The Statement Year

Dylan Mckneely • October 25, 2023

2023-2024 New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans begin their 2023-2024 season tonight against the Memphis Grizzles. Will this be the year that the Pelicans finally put it all together? There may be some added motivation for the Pelicans according to General Manager Trajan Langdon, "We're excited about this year, there's a bitter taste in the mouths of all our players with the way we ended last year and with all the injuries. We weren't able to show what we were truly capable of. When players aren't being talked about and the league forgets about your impact, they have an edge when coming in," says Langdon. It goes without saying, this is a statement year for the New Orleans Pelicans, the question is... what statement is being made?


"I'm Back." - Zion

"What I worked on was being unguardable." The media day quote heard around the World... Or around the entire state of Louisiana at least. Zion Williamson is poised to begin the 2023-2024 season fully healthy and fully motivated. Williamson replaced his patented smile and childlike enthusiasm, with a more business like approached to media day. This new approached didn't show early return in the preseason, often playing uninspiring basketball. One could contribute Williamson's lack luster play to start the preseason to getting acclimated to playing in a NBA game for the first time since January 2,2023 against the Philadelphia 76ers, or it could be adjusting to a new offensive scheme. Zion put all of those worries to rest in the final preseason game, coming out not just locked in offensively as he normally is but also displaying high level effort on the defensive end. Finishing the game with five(5) steals and two(2) blocks, schematically the Pelicans played Williamson as more of a free safety resembling his role at Duke University. This defensive revelation could pay huge dividends if it translates into the season. While all of these things are a welcome site playing the game is not the problem for Zion, it's his availability to play the game that is. When on the floor Zion is a MVP candidate and the Pelicans are a Top 3 team in the West. Yes, Zion is back... but is he here to stay?

 

Need I Remind You?

After a disappointing showing at the FIBA World Cup, Brandon Ingram enters the 2023-2024 with something to prove... That he is one of the best basketball players in the NBA. Coming off a year where he averaged 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assist per game, a strong argument can be made that we have yet to see Brandon Ingram fully put it all together. Could this be the year that he shows the World  what it witnessed at the FIBA World Cup was an anomaly and this is the year we finally see Brandon Ingram become the complete basketball player. Like Zion the true achilles heel of Brandon is also his availability. Ingram suited up to play in 45 games in the 2022-2023 season, well below what you'd desire to see from one of your star players.  One can only hope that a motivated Brandon Ingram is not only enough to elevate his play, but also the play of the New Orleans Pelicans as a whole. A unhealthy Pelicans team led by a motivated and dare a say angry Brandon Ingram took a fully loaded Phoenix Suns to a game six(6) in the playoffs. Coming in to the season already in playing shape with an added edge the 26 year old going into his eighth season in the association, is looking and expected to take his game to an even higher level.


Will The Real Coach Green Please Stand Up?

According to LinkedIn, it takes 3 to 5 years to create culture in a workplace. This statistic tells us that, this year is the year we should truly see the Willie Green imprint on this Pelicans team. Not only from a statistical standpoint but from a continuity point as well. The Pelicans go into the 2023=2024 season with the same starting five for  consecutive seasons for the first time in the Willie Green era. Coach Green added James Borrego to his coaching staff with the intent of transforming the offensive scheme into a more up pace free flowing modern style. One that supplements the personal and desired playing style of this current iteration of Pelicans. Some would say this is a make or break year for the Pelicans, placing a lot of the burden on Coach Green to get the best out of his often injured superstars. Has the Coach Green Culture fully set in, and is it one that can succeed even in the midst of uncertainty? Only time and the wins and loss total will tell.


The Moral Of The Story

There will be a statement made this year one way or another. This statement hinges heavily on the three individuals mentioned above. According to Ceasars Sportsbook Zion is a 18/1 favorite to win the MVP trophy. The Pelicans as a whole are projected to finish anywhere from 3rd to 11th in the Western Conference according to CBS Sports. The table is set for the Pelicans to finally step into the sustained success that continuous to allude them. With the maturation into stardom of Trey Murphy, the continued development of Herb Jones and Dyson Daniels, the return of double double machine Jonas Valanciunas, and the addition of young sniper the Pelicans have the pieces necessary to be a hard out for any team on any given night... The only question is will the top guys be available to lead the charge. In the words of Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin "Hope Is Not A Plan." Let's hope that the plan the Pelicans have in place will lead to a deep playoff run.

- Dylan Mckneely (@DylanMckneely)

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Bullpen Steps Up, Tigers Eliminate Sooners 6-2

By David Billiot Jr • May 20, 2026
Tigers - 6, Sooners - 2

Louisiana's Road to Omaha Starts Today at SBC Tournament: What Will it Take?

By Abdul Abusada • May 19, 2026
After putting a cap on a 34-21 regular season record and 16-14 in the Sun Belt, Louisiana baseball has now turned their heads to the Sun Belt Baseball Championship tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. The Cajuns head into this 10-team tournament as the 7-seed, with hopes they can do enough to earn a spot at a regional. Their first game will be a single-elimination matchup against the 10-seed Thundering Herd of Marshall, who finished 23-31 overall and 13-17 in the conference, today at 3pm. Louisiana sealed their spot in the tournament after winning the series against the 20th nationally ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at home this past weekend. Luckily, this helped boost their resume for an NCAA tournament push. The Cajuns now go into the SBC tournament with series wins over four of the top five teams in the Sun Belt (Southern Miss, Coastal Carolina, App State, and South Alabama). It also brought the Cajuns RPI up to 40th. While their path to earning a spot in the Field of 64 is not guaranteed, it certainly is not out of reach thanks to the resume they have built throughout the season. The Cajuns won series against three of the current five "Quadrant 1" teams they have played this season (Southern Miss, Coastal, and Arkansas State). Not to mention, Southern Miss was ranked in the top 10 nationally during that weekend series. They also have impressive series wins over "Quadrant 2" Dallas Baptist and App State teams, both of which were on the road. UL finished the season with nine 3-game series wins out of the 14 they played. What has hurt the Cajuns this season though is some of their poor losses, especially halfway into conference play when the team entered a lull and lost three straight conference series. As a result of poor pitching and execution, those losses to Texas State (sweep), ULM (lost two of three), and JMU (lost two of three) eventually set the Cajuns back into a hole that they had to dig out of. Before those losses, the Cajuns were nationally ranked and held an RPI in the top 20. That said, the Cajuns will more than likely need to win some games in the Sun Belt tournament to get the likes of the selection committee to strongly consider them for a regional bid, and it starts today against a tricky Marshall team in a first-round "play-in" style game. The Thundering Herd are not a great baseball team by any stretch, but they are not awful either. With the help of a weak schedule this season, they presented a strong offensive game through the likes of Evan Bottone (hitting .387) and Tyler Kamerer (hitting .323), and Jackson Halter (11 HR, 52 RBI). All of that has come from the help of average pitching from their opponents this season (5.8 opponents ERA). Marshall's pitching itself has presented its fair share of weakness with a 6.14 team ERA, playing a big role in why this team has lost a lot of games. With Marshall's RPI sitting at 179 and presenting a losing record through a weak schedule, a win against Marshall will more than likely be necessary for the Cajuns to keep their regionals hopes alive. UL is just now getting back on the radar for regionals bid, but that is under the assumption that they beat this Marshall team. Given an unusually crowded bubble for the field of 64 this season, a Cajuns loss today would probably drop them well enough to make it hard for the selection committee to consider them for a regional bid. Should the Cajuns defeat Marshall, they will find themselves matched up against Coastal Carolina for the fourth time in the last week. That game would take place on Wednesday at 12:30pm. The winner will play on Thursday afternoon against the winner between App State and Texas State. Since this tournament (outside of the first round) is a double-elimination bracket, the loser will move into the loser's bracket for a chance at redemption. With Louisiana being strongly on the bubble for the field of 64, a win against Coastal in this case would almost certainly guarantee them a seed in the NCAA tournament. It would be the final defining statement for the program who appears to have gotten hot at just the right time following the unusual skid they had halfway through the season. If UL loses to Coastal however, it would not be the end of the world thanks to the double-elimination style bracket, but they would definitely need to find themselves back in a game against a team still in the winner's bracket, which would require two wins in the loser's bracket. For now, the Cajuns will need to focus on their task at hand today, which is to beat the Marshall Thundering Herd and earn the right to play Coastal Carolina tomorrow.
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