be tolerated…
cut 18 (11) “…our properly”

And in recruiting…St. James Quarterback Lowell Narcisse has decommitted from Auburn. He would be a good get for LSU’s 2017 class.

The 2015 college football season came to a close last night, with Alabama’s 45 to 40 win over Clemson in the national championship game. It’s the fifth championship for former LSU Coach Nick Saban, putting him one behind Bear Bryant.

In the final AP rankings, LSU came in at number 16, while running back Leonard Fournette ended the year as the nation’s leading rushing as he averaged 163 yards a game. Fournette is the first running back from the SEC to be declared the rushing champion since 1949.

In other football news…UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire is coming back for his senior season. Former ULM football coach Todd Berry has been named the new executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. St. James Quarterback Lowell Narcisse has decommitted from Auburn. He would be a good get for LSU’s 2017 class.

UL Lafayette has been placed on two years probation and will lose three scholarships for next season and the following season as a result of a former assistant coach, who violated NCAA rules by arranging fradulent entrance exam scores for five prospects. The school has already vacated victories from 2011 season and will have to do the same if the players involved played for the team from the 2012-2014 seasons.

When Amite and Bogalusa play each other in football next season, fans will not be allowed in the stands. It’s part of the punishment handed down by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association as a result of a fight that broke out between the two teams towards the end of their playoff game last November. LHSAA assistant director Keith Alexander says the 2016 Amite-Bogalusa game will be considered a closed compeition…
cut 17 (09) “..the play”
The two schools were each fined 25-hundred dollars and placed on administrative probation for all sports for the 2016-17 season.

When Amite and Bogalusa High School play each other in football this October, their fans will not be allowed to attend. That’s the result of the penalties handed down by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. LHSAA Assistant Director Keith Alexander says the two schools were involved in a bench clearing brawl towards the end of their playoff game last November.

cut 16 (10) “the bench”

Alexander says both schools were fined 500-dollars and two-thousand dollars for not reporting the incident to the LHSAA and both schools will be placed on administrative probation on all sports for the 2016-2017 season.

In college football, Alabama scored 24 fourth quarter points to to defeat Clemson 45-40 and win the college football national championship. The win gives the Crimson Tide their fourth national title since 2009.

UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire is returning to the Ragin Cajuns for his senior season. McGuire is a three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and is one of two active players in college football with three-thousand yards rushing and one-thousand yards receiving.

Former ULM Coach Todd Berry has been named the new executive director of the American Football Coaches Association.

In college hoops, Sam Houston State beat Southeastern Louisiana 70-63, Incarnate Word got past UNO 71-68, Southern held off Jackson State 74-66, and Alcorn State rolled over Grambling 69-53.

Tonight, Tulane is on the road to take on South Florida and Northwestern State is looking for their first Southland Conference win at Abilene Christian.

Pelicans star Anthony Davis is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Lakers. Davis suffered a back contusion in the Pel’s loss Friday against Indiana and missed Sunday’s overtime loss to the Clippers.

We’re about three and a half weeks away from national signing day and LSU according to 24-7 sports has the top recruiting class in the country when it comes to football. Recruiting analyst Shea Dixon says the Tigers coaching staff are looking to add to their 20 commitments…
cut 18 (13) “….John Curtis”
National Signing day is February third.

UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire is coming back for his senior season. McGuire is a three-time All-Sun Belt selection and is one of two active players in college football with three-thousand yards rushing and one-thousand yards passing.

Former ULM Coach Todd Berry has been named the new executive director of the American Football Coaches Association.

Former Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is now coaching for his brother, Rex Ryan, in Buffalo. Rob will be an assistant head coach for the defense. It’s the first time since 1995 that the Ryan brothers served on the same staff.

Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis went to instagram to announce he underwent a third surgery. In the preseason, he had a hip-sports herina procedure and had another surgery to repair the labrum in his hip during the season and it appears he needed another one after playing in just six games in 2015.

Pelicans star Anthony Davis is listed as questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Lakers. Davis suffered a back contusion in the loss on Friday against Indiana and missed yesterday’s overtime loss to the Clippers.

And the LSU gymnastics squad shares a number one ranking with Michigan. The Tigers beat the previous number one ranked team in the country, Oklahoma on Saturday. LSU competes in Las Vegas on Thursday.

There’s about three and a half weeks left before national signing day and LSU has the number one ranked recruitingt class in the nation. Recruiting analyst Shea Dixon says LSU’s highest ranked commitment is Saivion Smith a five-star cornerback from Florida…
cut 17 (15) “…of Houston”
Dixon says there’s still time to add to this star studded class, as LSU is trying to get verbal commitments from two highly recruited players out of the New Orleans area, cornerback Kristian Fulton from Rummel and offensive tackle Will Allen from John Curtis.

Tonight it’s the college football national championship game as Alabama takes on Clemson. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is seeking his fifth national championship.

The Pelicans began a three-game road trip on the West Coast with a 114 to 111 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Davis did not play for New Orleans as he’s suffering from a back injury that he suffered in a loss to Indiana. Jrue Holiday led the way for the Pelicans last night with 29 points, Chris Paul had 25 for the Clippers who won their ninth straight. New Orleans is staying in L-A as they’ll play the Lakers tomorrow night.

In college basketball…LSU will look to rebound on Wednesday night when they play Ole Miss. The Tigers lost to Florida on Saturday. Louisiana Tech will play in Florida this week as they’ll visit FIU on Thursday and Florida Atlantic on Saturday. ULM had two tough losses in Arkansas last week, this week they’ll face Georgia State on Thursday and Georgia Southern on Saturday.

In college baseball news…LSU pitcher Alex Lange has been named a Perfect Game USA first-team all-american, while outfielder Jake Fraley is on the third team.

There’s still three and a half weeks left before national signing day and LSU is in position to reel in the number one football recruiting class. The Tigers have 20 verbal commitments and according to 24-7 sports, LSU has the top ranked class. Recruiting analyst Shea Dixon says LSU has received verbal pledges from some of the top players in the country in recent days

cut 16 (19) “suit there”

Dixon says LSU’s highest ranked commitment to this point is Saivion Smith a five-star cornerback from Florida.

LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons recorded his 11th double-double of the season, but the Tigers couldn’t get past Florida, falling 68-62. Simmons scored 28 points and pulled down 17 rebounds in the losing effort. The Tigers are now 2-1 in SEC play and look to bounce back Wednesday when they host Ole Miss.

Dayon Griffin and Alex Hamilton combined for 55 points to lead Louisiana Tech to a 93-90 overtime win over Charlotte. Griffin was 7 of 8 from three-point range in scoring a career high 28 points. Hamilton added 27 as the Bulldogs improve to 2-1 in Conference USA. Tech will play at Florida International Thursday night.

In the Sun Belt: Arkansas-Little Rock held off ULM 58-53 and Arkansas State edged UL-Lafayette 71-69.

In the Southland Conference: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi defeated McNeese State 77-68, Nicholls State squeezed past Abilene Christian 63-62, it was Incarnate Word over Northwestern State 70-56, Houston Baptist beat Southeastern Louisiana 77-58, and Sam Houston State held off UNO 73-70.

The Los Angeles Clippers slipped by the Pelicans last night 114-111 in overtime. Seven Clippers scored in double figures led by Chris Paul’s 25. The Pels Jrue Holiday led all scorers with 29 as New Orleans played without star Anthony Davis who sat out the game with a bruised back.

There were reports that Mississippi State had offered its defensive coordinator position to LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, but Fox Sports college football insider Bruce Feldman says that’s the not case and Orgeron really wants to stay at LSU. Orgeron has received a lot of praise for how he helped improve the Tigers defensive line this past season.

We were expecting to hear from the NCAA today about possible sanctions against UL Lafayette because of alleged recruiting violations that involved former assistant coach David Saunders. But the NCAA says they’ve postponed the release of their findings and they did not disclose when they may provide that information.

Former LSU Quarterback Bert Jones received the call he was waiting on. As he learned this morning that he’s been elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. The Ruston Rifle finished fourth in the 1972 Heisman Trophy Race.

The LSU men’s basketball team leaves for Gainesville today where they’ll play the Florida Gators tomorrow afternoon. The Tigers beat Florida twice last year, including an 18-point victory in Gainesville. Coach Johnny Jones says it’s not easy to win on the Gators home court…
cut 17 (20) “…extremely talented”

Louisiana Tech’s 39-game home winning streak is over. Old Dominion upset the Bulldogs 56-53 in the Thomas Assembly Center last night. Tech shot just 34-percent from the field.

UL Lafayette shot 32-percent from the field in a 77-57 defeat to Arkansas Little Rock. And ULM dropped its first Sun Belt game of the season as the Warhawks lost to Arkansas State 68-65 in overtime.

The LSU Tigers look to keep their good play going on Saturday when they visit Florida in SEC hoops action. The Tigers are 2-0 in league play and they’ve won five of their last six. It was six games ago, when sophomore Craig Victor became eligible to play after transferring in from Arizona State. Coach Johnny Jones says Victor has provided a boost…

cut 16 (10) “lot of areas”

Tipoff’s at 12:30 and you can watch on CBS.

Last night in the Sun Belt Conference, Arkansas-Little Rock trounced UL-Lafayette 77-57. Shawn Long scored 16 as the Ragin Cajuns fall to 5-7 and 1-2 in league play.

Arkansas State edged ULM 68-65 in overtime. Majok Deng scored 26 for the Warhawks. ULM faces Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday.

Louisiana Tech’s 39-game home winning streak was snapped last night by Old Dominion 56-53.

Could LSU lose defensive line coach Ed Orgeron to another school in the SEC West? It’s been reported Mississippi State has made an aggressive offer to Orgeron to be the Bulldogs new defensive coordinator. Orgeron just completed his first season at LSU, which saw its D-Line play improve.

LSU will play Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana in football in 2018. The Tigers will play the Lions for the first time since 1949 on September 8th of that year. The Bulldogs will visit LSU on October 20th. Rice and Miami of Florida are the other two non-conference games in 2018.

Louisiana Tech’s other non-conference opponents in 2018 are South Alabama, Mississippi State and they’ll host Bowling Green.

A couple of other football notes…former LSU wide receiver and Neville star John Diarse has transferred to TCU. And Tim Detillier is retiring as the head coach of the Lutcher Bulldogs. Detillier led his alma mater to four state championships on the high school level, including this past season.

Saints Coach Sean Payton will be back next season, but who will be his defensive coordinator? Based on Payton’s statements, it sounds like Dennis Allen, who took over for Rob Ryan during the season, will likely be back for the 2016 campaign…
cut 30 (16) “…he did”
Payton will have to find a new defensive backs coach. Wesley McGriff has been hired as Auburn’s co-defensive coordinator as he’ll share those duties with Kevin Steele.

Could LSU lose defensive line coach Ed Orgeron leave for another school in the SEC West. It’s been reported Mississippi State has made an aggressive offer to Orgeron to be the Bulldogs new defensive coordinator. Orgeron just completed his first season at LSU, which saw its D-Line play improve.

LSU will play Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana in football in 2018. The Tigers will play the Lions on September 8th that year for the first time since 1949. The Bulldogs will visit LSU on October 20th. Rice and Miami of Florida are the other two non-conference games in 2018.

For Louisiana Tech, there other non-conference opponents in 2018 are South Alabama, Mississippi State and they’ll host Bowling Green.

A couple of other football notes…former LSU wide receiver and Neville star John Diarse has transferred to TCU. And Tim Detillier is retiring as the head coach of the Lutcher Bulldogs. He led his alma mater to four state championships on the high school level, including this past season.

So we now know Sean Payton is staying on as the head coach of the Saints. So what’s it going to take for New Orleans to get back to the playoffs after missing out on postseason play the last two seasons….
cut 16 (11) “…focus on”
Payton says interim defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will likely return next season.

Payton will have to find a new quarterbacks coach. Mike Neu is reportedly taking the job as the head coach at Ball State.

In the NFL….Tampa Bay has fired Lovie Smith after two seasons. Former Northeast Louisiana University quarterback and Calvary Baptist Coach Doug Pederson will reportedly interview for the head coaching job with the Eagles.

And the Bronocos have announced that New Orleans native Peyton Manning will start at quarterback for them in the playoffs.

LSU left tackle Jerald Hawkins has announced he’s leaving school early to enter the NFL draft. Hawkins is from Baldwin and he’s expected to be selected in the second or third round.

College basketball tonight…Louisiana Tech hosts Old Dominion inside the Thomas Assembly Center. The Bulldogs have won 39 straigh home games which is one shy from tying the program record. Tech lost by 19 points to Old Dominion last year.