Louisiana Sports Talk

[NCB]

Some photos:

A sellout crowd of over 17,500 watches the Hornets play the Los Angeles Lakers

(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

The tip-off to the first professional sporting event in the city of New Orleans since Katrina

(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

[Mith242]

LSU had a very good game against Vanderbuilt in the SEC tournament. I had hoped Arkansas would be able to play against them again but looks like our winning streak finally came to an end.

[NCB]

^Yeah, LSU played extremely well last night, even without Freshman of the Year Tyrus Thomas and only getting 6 points from Darrel Mitchel. The Arkansas vs Florida game was great last night, I was rooting for UA, but Florida pulled it off.

[NCB]

LSU will play Florida in the SEC Tournament Semifinal game in a few minutes, and I don't think LSU will be able to pull it off. Neither Darrel Mitchel or Tyrus Thomas will play, meaning that LSU only has about a total of 6 or 7 players with alot of talent to rotate. While Florida is healthy, and has a full, deep, and very talented bench to rotate.

[richyb83]

Yeah . it's ashame with all the injuries . Hopefully Tyrus Thomas will be ready for the NCAA Tournament . Tasmin Mitchell really has stepped it up w/ Glen Davis ! Depth has been a concern for me all year . How good would LSU be??? if they still had Brandon Bass(NBA) and Tack Minor(injured too)

[NCB]

How good would LSU be??? if they still had Brandon Bass(NBA) and Tack Minor(injured too)

Oh man, they would literally be unstopable. They could have easily been a top 3 ranked team if Bass had stayed, and easily a top 7 if Minor hadn't gotten injured.

BTW, LSU leads Florida 41-38 at halftime.

[richyb83]

They just simply ran-out-of -gas today .... it got a little ugly late .

LSU should be alright though , they are still saying LSU is a likely # 3 seed in the regionals ; and given their higher seeding , that should keep them closer to home . Maybe Dallas or Jacksonville ; not stuck-up in the mountains like years past .

Tyrus should get clearance to play by Tuesday ! Maybe he can knock-off some of the rust in the opening-round game Thurs. or Friday .

I guess I'll be disappionted with nothing less than a " Sweet 16". There really is no "Dominate " NCAA Team this year IMO .

[NCB]

I guess I'll be disappionted with nothing less than a " Sweet 16".

Now that I think about it, same here. I think anything less than the Sweet 16 would be a disappointment, considering how much talent LSU really has.

[Mith242]

They just simply ran-out-of -gas today .... it got a little ugly late .

LSU should be alright though , they are still saying LSU is a likely # 3 seed in the regionals ; and given their higher seeding , that should keep them closer to home . Maybe Dallas or Jacksonville ; not stuck-up in the mountains like years past .

Tyrus should get clearance to play by Tuesday ! Maybe he can knock-off some of the rust in the opening-round game Thurs. or Friday .

I guess I'll be disappionted with nothing less than a " Sweet 16". There really is no "Dominate " NCAA Team this year IMO .

Yeah Florida is a deep team and as you said LSU just ran out of gas. I know everyone has been keeping an eye on basketball but I just wanted to let everyone know LSU came in second at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. Not a bad finish, especially since I heard more about several other teams and I think they surprised a few people finishing ahead of some of them.

[NCB]

I know everyone has been keeping an eye on basketball but I just wanted to let everyone know LSU came in second at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. Not a bad finish, especially since I heard more about several other teams and I think they surprised a few people finishing ahead of some of them.

That's great!

I saw that on LSUsports.net this morning.

Congratulations to the LSU Indoor Track and Field Team!

Geaux Tigers!!

[richyb83]

Thanks for the heads-up on LSU Track . Xavier Carter could be in the Olympics one day, he also happens to play WR for the Football team !

Hey Mith242 , I know Arkansas has had a dominant Men's Track Program for many years in the past !

[richyb83]

*** THREE LOUISIANA TEAMS to NCAA TOURNAMENT !!! All in the same Region ! LSU is a 4th seed . The Tigers face Iona Thursday Nite at 6:10 in the 1st Round in Jacksonville . Iona is led by four seniors( three left-handers) and one of the leading scorers on a guard oriented team. LSU will need to pound them inside ! LSU needs to bring their "A" game . Iona is no push-over ; they only lost to Kentucky by six pts. this year .

Also congrats to Southern winning the SWAC Conf. their reward , # 16 seed vs. # 1 seed Duke at 8:30 after the LSU game.

And NW La. made it at # 14th seed , they will face # 3 seed Iowa early Friday .

[Mith242]

I think LSU should have been the team from the SEC to get a #2 seed not Tennessee. They really haven't finished the end of the season very strongly.

[NCB]

^I don't think Tennesee deserved a 2 seed at all. I think LSU and Florida should have been 2 or 3 seeds, and Tennessee a 4. Though I'm happy with LSU's schedule in the tournament as a 4 seed.

[Mith242]

Not to get anyone's hopes up but I've actually seen someone on ESPN pick LSU to win that regional and go to the final four.

[richyb83]

I like LSU's chances of avancing at least to the " Sweet 16 "vs. Duke , with a healthy Tyrus Thomas of course ? I think they would give Duke a major challenge with him ! It looks like he may play some, coming off of the bench tommorrow nite vs. Iona ? It is hard to imagine him being 100% coming off a high ankle sprain . GO TIGERS & SEC !!!

Edited March 16, 2006 by richyb83

[NCB]

The Saints landed by far the best quarterback in the free agent pool, and possibly the best overall player in the pool, Drew Brees, on Tuesday night. Brees signed a 6 year $60 million dollar deal with the Saints, in which he will be able to make $25 million in just his first two years.

Landing most coveted prize has Saints' brass all smiles

Article

At the introductory press confrence yesterday afternoon, Brees said he was very happy to be a New Orleans Saint, and that he personally looked forward to being included in the areas rebuilding efforts.

Today, QB Aaron Brooks, who started his career as a Saint off very well, but underachieved in the last few years, was released by the Saints.

[NCB]

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis right, hands a Saints jersey to new QB Drew Brees, left.

Matt Rose / Times-Picayune

[richyb83]

Brees...how ironic of a name is that ?

Yes , he is a solid , proven QB ! It's hard to believe Brooks is actually gone !

I sure hope Brees throwing shoulder will be 100% by training camp , he was confident that it would be healed about 4 months . He had surgery about two-months ago . When you are talking about rotator-cuff , that's serious business . With all that $$ money , it's a risk that I hope pays-off . I guess Saints felt like a Rookie QB would make it alot harder to have a winning season ?

[NCB]

When you are talking about rotator-cuff , that's serious business . With all that $$ money , it's a risk that I hope pays-off . I guess Saints felt like a Rookie QB would make it alot harder to have a winning season ?

Yea, the Saints were thinking that the possible positives in the future outweighed the negatives, and I definately agree with that. One thing about the Saints picking up a QB in free angency, they now have many options at their disposal for the use of the #2 draft pick. Trade down and pick up a player or more draft picks, pick another QB and trade him to another team for a solid player, or pick up one of the other big defensive names in the draft .

[richyb83]

A TALE of TWO-HALVES ! Congrats to LSU !!! Great 2nd half , outscoring Iona 48-27 ! And winning 80-64 ! "The Human Pogo-Stick" Tyrus Thomas is only 80 % as of now , that was still enough to be a "Game -Changer" ! They are just a different team with him . He got more and more confidence as the 2nd half went along ! Props to Iona for bringing that street swagger from New York at the begining of the game . And to their future NBA'er Steve Burtt.

[NCB]

Congrats to the Tigers!

LSU will now play 12th seeded Texas A&M next.

Also, congrats to Iona on a great season and a great game today.

[Mith242]

I admit I was a little worried at halftime because the SEC hadn't been looking too good so far, except for Florida. But LSU looked much better in the second half. All the SEC teams have manged to win so far. Hopefully the trend will continue for Friday too.

[richyb83]

The SEC was 4-0 yesterday , but Tennessee did not look good at all , struggling to beat Winthrop on a last second miracle shot ! 63-61 I thought Alabama at 10 seed looked good beating 7 seed Marquette.

Florida and LSU are clearly the two-best teams in the SEC.

Then today , I just found out Arkansas lost to Bucknell .So now the SEC is 4-1 . WOW ! I was thinking an Arkansas/Memphis game would have been nice ! Kentucky is going to have their hands full tonite vs. UAB !

6 SEC Teams landing in the NCAA's was better than most had thought earlier in the season !

[NCB]

Congratulations to Northwestern State, which as a #14 seed defeated #3 seed Iowa today in the NCCA Tournament! Northwestern State is located in Natchitoches,LA, and they made the biggest upset in the tourney so far. Congrats!