Southern University takes on Holy Cross tonight in the NCAA Tournament. Both teams are 16-seeds as they meet in the First Four Round. Jaguars coach Roman Banks says they would like to push the tempo tonight…:
Cut 16 (12) “get em rotating“
Tipoff is scheduled for about 5:40.

LSU men’s basketball Johnny Jones stands by his decision to reject an opportunity to play in the NIT. Jones says a season-ending injury to Keith Hornsby and an illness to shooting guard Antonio Blakeney would have made it a tough to put a competitive team on the court…:
Cut 18 (16) “popular decision”

In the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com tournament last night, ULM dropped a heart breaker to Furman 58-57 at the buzzer. ULM shot 11-22 from the field and 5-10 from three-point range in the first half, but were held to a 10-31 clip from the field and 0-8 from beyond-the-arc in the second.

Today in the CIT, UL-Lafayette takes on Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

In college baseball, Nicholls State gets the win over Tulane Tuesday 2-1. McNeese State trumped ULM 11-2. Southeastern beat South Alabama 9-2. Grambling fell to Arkansas 14-4.

LSU will start junior right hander Alden Artwright tonight against UNO at the Box.

The No.4 LSU softball team set numerous school records last night after beating Louisiana Tech, 30-8. The Tigers got 30 runs on 27 hits and 48 at-bats which — both new program best marks as the team exploded for 15 in the 6th inning alone.

In the NBA, tonight the Pelicans take on the Kings in California.

Southern University is in Dayton, Ohio, getting ready for its NCAA Tournament game against Holy Cross tomorrow night. Jaguars Coach Roman Banks says they are thrilled to have the opportunity to play in the First Four Round…
cut 30 (16) “…perform well”
Tip-off tomorrow is at 5:40.

ULM plays tonight in the opening round of the CIT as they visit Furman, who is 18-15 on the year and 13-and-1 at home. The Warhawks have played well on the road lately, winning five straight. It’s the first ever meeting between the two teams on the hardwood. Tip-off is at six o’ clock.

UL Lafayette is in the same tournament and they’ll host Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi tomorrow night.

LSU Coach Johnny Jones met with reporters today to explain why the Tigers decided against playing in the NIT. He says the injury to Keith Hornsby and an illness to Antonio Blakeney would have made it tough for them to put a team on the floor that represents the LSU Tigers…
cut 29 (22) “…for our team”
Jones says the team is disappointed they didn’t play well enough to make the NCAA Tournament and he takes full responsibiblity for that.

In the NBA…the Pelicans are off tonight, but they are in Sacramento tomorrow night after losing to Golden State last night.

In college baseball around the state…McNeese State hosts ULM, Southeastern takes on South Alabama in Hammond and Tulane visits Nicholls State.

The Pelicans were no match last night for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry had 27 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Warriors won their 60th game of the season by beating New Orleans 125 to 107. The Pelicans continue their road trip on Wednesday when they visit Sacramento.

The ULM men’s basketball is in Greenville, South Carolina for its CIT Opening Round matchup with Furman. The Warhawks have won five in a row on the road, while Furman is 13-and-1 at home this season.

Louisiana Tech will participate in the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament. It will be an eight-team tournament that will begin on March 28th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs first game is a week from Monday against East Tennessee State at 10:30 PM.

Southern leaves today for its opening round matchup with Holy Cross tomorrow night in Dayton, Ohio. The Crusaders are 14-19, but are in the tournament because they won the Patriot League Tournament.

At LSU’s annual pro day Monday, players put on an impressive showing as linebacker Deion Jones ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and safety Jalen Mills a 4.48. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis was in attendance there, and said free agency is not over for New Orleans. He wouldn’t comment on a possible contract extension with Drew Brees.

In college hoops news, it’s reported that LSU freshman star Ben Simmons has already decided to sign with an agent for his pro career. Speculation increased that Simmons would leave college to enter the NBA draft after the Tigers’ ended their season on Sunday evening.

Tulane has fired their men’s basketball coach, Ed Conroy. He finished off his 6th season on Saturday in a loss to Memphis in the semifinals of the American Men’s Basketball Championship.

Louisiana Tech isn’t done with basketball as the Bulldogs will take part in the inaugural Vegas 16 which is an 8 team, single elimination three day event. It’s slated for March 28-30 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The ULM men’s basketball team begins their post-season today as the Warhawks travel to face Furman in the opening round of the CIT.

Also in the CIT, UL-Lafayette will host Southland Conference opponent Texas A&M Corpus Christ tomorrow.

In the NCAA tournament, Southern takes on Holy Cross Wednesday.

Former LSU basketball coach Trent Johnson was fired Monday by TCU after 4 seasons.

In college baseball, McNeese State will host ULM in a pair of mid-week contests today and tomorrow in Lake Charles. They school’s athletic department says it will be collecting canned goods during the games for those affected by floods in Northeast and Southwest Louisiana.

Tulane is at Nicholls, Grambling is at Arkansas, South Alabama is at Southeastern.

Lions left-hander Kyle Cedotal has been named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week. The senior from Denham Springs carried a perfect game into the 8th inning of SLU’s conference opener against UIW.

In the NBA the Pelicans fall to the Warriors 125-107 Monday night. New Orleans plays at Sacramento on Wednesday.

The LSU men’s basketball team has raised the white flag. After an embarassing 33-point loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament, the Tigers have decided not to play in any postseason tournament after failing to make the NCAA Tourney. Coach Johnny Jones says the Tigers will utilize this time to get better and start preparations for next season. That next season will most likely not include Ben Simmons, who reportedly plans to sign with the same agent that represents LeBron James.

Southern is the only team from Louisiana, who will play in the NCAA Tournament. The SWAC Conference Tournament Champions will play Holy Cross on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio in the First Four round.

ULM will travel to Furman for an opening round matchup in the College-Insider-dot-com Tournament. The game is Tuesday at six PM.

UL Lafayette is also in the C-I-T and the Cajuns will host Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Wednesday.

The LSU baseball Tigers upped their record to 12-3 on the season with a 10-6 win over Ball State. Michael Papierski drove in three runs and Jake Fraley had three hits. John Valek was the winning pitcher on Sunday as he improved to 4-0 on the year. The left-hander allowed one run in five innings and scattered eight hits. Coach Paul Mainieri liked what he saw from Valek….
cut 17 (19) “….good innings”
LSU will host UNO on Wednesday night as the Privateers split a doubleheader with Sam Houston State yesterday.

It was 10 years ago today, the Saints signed quarterback Drew Brees. It goes down as one of the best free agent signings in NFL history. In other league news…former Saints defensive lineman Akiem Hicks has signed with the Chicago Bears.

The LSU men’s basketball team will sit out the entire postseason after failing to make the NCAA tournament, coach Johnny Jones said Sunday. After an embarrassing 71-38 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC tournament semifianls Saturday, Jones said in a statement he takes full responsibility for the team and will do the things necessary to make sure they are able to reach their main goals in the future. Freshman star Ben Simmons is expected to leave for the NBA draft and will likely be chosen first over second overall. In the game against the Aggies, LSU shot a dismal 20 percent; Simmons scored 10 points and collected 12 rebounds in 31 minutes.

Meanwhile Southern University qualified for the Big Dance for the first time in four years after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. They’ll face Holy Cross on Wednesday. Making its second consecutive postseason appearance, the ULM men’s basketball team accepted a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament and will travel to Furman on Tuesday for its opening round matchup. The Ragin’ Cajuns on Sunday also accepted an invitation to play in the CollegeInsider.com tournament for the second straight season.

The LSU baseball Tigers took two of three from Ball State over the weekend as the Bayou Bengals outlasted Cardinals 10-6 in Sunday’s series finale. The Tigers first four hitters in the line-up led the way as they combined for eight hits, led by Jake Fraley who had three hits. Coach Paul Mainieri…:
Cut 16 (15) “setting the tone“
LSU begins conference play next weekend as they welcome Alabama to the Box.

Southeastern swept a Southland Conference doubleheader from Incarnate Word at Alumni Field. Tulane picked up its second sweep shutting out Furman 8-0 Sunday. UNO had never won a series against a Southland Conference opponent since joining in 2014 until beating Sam Houston this weekend. UL Lafayette finished off Troy to take the Sun Belt series.

In the NBA, the Pelicans take on the Golden State Warriors tonight.

If the LsU men’s basketball team can win today, they’ll advance to the SEC Tournament title game. The Bayou Bengals will face Texas A-and-M at noon. LSU advanced to the semifinals with an 84-75 win over Tennessee. Antonio Blakeney had 22 points and hit all nine of his free throws.

ULM and UL Lafayette will play today in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Tournament. Shawn Long scored a career-high 34 points yesterday as the Cajuns easily defeated South Alabama 90-68. They’ll play top seed Little Rock today.

The Warhawks will play Texas-Arlington. Coach Keith Richard’s team has won nine in a row and he likes how his squad has been able to put up points this year….
cut 17 (11) “…sporadic offensively”
Tip-off is at 3:30.

———————————

Southern has reached the championship game of the SWAC Tournament. The Jaguars beat Texas Southern 81-73. Southern will face Jackson State today.

Tulane is still alive in the American Athletic Conference after beating second-seed Houston 72-69.

In the NBA…the Pelicans got 34 points from Jrue Holiday, but lost to Memphis 121-114 in overtime.

In baseball…Ball State hit four home runs off of Jared Poche and beat the Tigers seven to one. 24th ranked UL Lafayette doubled up Troy 4-2. Gunner Leger struck out eight to get the win.

Houston Baptist edged McNeese State 3-2 and Ole Miss routed Grambling State 15-2.

At the Boys Top 28 Tournament. Natchitoches Center beat Scotlandville 54-52 in the Class 5A state championship game. Four more champions will be crowned tonight. The 4-A game pits Bossier against Washington-Marion. That game tips off at 8 PM

The Saints new tight end, Colby Fleener, says he’s excited about the opportunity to play with quarterback Drew Brees. Fleener calls the decision to sign with New Orleans a no brainer and believes the Black and Gold is only a few players away from making a championship run…
cut 30 (15) “…Super Bowl”
Fleener’s contract with the Saints is for five years at 36-million dollars. In other Saints news…cornerback Brandon Browner has been officially released, while former New Orleans running back Khiry Robinson has signed with the New York Jets.

LSU says an MRI on linebacker Kendell Beckwith’s knee came back negative. Beckwith apparently twisted his knee during practice yesterday. The senior was second on the team in tackles last season.

In the NBA…the Pelicans are at Memphis tonight. Former New Orleans Head Coach Monty Williams will not return to the bench for the Thunder this season. Williams an assistant at Oklahoma City recently lost his wife in a car accident.

In college basketball…LSU has advanced in the SEC Tournament. They defeated Tennessee 84-75. Antonio Blakeney had 22 points to lead the way. The Tigers will play Texas A-and-M tomorrow at noon.

In the Sun Belt Tournament…UL Lafayette takes on Georgia Southern in New Orleans. Tomorrow, ULM will play in the semifinals against the winner of UT Arlington and Texas State. Majok Deng leads the Warhawks as he averages almost 19 points a game. Coach Keith Richard says Deng’s work ethic is the reason why he’s so successful…
cut 18 (12) “….he is today”
ULM’s game in the Lakefront Arena will tip-off at 3:30.

It’s been reported that LSU starting middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith suffered a knee injury during spring practice. But a source told the Baton Rouge Advocate that they don’t think the injury is serious. He will apparently receive an MRI today.

The LSU men’s basketball team hopes to begin making a run through the SEC Tournament today. The fourth-seeded Tigers face 12th seed Tennessee this afternoon in Nashville. There’s little chance LSU will receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, so they’ll need to win the SEC Tourney to get an automatic bid to the Big Dance.

UL Lafayette will face South Alabama in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Tournament at five o’ clock today. Southern takes on Texas Southern in the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament tonight and Tulane will battle Houston in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tonight.

NBA…the Pelicans are at Memphis for a seven PM tipoff against the Grizzlies.

The Saints have re-signed backup quarterback Luke McCown. It’s reportedly a two-year deal that will pay him three million dollars. McCown re-upped with the Black and Gold after visiting the Colts.

The Saints have also reportedly re-signed running back Travaris Cadet, and officially released cornerback Brandon Browner. And former Saints running back Khiry Robinson has signed with the New York Jets.

Three state champions will be crowned at the Boys Top 28 Tournament in Lake Charles today . The Five-A title game is at eight PM as defending champ Scotlandville takes on second-seeded Natchitoches Central.

LSU baseball begins a three-game series against Ball State tonight. No baseball for Louisiana Tech this weekend. Closed roads in north Louisiana will keep the Bulldogs from traveling to Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi.

Sun Belt play begins this weekend as UL Lafayette is at Troy, while ULM is a Texas State. That series will begin with a doubleheader tomorrow.

LSU announces quarterback Anthony Jennings is leaving the Tigers and transferring to another school after the spring semester, then he’ll be immediately eligible to play anywhere. Jennings tweeted yesterday thanks to LSU for giving him the opportunity to play the game he loves and to graduate. His departure likely means that Purdue transfer Danny Etling is Brandon Harris’ primary back-up.

Before a scheduled visit with the Colts, the Saints are bringing back backup QB Luke McCown on a 2 year deal. McCown was placed on injured reserve and had season ending back surgery. He filled in for Drew Brees in a loss to Carolina last season, but he played really well and proved his worth.

The Pelicans are the longest shot to reach the NBA playoffs, but the team says they are not giving up. New Orleans takes on the Memphis Grizzlies on the road tonight at 7pm.

The LHSAA Boys Top 28 tournament continues in Lake Charles today. It’s been exciting so far as both Class 4A semifinal games were decided at the buzzer Thursday.

UL Lafayette and LSU are in action in their respective conference tournaments today. The Sun Belt Tournament is once again taking place in New Orleans at the Lakefront Arena. Coach Bob Marlin hopes to see a packed house…:
Cut 16 (14) “beneficial“
The Cajuns are a four-seed, while ULM is a two-seed and they’ll play tomorrow afternoon in the semifinals. LSU faces Tennessee in the SEC Quarterfinals today. Coach Johnny Jones says there are a couple of areas where they need to play better this weekend…:
Cut 19 (12) “the floor”

Both Nicholls and Southeastern are out of their tournaments. The Lions fell to Houston Baptist 73-68 in the quarterfinals of the Southland. Sam Houston edged The Colonels 60-59.