After months of waiting, Will Wade’s return to LSU got underway on Tuesday evening. There was a solid crowd for the return of The General, with the hype meter at a 10 for what Tiger fans hope is the revival of the basketball program. It was a bit of a slow start for the Tigers, missing a decent bit of good looks in the paint. Mo Dioubate got chance after chance within the first few minutes, but started 0-5. He was doing an excellent job of creating space to get his shots off, but they were just barely rimming out. Thankfully for the Tigers, their defense was on point. They were swarming on the other end of the court and making things difficult for the Privateers from the very beginning. At the 10 minute mark, UNO only had 4 points on the board. The strong defending allowed LSU’s offense to shake off the rust from the first few minutes and finally find their groove. Michael Ruzic was the first off of the bench and he helped get the scoring going as soon as he stepped on to the court. His 7’0, 240 pound frame was proving difficult for UNO to defend. As the offense came alive midway through the 1st half, the Privateers went over 7 minutes without a field goal, as the Tiger defense continued to cause issues. One of the biggest issues was Saliou Niang, who recorded 6 steals, all of them in the 1st half. Within less than a minute, he stole multiple inbounds passes and immediately turned them in to buckets. After the game, Will Wade referred to him as a monster, being able to guard every single position on the floor. At the half, it was complete domination by LSU. They led 53-17 with three players in double figures. Ruzic led the way with 12 points, while Niang and Donovan Dent each had 11. The 2nd half, overall, was not quite as crisp for the Tigers. Wade said afterwards that they were not very good and did not play up to their standards after halftime. The accountability is good to hear from game 1. Brice Dessert got off to a hot start for LSU, scoring 6 points in the first 3 minutes. Some of the sloppiness that Wade was referring to was the amount of fouls that his team had in the final 20 minutes. The Tigers had 16 team fouls, twice as much as they did in the 1st half. There was a period in which they fouled the Privateers 4 times in just 24 seconds. No matter if the performances slipped, the talent differential was just too much for UNO to overcome. They went on an 8-0 run at one point around the 8-minute mark, but the damage was done. Niang was the first Tiger to record a double-double for the 2026-2027 season. He finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, 6 steals, and 5 assists. He was doing everything and is an easy choice for player of the game. Dent recorded a double-double, also, as his 19 points led the team in scoring, while dishing out 10 assists. He also added in 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a blocked shot. One of the final highlights of the game was Wade drawing a technical foul, while up 88-44 and less than 5 minutes to go in a blow out. He was on the officials for majority of the 2nd half and the intensity was fun to watch. LSU drew one final big cheer from the Tiger crowd, as Gilad Levy drained a 3-pointer to hit the 100 point mark. His 8 points in the final 5 minutes helped get to the century mark. Six Tigers finished in double figures, along with Dent and Niang. Ruzic scored 17, Dessert finished with 13, Bashir Jr had 11, and Dioubate scored 10. After his 0-5 start, he went 4-4 the rest of the way. Up next Wade’s Tigers remain at home for a Friday night matchup with Texas Southern. Tipoff is for 7 pm central in the PMAC. They come in 0-1 after a 103-79 loss to Grand Canyon on Monday.

Team Stats (Pelicans @ Grizzlies) Final Score: 135-134 (OT) Rebounds: 47-49 Assists: 27-30 Blocks: 3-9 Steals: 8-5 Turnovers: 8-16 Stat Leaders (Pelicans/Grizzlies) Scoring Leaders: Zion Williamson, Karlo Matkovic, 25; Ty Jermone, 40 Rebound Leaders: Zion Williamson, 11; Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, 9 Assist Leaders: Jeremiah Fears, 7; Cam Spencer, 7 My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson Takeaways The Pels (3-4) rallied after trailing the Grizzlies (6-1) 62-59 at halftime. Karlo Matkovic and Zion Williamson led the Pelicans in scoring with 25 points each.. t New Orleans closed out a close game, which is something they have not been able to do in recent years . The defense tonight was unstoppable and is the real reason this team was able to win. The Pelicans come home for their next two games. They are on a three-game winning streak. Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Team Stats (Hawks at Pelicans) Final Score: 99-121 Rebounds: 36-49 Assists: 20-27 Blocks: 4-4 Steals: 11-15 Turnovers: 19-23 Stat Leaders Scoring Leaders: CJ McCollum, 14; Saddiq Bey, 25 Rebound Leaders: Onyeka Okongwu, 10; Karlo Matkovic, 10 Assist Leaders: Kingston Flemings, 6; Jeremiah Fears, 7 My Player of the Game: Saddiq Bey Chrissy's Key Takeaways * The Hawks average 142 points per game, but because of the Pelicans stifling defense, the Hawks didn't score even 100. * Saddiq Bey finished the game with 25 points, six rebounds, and four steals -- all around huge night for him . * Dejounte Murray did not play as he is recovering from the birth of his child, and Jordan Poole and Yves Missi are still on the injured list . * Jeremiah Fears needs to be the only starting PG going forward. * The Pelicans will play the Memphis Grizzles on Monday, and that team is 6-0 on the season. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

We’re nearing the mid way point of the season and with the Saints sitting at 2-5 an eye on the future is probably a good thing. So I took a crack at a 2027 NFL mock draft for the Saints to see what I could do to put the Saints in a better position for next season. Round 1 - Pick #10 Dylan Stewart - Edge - South Carolina Now I will admit this was a lucky pick based on how the simulator went but I also would not rule out the player for the Saints based on how they have played so far this season. Dylan Stewart is a prototypical edge prospect who has shown flashes of dominance at South Carolina ever since his freshman season. Stewart is considered by many as one of the elite blue chip talents in this upcoming draft class and the Saints would be ecstatic to draft a player of his caliber to take the defense back to a contending level. With all of his talent though Stewart will need an important background check after some on field concerns he had this season between punching a player and arguing with coaches. Round 2 - Pick #41 Kingston Lopa - Safety - Cal Kingston Lopa is a physical outlier for his position. Listed at 6 '5 and 210 pounds Lopa is a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses as he can line up in various spots and fill multiple roles as a defensive back. Lopa’s size allows him to mirror opposing tight ends and bigger slots in man coverage but also has the awareness to be a ball hawk when playing in zone. As evidenced by his five interceptions so far this season. Round 3 - Pick #72 A.J. Holmes Jr. - Defensive Tackle - Texas Tech AJ Holmes is a defensive tackle who knows how to get after the quarterback. Holmes is someone I expect to shoot up draft boards the longer we go through the pre draft process as his combination of size and disruptiveness is coveted by every team. His addition to the Saints defense would bring quality another interior rusher to the room and give the Saints the ability to keep players more fresh throughout the game. Round 4 - Pick #108 Isaac Brown - Running Back - Louisville Isaac Brown is one of if not the most explosive running backs in the country and upcoming draft class. Brown’s speed jumps off the screen and would be a welcome addition to a run game that has been anything but explosive for a long time now here in New Orleans. He is another player where once we get deeper into the pre draft process I am not fully expecting to be here at this point in the draft. Round 5 - Pick #142 Jyaire Hill - Cornerback - Michigan Jyaire Hill is a talented prototypical corner prospect who has not been able to put all his talents together quite yet. But with his 6 '2 frame and athleticism at this point in the draft you love the upside Hill could bring should he develop with more coaching at the next level. Round 6 - Pick #181 Nyck Harbor - Wide Receiver - South Carolina Nyck Harbor has been one of the most athletic freaks in all of college football for a while now and his size and athleticism alone should get him drafted. Standing at 6’5 and 240 pounds Harbor can flat out run as evidenced by his track background. There will be conversations about Harbor converting to tight end which could be on the table but I think it is more likely he continues his development as a wide receiver who can take the top off a defense. This simulation was a fun one as I was able to really address the defense which needs quite the infusion of talent to reach a contending level. The later rounds in the draft were high upside swings with clear visions for their development. If the Saints were able to have a successful upcoming draft addressing multiple needs it would go a long way in helping end their postseason drought. I am looking forward to doing more of these mocks as we lead up to the draft as with more information plenty will change between then and now.

NEW ORLEANS — After stumbling out of the gate with a 0-4 start, the New Orleans Pelicans may have finally cracked the code. Riding a two-game winning streak, the Pelicans are beginning to show the competitive edge and high-octane ceiling envisioned under first-year head coach Jamahl Mosley. Early on, growing pains were evident. New Orleans dropped its first three contests by a combined 10 points—flashing stretches of dominance undercut by clunky lineup combinations and late-game collapses. Now, tactical rotation tweaks appear to have handed the Pelicans their blueprint moving forward.