NBA superstar Pelicans center Anthony Davis says he’s been playing with a torn labrum in his shoulder for three years and will take the rest of the season off due to surgery. This also means he won’t go to the summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. Davis says he isn’t looking forward to being off the court but something needs to be done…:
Cut 16 (10) “next season”
He says the hardest thing about taking this time off is he’ll miss representing his country in the Olympics. The Pels will face the Heat tonight at 7pm in the Smoothie King Center.

LSU freshman star Ben Simmons made it official in a published report by ESPN Monday, that he’s decided to enter the NBA draft. Simmons will mostly likely be the number one overall pick in June.

In college baseball, Louisiana Tech will take a short trip down I-20 and face in-state rival ULM tonight in Monroe.

Also in in-state action, the UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns take on No. 10 LSU in the Annual Wally Pontiff Jr Classic at Zephyr Field in Metairie. The Tigers lead the all-time series with a 52-24 record having won the last three meetings. The game can be seen live on Cox Sports Television. Both teams are coming off a weekend series loss.

Southeastern visits Jackson State today. Grambling hosts Jarvis Christian. South Alabama is at UNO. Tulane takes on Southern Miss.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees told a radio host on Baton Rouge Monday that he’s confident a contract extension with the Black and Gold will hammer out, and restated that he has no desire to leave the team for the remainder of his career. The timetable for when it’ll happen remains uncertain, Brees said.

A newspaper in Athens reports that New Orleans Saints cornerback Damian Swann was arrested Friday and charged with reckless driving and speeding for allegedly pushing the 100 mile per hour mark when passing another vehicle in a 65.

LSU’s Ben Simmons has told Head Coach Johnny Jones he is forgoing his remaining college eligibility and he’ll enter the NBA Draft. Simmons will most likely be the number one overall pick in June. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says statistically, Simmons had one of the best seasons in college basketball history, but he was not able to lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament…:
cut 15 (09) ” he would”
Coach Jones says Simmons brought a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm to the team and did an outstanding job of making those around him better.

Pelicans star Anthony Davis told reporters he’s facing four to five months away from the basketball court as he’ll need surgery on his knee and shoulder. A-D says he’s been playing with a torn labrum since his rookie year.

The LSU and UL Lafayette baseball teams will face off against each other tomorrow in the Wally Pontiff Classic, which will be played in Metaire. The Tigers avoided a sweep to Alabama, by scoring six runs in the eighth inning to beat the Crimson Tide seven to five. Kramer Robertson drove in the eventual game winning run by lifting a shallow pop fly to right field, which the outfielder lost in the sun. Kramer says the Tigers will take the big break…
cut 18 (03) “…going forward”
UL Lafayette is also coming off a weekend series loss as they dropped two of three to Little Rock.

Cowboys senior right-hander Kaleb Fontenot has been named Southland Pitcher of the Week. Fontenot pitched a complete game shuout on Friday as McNeese blanked Incarnate Word four to nothing. Fontenot struck out seven on the night.

Southeastern Louisiana is in first place in the Southland after sweeping Abilene Christian. The Lions are 6-0 in league play. Two games ahead of UNO who is 4-2.

Not a surprise to hear that LSU forward Ben Simmons is declaring for the NBA draft. That’s according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, who spoke with Simmons last night. The native of Australia could be the top pick in the June NBA draft, but Duke’s Brandon Ingram will also get some consideration from whatever team that gets the first pick.

The SEC was nearly shutout from having a team in the Sweet 16. But Texas A-and-M rallied back from a 12-point deficit with 44 seconds left in regulation and went on to beat Northern Iowa 92-88 in double overtime.

The Pelicans Anthony Davis is out for the rest of the season, because of shoulder and knee injuries. He’ll likely need surgery, which means he might not be able to play for the US Olympic Team in this summer’s Rio games. Without Davis, the Pels still defeated the Clippers 109-105 last night. Jrue Holiday had 22 points.

After losing two out of three to Alabama, LSU has fallen out of the top ten in the Baseball America poll. The Tigers dropped six spots to number 13. But the Bayou Bengals got a confidence building come from behind victory over the Crimson Tide yesterday. The Tigers scored six runs in the eighth to win seven to five. Brody Wofford had a key hit, with two-run pinch hit single…
cut 17 (09) “…make it happen”
LSU faces UL Lafayette tomorrow night in the Wally Pontiff Classic at Zephyr Field in Metairie. The Cajuns fell out of the top 25 in the Baseball America poll after losing their series with Little Rock.

But the UL Lafayette basketball team will host UC Irvine in the quarterfinals of the College-Insider-dot-com tournament. It will take place at 7:15 on Wednesday. Before that game, the Cajuns women’s basketball team will face Youngstown State in the semifinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational.

The sixth ranked LSU baseball team busted out of a hitting slump by scoring six runs in the 8th inning to beat Alabama 7-5 to avoid a three-game sweep. The Tigers needed that inning after getting swept in a doubleheader on Saturday. Coach Paul Mainieri is pleased his team found a way to win the series finale..:
Cut 16 (16) “at bats“
The Tigers take on UL-Lafayette next tomorrow.

The Ragin Cajuns fell Sunday to Little Rock 7-1. Louisiana Tech edged UAB 5-4. Tulane beat Texas 5-3. Southeastern got the win over ACU 9-7. Nicholls State was shutout by Texas A&M-CC 8-0. ULM gets Dallas Baptist 6-3. McNeese State fell to Incarnate Word 8-7. Grambling loses to Texas Southern 21-14.

It’s expected the legislature will get involved in the public versus private school split that’s impacted high school sports. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot has filed a bill that attempts to reverse the LHSAA’s decision to split its postseason in several sports. Talbot’s bill would prevent a high school from receiving state funds, if they participate in an association with a split postseason…:
Cut 8 (07) “A,B and C “
Schools around the state have been invited to join a new high school sports association that would NOT have a split playoff system.

The cost of Saints season tickets is going up. It’ll be the first time since 2014. The team says season ticket holders that it will be raising prices for around half of the seats with increases of no more than $5 per game.

The Pelicans Anthony Davis’ season is officially over, according to his head coach. The New Orleans’ star will sit out the team’s final 14 games after sustaining knee and shoulder injuries. The Pels beat the Clippers yesterday 105-109 Sunday.

An SEC west battle in baseball between LSU and Alabama begins today with a doubleheader, starting at two PM. Game two is scheduled for 6:30. These two teams tried to play last night, but it was rained out.

Also rained out…16th ranked UL Lafayette and Little Rock. The two teams will play a doubleheader today at two PM at the Tigue.

ULM’s three-game series with 26th ranked Dallas Baptist has been shifted from Warhawk Field to DBU’s Horner Ballpark. The two teams will play a doubleheader today at 3 PM.

La Tech lost its conference opener with UAB, seven to nothing as the Blazers scored six runs in the first inning.

Southeastern won its sixth straight as the Lions rallied from a three to nothing deficit to beat Abilene Christian four to three. Northwestern scored seven runs in the 9th inning to beat Sam Houston seven to five. Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi edged Nicholls five to four and McNeese blanked Incarnate Word 4-0.

The biggest upsets in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament involved teams from Conference USA and the Southland. 15th seeded Middle Tennessee shocked the Michigan State Spartans 90-81. 14th seeded Stephen F Austin won easily over 3rd seeded West Virginia 70-56.

UL Lafayette faces Furman in a second round CIT matchup today. Tip-off is at 1 PM. Kasey Shepherd is coming off a career-high 28 point performance in a Round one win over Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi. While Furman rallied back from ten down in the final two minutes to beat ULM on Monday.

The Pelicans lost to Portland 117 to 112 last night as the Trail Blazers Damian Lillard had 33 points. New Orleans Anthony Davis did not play in the second half because of a sore left knee. The Pels have lost nine of their last 11 and they’ll host the Clippers tomorrow.

The Saints will wear a special patch on their uniforms in 2016 to commemorate their 50th season as an NFL franchise.

Conference play begins tonight for the LSU baseball team as they host Alabama for the start of a three-game series. Alex Lange will be on the mound for the Tigers, while Chris Reid will start at third base for the injured O’ Neal Lochridge, who has a stress fracture in his back. Coach Paul Mainieri says he likes what he’s seen from Reid a freshman from Baton Rouge…
cut 18 (20) “…really well”
Alabama has not been good at the plate, they are last in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage and runs scored.

Conference play also begins tonight for Louisiana Tech. The 9-and-4 Bulldogs are at 6-and-11 UAB. First pitch at Regions Field begins at 6:30.

The 16th ranked UL Lafayette baseball team begins the home portion of its Sun Belt schedule when they host Little Rock in a three-game series. The Cajuns have won three of their last four and they’ll start sophomore left-hander Gunner Leger on the mound. He’s 1-1 with a 1.52 ERA.

Severe weather in the Monroe area has led to the postponement of ULM’s home game against 26th ranked Dallas Baptist. There’s no word on when this game will be made up.

The LSU Board of Supervisors approves a new three-year contract for LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. The 55-year-old will make 300-thousand dollars less than he did last year as his annual salary for 2016 is one-point-two million. It will rise slightly over the next couple of years.

If you had Michigan State winning the NCAA Tournament, you might as well tear up your bracket. Conference USA’s Middle Tennessee upset the second-seeded Spartans 90-81. The Blue Raiders are coached by former LSU assistant Kermit Davis.

The sixth ranked LSU baseball team begins SEC play tonight against Alabama. Coach Paul Mainieri has made a change to his weekend rotation. Last year’s national freshman of the year, Alex Lange, has been starting the second game of the three-game sets, but tonight he’ll get the ball to start the series and he’s looking forward to it…:
Cut 16 (16) “to that“
First pitch is scheduled for 7pm.

The ULM baseball team will play its final non-conference weekend series of the season as it welcomes No. 26 Dallas Baptist to Monroe for three games starting today.

As former LSU and Saints star and current Black and Gold radio analyst Hokie Gajan battles cancer, he suffered a setback in fight and had to undergo an emergency surgery after a tumor in his thigh caused his femur bone to fracture.

The New Orleans Saints have signed former Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis (Laura-nie-dus). The 2009 second round draft pick was the Rams’ all time leading tackler in 2015, and indicated he was shocked at being released by the team in February due to salary cap purging. Sources say New Orleans hosted free agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley on Thursday. On another Saints note, the Black and Gold is on the verge of its 50th season, and to commemorate the big milestone, players will wear a special “50th Season” patch on their uniforms next season.

LSU wrapped up the first round of spring practice Thursday, and Leonard Fournette returned after missing Tuesday’s drills with a minor injury. Coach Les Miles said the team needs some correction and they aren’t there yet, but they have a lot of talent and will be better. He added that he told players to practice moderation during their spring break and have fun at that rate.

The Saints have inked free agent linebacker James Laurinatis to a three-year contract. Laurinatis spent his first seven seasons in St. Louis, where he never missed a start. But he’s coming off a season where he didn’t perform well and it’s unclear if he’ll play in the middle or as an outside linebacker.

New Orleans is not done rebuilding its defense. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the Saints plan to meet with free-agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley. The former first-round pick could help a Saints run defense that was ranked next to last in 2015. The Eagles and Jets are also reportedly interested in the former Auburn star.

Former LSU and Saints star and current Black and Gold radio analyst Hokie Gajan has suffered a setback in his battle against cancer. Gajan had to undergo an emergency surgery after a tumor in his thigh caused his femur bone to fracture. A go fund me page has been established to help with Gajan’s mounting medical bills.

Details of LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s new contract have been released. Cameron’s three-year deal is worth 3.75 million dollars for the next three years, which is a slight decline in what he made in his last contract. Tigers defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Ed Orgeron, gets a boost in pay and he’ll make 600-thousand dollars a year.

Schools in the LHSAA are not satisfied with the current state of affairs in Louisiana, so Paul Rainwater and others are proposing a new option, the Louisiana High School Sports Cooperative. Rainwater says it will take 60 schools’ commitments to form a new organization, and they have extended the offer to schools throughout the state. Rainwater says, at the end of the day, it’s all for the kids…:
cut 30 (04) “all about”
Schools would pay a one-time membership fee of 15-thousand dollars to join the LHSSC and the new high school sports organization could begin play in 2016-17.

The Saints have been busy the last 24 hours trying to improve their defense and special teams units. The Black and Gold have signed 29-year-old linebacker James Laurinatis, who has has been a productive and durable player for the St. Louis Rams since he was drafted seven years ago. New Orleans has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with safety Jamarca Sanford. Sanford played in all 16 games for New Orleans last season. New Orleans has also agreed to a three-year deal with free agent linebacker Nate Stupar, who was a special teams standout for the Falcons.

Details of LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s new contract have been released. Cameron’s three-year deal is worth 3.75 million dollars for the next three years, which is a slight decline in what he made in his last contract. Tigers defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, Ed Orgeron, gets a boost in pay and he’ll make 600-thousand dollars a year.

The Southern Jaguars have been boosted from the NCAA Tournament after losting to Holy Cross 59-55. The Jaguars were just 3-of-20 from three-point land.

The Ragin Cajuns won their first round CIT matchup as the Cajuns defeated Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi 96-72.

The Pelicans snapped a four-game losing streak with a 123-108 win over Sacramento. Ryan Anderson had 29 points, while Anthony Davis had 27 points.

There are many high schools displeased with the direction the LHSAA is heading, because of the public-private split in the postseason. Former Bobby Jindal staffer, Paul Rainwater, has sent out a letter to schools seeking their interest in starting another organization and holding their championship events at LSU….
cut 11 (07) “…out costs’
Rainwater says they need at least 60 schools to commit.

Southern will face Holy Cross tonight in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Crusaders tallest player in their starting five is six-foot-seven center Malachi Alexander. Jaguars Coach Roman Banks believes they can dominate the paint tonight…
cut 17 (13) “…good at”
The game will be shown on the True TV channel at 5:40.

The Ragin Cajuns host the Islanders of Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi in the first round of the CIT. A-and-M Corpus Christi is coming off a loss to Stephen F Austin in the Southland Conference Championship. The Cajuns are led by Sun Belt player of the Shawn Long.

The Saints ahve signed linebacker Nate Stupar to a three-year contract. He’s been a special teams standout for the Atlanta Falcons.

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley delivered some harsh criticism against LSU’s Ben Simmons. Barkley said on the Dan Patrick Show that the freshman just went through the motions this past season. Simmons is expected to announce he’s entering the NBA Draft. Tigers Coach Johnny Jones is very complimentary of his superstar player….
cut 20 (20) “…program”
Simmons was named the national freshman of the year by the United States Basketball Writers Association.

The 7th ranked LSU Tigers will host UNO tonight in baseball. The Privateers are led by former LSU star Blake Dean, who is in his first season head coach. Dean has the Privateers off to a great start, they are 13-3.