The number one ranked Fighting Fighting Tigers baseball team opens a three-game series against Kentucky tonight. LSU is led offensively by Kade Scivicque and Andrew Stevenson, who are both hitting over .400 for the year. Right behind them is Mark Laird, who is hitting .392. Coach Paul Mainieri says he’s not surprised that his speedy right fielder is having a huge season…
cut 17 (13) “…your hits”
Kentucky is struggling in SEC play this year as they are just two and four in league play.

Southeastern Louisiana heads into the weekend in first place in the Southland Conference. The Lions are in Thibodaux this weekend for a three-game series against the Colonels, who are coming off a victory over U-L Lafayette. Also this weekend, McNeese State is at Northwestern State, both teams are right behind S-L-U in the conference standings.

Cajuns Forward Shawn Long had another double-double, but it wasn’t enough as U-L Lafayette lost to Evansville 89 to 82 in the semifinals of the College Insider-dot-com Postseason Tournament. Long had 24 points and 11 rebounds for his 52nd career double-double. But Aces guard DJ Balentine had 35 points.

The Pelicans will look to snap a four-game losing streak tonight when they host the Sacramento Kings. New Orleans is three and a half games back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Southern University athletic director William Broussard has been re-assigned and will reportedly return to the athletic department on August 1st. No word has been given on this curious move. Men’s basketball coach Roman Banks will also serve as the school’s athletic director for the time being.

Former LSU assistant basketball coach Donnie Tyndall has been hired as the head coach of Tennessee after just one season. It’s because the NCAA is investigating Tyndall for possible violations that occurred when he was the head coach at Southern Miss.

The number one ranked LSU baseball team opens up a three-game series tonight against Kentucky, with first pitch set for seven P-M at the Box. The Wilcats are 2-and-4 in league play, but Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri says they are one of the better hitting teams in the conference…

cut 16 (17) “good ball players”

LSU is led offensively by Kade Scivicque and Andrew Stevenson, who are both hitting over .400 over the year.

Elsewere, Louisiana Tech is visiting Charlotte for a three game Conference USA series.

In the Sun Belt, UL-Lafayette welcomes Arkansas State to Tigue Moore Field and ULM will host South Alabama.

In the Southland, McNeese is in Natchitoches to face Northwestern State, Nicholls State will take on Southeastern Louisiana, and UNO hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

In the CollegeInsider-dot-com Tournament quarterfinals, the Evansville Purple Aces ended UL-Lafayette’s post season run last night 89-82. Shawn Long lead the Cajuns with 24 points and 11 rebounds. UL-Lafayette’s season ends with a 22-14 record.

The Pelicans look to turn around a string of bad luck when they face the Sacramento Kings tonight in the Smoothie King Center. The Pels come into tonight’s match up riding a four game losing streak, while the Kings have won four in a row. The Pelicans are still in playoff contention, three and a half games out of a playoff spot. Tonight’s game tips off at 7PM.

Turkey season opens tomorrow and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries predicts a bumper crop for hunters. Wild Turkey and Resident Small Game Leader, Jimmy Stafford, says there should be some carryover this season after bad weather lead to a poor hunting last year…

cut 7 (08) “go up some”

He says the Louisiana turkey population is scattered, but most gobblers can be found in the western or north-central part of the state.

LSU’s Jarell Martin is heading to the NBA after two years of college basketball. Martin has decided to enter the NBA Draft after averaging 17 points and nine rebounds a game this past season. Coach Johnny Jones says NBA scouts like Martin’s versatility and that will help him on the next level….
cut 17 (18) “….athleticism”

In college basketball tonight….U-L Lafayette will host Evansville in the CIT semifinals. Tip-off from Blackham Coliseum is at 7:30. Louisiana Tech’s season is over after losing in the NIT quartrfinals to Temple, while ULM is getting ready to play in the CBI title series. The Warhawks will face Loyola of Chicago in a best of three series starting Monday in the Windy City.

Saints Coach Sean Payton still believes there’s still a lot of good football left in the 36-year-old Drew Brees. The head coach also says his QB is fine with the trade that sent Jimmy Graham to Seattle. Payton says Brees understands they had to make changes on offense in order to improve the defense….
cut 19 (16) “….down 10”

The Pelicans are off tonight after losing their fourth straight last night in a 95 to 93 loss to the Rockets. With eleven games to go in the regular season, New Orleans is 3.5 games back of Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans hosts Sacramento tomorrow night.

And the Independence Bowl is looking for a new title sponsor that’s because Duck Commander has ended its relationship with the bowl game.

The Pelicans lost their fourth straight last night as the Houston Rockets soared past New Orleans 95-93. Tyreke Evans had 28 points, Anthony Davis had 24 poitns, but Eric Gordon failed to make a field goal in 42 minutes on the floor. New Orleans is three and a half games back of O-K-C for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and there’s just 11 games left.

Shreveport’s Independence Bowl finds itself, once again, without a sponsor. Duck Commander, who was the title sponsor of last year’s game, will not return as the title sponsor this year. Mayor Ollie Tyler says she is determined to help the I-Bowl foundation find a new sponsor…:
CUT 3 (06) “us economically”
Tyler says a hotel tax, which narrowly failed last year, would provide much needed, revenue for the Independence bowl. She hopes the item will appear on the ballot again this fall.

Tough ending to the season for Louisiana Tech as they were eliminated in the NIT as the Bulldogs lost to Temple 77-59.

But ULM has reached the CBI championship. Tylor Ongwae and Majok Deng each had 22 points as the Warhawks flew past Vermont 71-65. Louisiana-Monroe will now face Loyola of Chicago in a best of three title series, which will begin on Monday in the Windy City.

Tonight U-L Lafayette hosts Evansville in the semifinals of the CIT. Tip-off in the Blackham Coliseum is set for 7:30.

In college baseball yesterday…Northwestern State defeated Mississippi Valley four to one and Nicholls State knocked off U-L Lafayette three to one. The Cajuns committed four errors in the contest. It’s the first time in program history that Nicholls has won games over LSU and U-L Lafayette in the same season.

LSU begins a three-game series tomorrow night against Kentucky at the Box.

LSU’s Jarell Martin will enter the NBA draft after two seasons with the Tigers. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged nearly 17 points and 9 rebounds a game this past season. Martin believes after a solid sophomore campaign, he’s ready for the pros….

qcut 16 (17) “mentally prepared”

Martin was a first team All-SEC selection this year.

The ULM Warhawks advance to the College Basketball Invitational championship series after a 71-65 win over Vermont. Tylor Ongwae and Majok Deng lead the Warhawks with 22 points each. ULM will face Loyola Chicago in a best of three series beginning Monday night in Chicago.

Louisiana Tech fell to Temple in the NIT quarterfinals 77-59.

And in the NBA, The Pelicans fell to the Houston Rockets 95-93.

Saints Coach Sean Payton is really excited about his new weapon on offense and that’s running back CJ Spiller, who signed with New Orleans during the free agency period. Payton says Spiller was not a target for them when free agency started, but that quickly changed after watching some of his film from his games with the Bills

cut 18 (20) ” he’s impressive’

Spiller had over 33-hundred yards rushing and caught 158 passes during five seasons in Buffalo.

It looks like it’s “one and done” for Duck Commander and the Independence Bowl. The West-Monroe based company, which rose to national fame due to the reality television series “Duck Dynasty”, is no longer the title sponsor for Shreveport’s contribution to the College Bowl season. The Independence Bowl is expeted to release a statement regarding their sponsorship situation today.

LSU Sophomore forward Jarell Martin announced today that he’s leaving the Tigers to enter the N-B-A draft. The six-foot-ten forward from Baton Rouge averaged nearly 17 points and nine rebounds this past season. Martin is glad that he played a role in getting the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament, but it’s now time to move on….
cut 16 (13) “…hand and hand”
Fellow LSU forward Jordan Mickey might also leave for the NBA, but he says as of now he’s still considering his options. And Tigers assistant coach Eric Musselman was named today as the new head coach at Nevada.

Tonight….Louisiana Tech faces Temple in the quarterfinals of the NIT. These two teams met in November and lost to the Owls 82 to 75. Tip-off tonight is at 8 PM.

ULM is hoping for a White Out at Fant-Ewing Colisuem tonight as the Warhawks host Vermont in the semifinals of the CBI tournament. ULM has one senior in its starting line-up and Atheltics Director Brian Wickstorm hopes this postseason run will result in an NCAA Tournament berth next season….
cut 17 (15) “….extra games”
Tip-off is at seven P-M.

In the NBA tonight…the Pelicans look to snap their three-game losing streak as they host the Houston Rockets. There’s 12 games left in the season and New Orleans is three and a half games back of O-K-C for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said today that the team is trying to work out a long-term contract with defensive end Cam Jordan. The 2011 first-round pick has 20 sacks over the last two seasons.

LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin meets with the media this afternoon where it’s expected based on reports that he’ll enter the NBA Draft. Martin led the Tigers in scoring this past season.

Martin’s teammate, Jordan Mickey, says he has yet to make a decision on whether he’ll leave LSU early. Tiger Rag editor Cody Worsham believes the six-foot-eight forward from Dallas could use another year of college basketball….
cut 19 (13) “….game more”
And there are reports that LSU assistant coach Eric Musselman could be named the new head coach at Nevada.

In college hoops tonight…U-L-M hosts Vermont in the semifinals of the CBI tournament, while Louisiana Tech faces Temple in the quarterfinals of the NIT. The winner will head to Madison Square Garden in New York for the NIT semifinals.

Saints Coach Sean Payton spoke with reporters this morning in at the NFL owners meeting and repeated a statement that general manager Mickey Loomis made earlier in the week and that’s there’s no truth to the rumors the team is looking to trade quarterback Drew Brees. Payton also said they will not trade up to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Payton also said today that the team is speaking with defensive end Cameron Jordan about a contract extension. In four seasons with the Black and Gold, Jordan has 29 sacks and five forced fumbles.

In the NBA…the Pelicans host the Rockets tonight. Houston center Dwight Howard returns to the court after missing 23 games because of a knee injury. New Orleans has won the two previous meetings against the Rockets this season.

In college baseball last night…Mark Laird hit an inside the park home run to highlight LSU’s 13-7 win over Tulane. Louisiana Tech trounced Grambling eight to one. Daniel Midyett hit a three-run blast in Southeastern’s seven to six victory over ULM. U-L Lafayette edged McNeese State six to five in 12 innings.

U-L-M men’s basketball will host Vermont tonight at seven P-M in the semifinals of the C-B-I tournament. The Warhawks started the tournament by beating Eastern Michigan and then rallying on the road to defeat Mercer by 2. ULM Athletics Director Brian Wickstrom this postseason run has brought excitement to the campus…

cut 16 (13) “for our program”

Tonight’s winner will face the winner of the Seattle-Loyola of Chicago matchup in the CBI best of three championship series.

In college baseball, the top ranked LSU Tigers lit it up with 19 hits last night on their way to a 13-7 win over Tulane in Turchin Stadium. Hunter Newman picks up the win for the Tigers, while Patrick Duester gets tagged with the loss. LSU moves to 22-3 on the season and will host Kentucky in a three-game series beginning Friday night. The Green Wave will host UConn this weekend.

In other college baseball action, Louisiana Tech cruised past Grambling 8-1.

Southeastern Louisiana squeaked by ULM 7-6.

UL-Lafayette edged McNeese State 6-5 in eleven innings.

And Northwestern State blanked Mississippi Valley State 13-0.

ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman reports that LSU sophomore forward Jordan Mickey is leaning towards entering the NBA draft. Mickey was a first-team ALL SEC selection this past season as he led the league in rebounding and he’s also the top shot blocker in the country. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says it’s not a surprise to hear this news…

cut 18 (13) ” weren’t great’

In a released statement, Mickey says he has not made a decision on entering the draft, but does plan to explore his options.

The LSU baseball team wraps up a five-game road trip tonight at Tulane. It looks like LSU has found a new lead-off hitter. Senior Chris Sciambra was inserted into the line-up on Friday and drove in four runs in game two against Arkansas and then had four hits in the series finale. Coach Paul Mainieri is proud the Baton Rouge native is able to contribute…
cut 18 (19) “…our team” (2x)
First pitch is at 6:30.

In other action…Louisiana Tech hosts Lincoln Parish rival Grambling State at 6 PM. The Ragin Cajuns face McNeese State in Lake Charles, U-L-M is at Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State hosts Mississippi Valley State.

A proposal to expand instant replay so that personal fouls could be reviewed never came up for a vote at today’s NFL owners meeting. In fact, most proposals to make changes to the instant replay system were rejected. The owners approved several player safety enhancements, including one that would allow for the stopping of a play if a medical adviser believes a player is unstable and should be taken off the field.

ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman reports that LSU sophomore forward Jordan Mickey is leaning towards entering the NBA draft. Mickey was a first-team ALL SEC selection this past season as he led the league in rebounding and he’s also the top shot blocker in the country.

Fresh off a win over Texas A-and-M, Louisiana Tech looks to keep advancing in the N-I-T as they visit Temple tomorrow night. U-L-M has a C-B-I semifinal game tomorrow as the Warhawks will host Vermont and in the C-I-T, the Ragin Cajuns will take on Evansville and the game will be played in historic Blackham Coliseum Thursday night.

The number one ranked LSU baseball team heads down I-10 tonight to play Tulane at 6:30. It should be an emotional game for LSU hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Andy Cannizaro, who is a former all-american shorstop at Tulane. He helped the Green Wave reach the College World Series in 2001. Coach Paul Mainieri is interested to see how Tulane fans will react to Cannizaro…
cut 17 (14) “…baseball history”
First pitch is at 6:30. Other in-state matchups tonight include…Grambling at Louisiana Tech. McNeese hosts U-L Lafayette and ULM visits Southeastern Louisiana.

W-W-L’s Kristin Garic reports that outside linebacker and defensive end Anthony Spencer is visiting with Saints officials. He was drafted by Dallas in the first round in 2007 and helped the Cowboys gets in the playoffs last year.

U-L-M is getting ready to host a postseason basketball game tomorrow night as the Warhawks will face Vermont in the semi-finals of the CBI tournament. The Warhawks rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat Mercer 71 to 69 last night. Tylor Ongwae tied a career-high with 27 points.

The Ragin Cajuns will also host a postseason game this week as U-L Lafayette will take on Evansville this Thursday. The game will be played at Blackham Coliseum. It’s the first time since 2006 that a men’s basketball game has been played at that venue.

And Louisiana Tech will play Temple tomorrow night in the quarterfinals of the N-I-T. Alex Hamilton had 25 points as the Bulldogs beat Texas A-and-M 84 to 72. Hamilton hit three, 3-pointers. As a team, Tech had 11 from beyond the arc.

In high school basketball news…Anacoco’s Will Reese has been anmed as the Class B Most Outstanding Player of the year as he led Anacoco to its first ever boys state championship. The Class B girls player of the is Madyson Brasseaux of Lacassine. She’s a McNeese State commitment.