The Saints have reportedly added Dennis Allen back to their coaching staff. Allen was an assistant under coach Sean Payton from 2006 to 2010. He left to become the defensive coordinator of the Broncos and he later served as head coach of the Raiders. It’s been reported that Allen will work with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

The Saints have also reportedly hired former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland to do college scouting. And one other Black and Gold note, running back Mark Ingram is heading to the Pro Bowl. He replaces Seawhawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who is getting ready to play in the Super Bowl.

In the NBA…the New York Knicks ended their 16-game losing streak by beating the Pelicans 99-92 last night. Baton Rouge native Langston Galloway had 21 points for the Knicks, while the Pels, who were without the injured Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, were led by Tyreke Evans’ 23 points.

Big win for ULM in Lafayette last night as the Warhawks defeated the Ragin Cajuns 57-55 for their sixth consecutive win. Tylor Ongwae led the way with 13 points. U-L-M is now six-and-one in the Sun Belt, while the Cajuns fall to four and three. Shawn Long had 19 points in a losing effort.

The LSU men’s basketball team is in action tonight as they visit Florida. The Tigers are trying to bounce back from a tough loss to Texas A-and-M on Saturday. In that game, LSU led the Aggies by 13 points in the second half, but still ended up losing. Florida is 3-and-1 in league play.

The LHSAA begins holding a series of meetings today in advance of their annual convention which takes place at the end of the month. Up for discussion is the future of high school football. There’s several proposals on changing the format of the playoffs, including a suggestion to have public and private schools compete with each other again. But there’s also a proposal to split the playoffs in basketball, baseball and softball as well.

No one is playing better basketball in the state than the U-L-M Warhawks. They won their sixth straight last night as they went into the Cajundome and walked away with a 57-55 victory over U-L Lafayette. Tylor Ongwae had 13 points for U-L-M, while Shawn Long had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Cajuns, who have lost three straight.

In other college hoops action…Lamar dribbled past Southeastern Louisiana 57-50 and Stephen F Austin downed UNO 79-54. Southern routed Mississippi Valley 79-55 and Grambling fell to Prairie View 74-60. Tonight, LSU is at Florida, trying to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this year.

The Pelicans completed a five-game road trip last night by losing to the New York Knicks, who ended a 16-game losing streak. New Orleans was without injured starters Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday in the 99-92 loss. The Pels went two-and-three on the trip and New Orleans hosts the Lakers on Wednesday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that former Raiders head coach and Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is returning to the Saints coaching staff. Allen was with the Saints from 2006 to 2010. It’s unclear what role he’ll have on the coaching staff, but Schefter says he’ll work with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Also, Saints running back Mark Ingram has been added to the Pro Bowl roster. He’ll take the place of Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.

Former Saints player Steve Gleason is Senator David Vitter’s guest tonight for President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Gleason, who is battling A-L-S, will also get to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to discuss bringing more attention to the disease.

Former Ragin Cajuns baseball star Jonathan Lucroy will also attend the State of the Union. The Milwaukee Brewers catcher has been very involved in charities that support military families in Wisconsin.

LSU is ranked ninth in the Division One Baseball Top 25 rankings, which came out today. Vanderbilt, who won it all last season, is ranked number one followed by Florida, Virginia, UCLA and South Carolina. The Ragin Cajuns who reached super regionals last season are not ranked.

Big game tonight in the Cajundome as the first place U-L-M Warhawks visit U-L Lafayette at 7:15. The Warhawks moved into first place in the Sun Belt standings with a 64-52 win over Arkansas Little Rock on Saturday. U-L-M heads into Lafayette riding a five-game winning streak. The Ragin Cajuns are looking to snap a two-game losing streak as they lost to South Alabama 89-82 on Saturday.

In other action tonight…Southeastern Louisiana is at Lamar, Grambling seeks its first SWAC win of the year at Prairie View A-and-M and Southern hosts Mississippi Valley State.

Louisiana Tech’s Alex Hamilton has been named Conference USA Player of the Week. The six-foot-four guard had 30 points in the Bulldogs 75-68 win over Middle Tennessee on Saturday. In that contest he made a school record 20 free throws. It’s the third time the Florida native has been named CUSA Player of the Week this season. The Bulldogs, who are 5-and-0 in league play, are at North Texas on Thursday.

In NFL news…Saints regional scout Josh Lucas is leaving the Black and Gold for the Chicago Bears. Lucas joins Ryan Pace, who was the Saints director of player personnel and now is the Bears new general manager.

There are multiple reports that fullback Melvin Jones and cornerback Rashard Robinson are no longer members of the LSU football team. Neither player is apparently taking classes this spring semester. Robinson started six games in 2014, while Jones had a chance to be LSU’s starting fullback next season.

LSU is ranked ninth in the Division One Baseball Top 25 rankings, which came out today. Vanderbilt, who won it all last season, is ranked number one followed by Florida, Virginia, UCLA and South Carolina. The Ragin Cajuns who reached super regionals last season are not ranked.

Big game tonight in the Cajundome as the first place U-L-M Warhawks visit U-L Lafayette at 7:15. The Warhawks moved into first place in the Sun Belt standings with a 64-52 win over Arkansas Little Rock on Saturday. U-L-M heads into Lafayette riding a five-game winning streak. The Ragin Cajuns are looking to snap a two-game losing streak as they lost to South Alabama 89-82 on Saturday.

In other action tonight…Southeastern Louisiana is at Lamar, Grambling seeks its first SWAC win of the year at Prairie View A-and-M and Southern hosts Mississippi Valley State.

The Pelicans will face the New York Knicks today in a game that will tip-off at 4:30 Central time. New Orleans is coming off a 95-93 win over Toronto yesterday. Tyreke Evans had 26 points as New Orleans won without Anthony Davis, who missed his second consecutive game because of a sprained left toe.

In NFL news…Saints regional scout Josh Lucas is leaving the Black and Gold for the Chicago Bears. Lucas joins Ryan Pace, who was the Saints director of player personnel and now is the Bears new general manager.

Meanwhile, Saints General Manager and Head Coach Sean Payton will be in Mobile this week for Senior Bowl practices and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will not play in this Sunday’s Pro Bowl because of a thigh injury.

The Baton Rouge advocate reports that fullback Melvin Jones and cornerback Rashard Robinson are no longer members of the LSU football team. Neither player is apparently taking classes this spring semester. Robinson started six games in 2014, while Jones had a chance to be LSU’s starting fullback next season.

The Super Bowl 49 matchup is set. The Seattle Seahawks are the NFC Champions after overcoming a 16-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Green Bay Packers 28-22 in overtime. Punter Jon Ryan’s 19 yard touchdown pass to offensive tackle Garry Gilliam got the Seahawks on the board in the third quarter. Russell Wilson’s 35 yard pass to Jermaine Kearse in overtime punched Seattle’s ticket to Arizona. The Seahawks are the first defending champion to make it back to the Super Bowl in 10 years.

A much easier go of it for New England as the Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl on the heels of a 45-7 rout of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns. This will mark Brady’s sixth Super Bowl appearance while this will be former LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell’s first. This will be the franchise’s eighth trip to the big game.

Super Bowl 49 takes place February 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Pelicans scored 31 fourth quarter points to get past the Toronto Raptors 95-93. Tyreke evans poured in 26 and Alexis Ajinca added 22 as the Pels climb back to the .500 mark for the season at 20-20. Anthony Davis sat out his second game in a row due to a toe injury. The Pels wrap up a week-long 5 game road trip tonight at Madison Square Garden taking on the New York Knicks.

In weekend college basketball action, LSU fell to Texas A&M 67-64 and Tulane upended Houston 68-65.

Louisiana Tech remains perfect in Conference USA after a 75-68 win over Middle Tennessee.

In the Sun Belt, South Alabama defeated UL-Lafayette 89-82 and ULM beat Arkansas-Little Rock 64-52. ULM now has sole possession of first place in the conference with a 5-1 league record.

Southeastern outlasted Incarnate Word 108-98 in double overtime, McNeese lost to Sam Houston State 69-60, and it was Northwestern State over Lamar 98-84.

A short handed Pelicans team fell to the Philadelphia 76ers last night 96-81. Anthony Davis sat out the game with a left toe sprain and Jrue Holiday missed his second straight game with ankle inflammation. Eric Gordon and Alexis Ajinca both had a team high 16 as the Pels fall back below .500 to 19-20. New Orleans heads to Toronto for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Raptors.

LSU head football coach Les Miles held a press conference to recognize six underclassmen who have decided to return for their senior seasons. One of those players is linebacker Lamar Lewis who says he’s excited to get a chance to play for new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele…

cut 30 (17) “defense”

Defensive back Jalen Mills and offensive linemen Gerald Hawkins and Vadal Alexander are also coming back for another year in college.

Sunday is Championship Sunday in the NFL. The NFC title game has Seattle versus Green Bay. Houma native and former Louisiana Tech standout Tramon Williams won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2011 and the veteran cornerback says the key to getting back to the Super Bowl will be tackling Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch…

cut 18 (10) “on the ground”

The AFC Championship game is New England versus Indianapolis.

In college basketball, the LSU Tigers get an early start to their day as they have an 11AM tip off this morning against Texas A&M. The Tigers are coming off of a 4-point road win over Ole Miss.

Louisiana Tech hosts Middle Tennessee at 3PM. The Bulldogs are hoping for a sold out Thomas Assembly Center. Tech is tied for first place in Conference USA with Western Kentucky.

The Warhawks and Ragin Cajuns are also home. UL-Lafayette takes on South Alabama while ULM hosts Arkansas-Little Rock.

LSU holds a press conference this afternoon where it’s expected they’ll announce that juniors Vadal Alexander, Jerald Hawkins and safety Jalen Mills will return for their senior seasons.
Former LSU Tiger Brandon Lafell is getting ready for the A-F-C Championship game as the New England Patriots will host the Indianapolis Colts. Lafell caught the winning TD pass last week, but he expects the Patriots will run the ball more this week after only just a handful of rushes in the win over the Ravens…
cut 17 (15) “…..everything else”
U-L Lafayette announces the addition of four mid-year signees to their 2015 roster. Out of that group is quarterback Dion Ray, who played at Helen Cox High School in New Orleans. Ray was a four-time all district selection.
Louisiana Tech improved to 4-and-0 in Conference USA play with a thrilling 74-71 win over UAB last night. The Bulldogs sunk nine three-pointers, four of them were from Erik McCree, who finished with 26 points. Alex Hamilton had 20 points, as he was 6 of seven from field and five of six from the free throw line.
There’s now a three-way tie for first place in the Sun Belt. The Ragin Cajuns suffered its first league loss of the season last night as they lost to Georgia Southern 78-70. U-L Lafayette got off to a slow start, just 14 points in the first 15 minutes.
ULM is part of that three-way tie for first place after beating Troy 63-54. That’s four wins in a row for the Warhawks, who are undefeated at home. Tylor Ongwae had 15 points and ten rebounds.
Tonight in the NBA…the Pelicans are at the 76ers. Anthony Davis is questionable with a toe injury.

The Saints are not involved in championship Sunday, but the N-F-C and A-F-C title games will feature several players from LSU and Louisiana. Former Dutchtown star Eddie Lacy, who rushed for 101 yards in Green Bay’s win over Dallas last week, says he’s looking forward to playing in his first championship game…

cut 16 (13) “football team”

The Packers face the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship. Former LSU standout Brandon Lafell will also play Sunday as his New England Patriots host the Indianapois Colts in the AFC title constest.

Louisiana Tech defensive end Houston Bates has been selected to participate in the College Gridiron Showcase All-Star Game on January 31. The Covington native ended his Bulldog career with 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. The College Gridiron Showcase All-Star Game takes place in Arlington, TX.

In college basketball, UL-Lafayette dropped their first Sun Belt game of the season to Georgia Southern, 78-71. The Cajuns were lead by Shawn Long’s 18 points. Hayward Register comes off the bench to add 12 points and Brian Williams scored 10. UL-L falls to 4-1 in conference play, while Georgia Southern improves to 4-1.

ULM also has a 4-1 conference record after handling Troy 63-54. Majok Deng lead all scorers with 16 and Tylor Ongwae added a double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds, as the Warhawks won their seventh straight at home.

There is a logjam at the top of the Sun Belt standings. Georgia Southern, UL-L, and ULM sit atop the conference with 4-1 records. Two other teams, Texas State and Georgia State, are a half game behind with 4-2 records.

Louisiana Tech remains perfect in Conference USA as they downed UAB 74-71 in front of a home crowd in Ruston. Erik McCree lead the way for the Bulldogs with 26 points, including four 3-pointers. Alex Hamilton added another 20 and Raheem Appleby finished with 11. Tech is 4-0 in league play.

Some are calling the new look LSU coaching staff the “Dream Team” of recruiters. New defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and new defensive line coach Ed Orgeron join Tigers recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson as some of the best recruiters in college football. Orgeron has been named recruiter of the year multiple times. But the South LaFourche grad says recruiting is only half the battle when it comes to putting together a great defense…
cut 18 (21) “…great players”
National Signing Day is February fourth and the Tigers have 16 commitments, but only one of them is a defensive lineman.

The LSU men’s basketball team was able to boost its NCAA Tournament resume with a 75-71 win over Ole Miss in Oxford last night. Six-foot-four junior Keith Hornsby led the way with 23 points, 20 of them were in the second half.

Louisiana Tech, who is currently a 13-seed in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi NCAA Tournament bracket, hosts U-A-B tonight. Both teams are 3-and-0 in Conference USA action. Tip-off is at seven o’ clock and C-S-T will broadcast the game throughout the state.

U-L Lafayette is a 15-seed in Lunardi’s bracket. The Ragin Cajuns are at Sun Belt-newcomer Georgia Southern tonight. The Eagles are 10-and-3 overall, 3-and-1 in the league.

U-L-M is also 3-and-1 in the Sun Belt and they host Troy, who is 1-and-3. Warhawks Coach Keith Richard…
cut 30 (12) “…easily won”
Tip-off tonight is at 7 PM.

Louisiana native Ed Orgeron finally has the opportunity to coach for the Purple and gold. Orgeron has had several coaching stops since he graduated from Northwestern State University in 1984. Coach “O” says he didn’t need much convincinging when Les Miles called him late Tuesday afternoon and asked him if he wanted to be the Tigers defensive line coach….
cut 17 (16) “….get here”
Meanwhile, LSU says they are cooperating with the authorities in a case where a man has been arrested for selling game worn shoes and gloves on E-bay. The individual arrested by LSU police, 25-year-old Fletcher Sanders, is not telling cops how he got the LSU gear.

The Pelicans are back at the .500 mark for the season after beating Detroit 105-94 last night. Anthony Davis had 27 points and ten rebounds, Ryan Anderson added 17 points.

The LSU men’s basketball team picked up a nice road win in Oxford last night as the Tigers topped Ole Miss 75-71. Keith Hornsby led the way with 23 points, 20 of them came in the second half. He also hit five three-pointers. Jarell Martin also had 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Tulane lost in triple overtime last night as they fell to Central Florida 103 to 100.

Tonight, the Ragin Cajuns are at Georgia Southern. U-L Lafayette is 4-and-0 in the Sun Belt and they’ve won seven of their last eight overall. ULM is off to a 3-and-1 start in league play and the Warhawks will host Troy tonight at seven P-M. U-L-M has won three in a row. Louisiana Tech is also at home. The Bulldogs will host U-A-B. Both teams are undefeated in league play.