The Rise of Jose Alvarado…

Ethen Meyers • February 16, 2022

Where do we begin?

        Maybe I start with his football playing days being ended with a neck injury? But he still chased a dream. Do I talk about how he recorded the first-ever quadruple-double in school history in high school? And still wanted more. Then went on to be named the Times Ledger Player of the Year? Yet was still left hungry. When he committed to Georgia Tech, fractured his elbow ending his freshman year? Then increased all his numbers the following year across the board. Maybe when he came to the league and went undrafted? But he didn’t let it slow his swagger. Let’s just start here, the most important part, the part we all hope is Pelicans history in the making. Where he grinded out minutes in a league that is truly the 1% of the top 1% of all players in the world.


He’s electric.

        If you have watched half a pelican game all season that Jose Alvarado played in, there is no way you missed him. Even if you were half-watching, he likely caught your eye. Jose has come off the bench and just made a difference, he gave the coaches no option to make minutes for him. I could talk about his stats, but I don’t believe any number matters that I can show you. If you came here to be fed stats, you might as well go check out his page on ESPN, this is just a piece about the sheer effort Jose puts out there every single night.


He’s different.

        I have commonly referred to guys like Pat Beverly as someone you hate when he’s against you, but love on your team, Jose is in a whole new class on his own. If you missed it, Joel Embiid, a fan favorite for the MVP this year, paid his technical foul fine because “I just like his energy”. These guys aren’t friends, they aren’t old college buddies. Joel just likes Jose. While he may be referred to as a pest-style player on defense, he caught the eye of one of the current NBA greats. I remember when Antonio Daniels started mentioning they need to dismiss the notion that Josh Hart was a “just” hustle guy and actually a high IQ player with a high motor. I think it’s that time to start recognizing this about Jose as well.

 

He’s infectious.

        If you are reading this article by mistake and you have never watched a New Orleans Pelicans game. I implore you, catch one. Catch the insane amount of energy, and drive that Jose has. He has one speed, FASTER. You can look at his eyes and already tell he is thinking about the next 10 possible things to happen, and the 37 ways he can prevent it. He drives, he kicks, he scores. He does everything you want a guard to do. He is relentless, and whoever shares the court with him notices, and follows the lead. Maybe I am alone, but I don’t think I have ever seen Brandon Ingram smile as much as I do this year with Jose walking next to him. As much as Jose can learn from the New Orleans Legend that is Ingram, I think Brandon has learned a lot from Jose. I don’t think it is any surprise Ingram’s defensive effort and assist numbers are up when he’s hanging around a guy who has done that better than any guard the Pelicans have had in quite some time.

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Saints Pregame: Domecoming vs Falcons

By Matt Miguez • October 5, 2026
Twenty years ago, the city of New Orleans was forever changed. The "Rebirth" game when the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina was more than a football game already. However, when Steve Gleason blocked the first punt of the game and it was returned for a touchdown, everyone in the building knew it was over.

Recap: LSU Pummels McNeese in Non-Conference Game

By Chrissy Smith • October 5, 2026
BATON ROUGE -- No. 11 LSU did exactly what it was supposed to do Saturday night — and then some. The Tigers dominated McNeese from the opening whistle, rolling to a 63-14 victory inside Tiger Stadium while putting together one of the most productive offensive performances in school history. LSU finished with 731 yards of total offense , the second-most in a single game in program history. The Tigers also ran 101 offensive plays, setting a new school record. For head coach Lane Kiffin, though, the night was about more than piling up points against an FCS opponent. Kiffin Wants LSU Playing Its Standard LSU led 35-0 at halftime and had every reason to take its foot off the gas. Kiffin chose not to. When asked about using a running clock in the second half, Kiffin said LSU needed to continue playing its game. “You play the game and we decide when the game’s over, by the way that we play, and how physical that we play,” Kiffin said. That mentality showed up throughout the night. Even with the game firmly in hand, LSU continued to play with energy and gave plenty of younger players valuable snaps. Kiffin said the number of plays was particularly important because the Tigers will need that depth during the stretch ahead. “A lot of snaps for guys,” Kiffin said. “The goal was to get (that up) to evaluate those guys because they are going to need to play with the injuries we have down the stretch.” Offense Finds Plenty of Contributors Quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 18 of 23 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while Corey Barber Jr. caught two touchdown passes. The running game was just as impressive. Harlem Berry rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, while Stacy Gage added 110 yards and two touchdowns. Five different Tigers — Berry, Dilin Jones, Gage, Landen Clark and freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds — scored rushing touchdowns. Geralds' touchdown was particularly memorable. Kiffin joked afterward that he had checked with LSU historian and former Tiger Anthony “Booger” McFarland to determine whether anyone had previously recorded a sack and offensive touchdown in the same game. Kiffin said Geralds now holds the record outright. After a 35-6 victory over Texas A&M last week, LSU has now put together back-to-back dominant performances. The competition gets much tougher from here. But Saturday night showed that LSU has plenty of players capable of making plays — and Kiffin is making sure they understand the standard doesn't change simply because the opponent does. LSU is 4-1 and now turns its attention to Kentucky next Saturday on the road.
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