2/5/12 5:55 am CST

Good morning, Tiger Fans. I hope all of you enjoy the Super Bowl today. LSU will be well represented in the game with two players on each squad - Kevin Faulk and Stevan Ridley for the Patriots, and Michael Clayton and Corey Webster for the Giants.

Yesterday several top football prospects visited LSU for Junior Day and Coach Miles picked up two new commitments for the class of 2013, bringing the total to three. The two commitments picked up yesterday were from Tredavious White (WR/CB, 5'11", 160) from Green Oaks of Shreveport and Chuck Baker (WR, 6'2", 190) from Salmen. Wright is the Godson of Morris Claiborne. LSU extended offers to several other players yesterday including Josh Boutte (OL, 6'5", 300) from Westgate and Tevin Lawson (OL/DL, 6'4", 285) from Denham Springs. Tim Williams (LB, 6'3", 225) from University High had already received offers from both LSU and Alabama, and Coach Miles made it clear to him yesterday that he really wants him as a Tiger. Williams will be one to watch as LSU and Alabama battle it out for his services. Other players who received lots of attention from LSU's coaching staff yesterday include Ryan Hoefield (OL, 6'3", 270) from Brother Martin and Noel Ellis (CB, 5'10", 175) from Karr.

In basketball news, LSU defeated Arkansas 71-65 yesterday. With the win, LSU's record improved to 13-9, 3-5. LSU took an early 2-0 lead and led 24-18 with eight minutes to play in the half. Arkansas went on a 9-2 run to close out the first half and make the score 35-31 at intermission. LSU came out hot in the second half and quickly extended the lead to 41-31, but Arkansas would cut the lead to three points on a couple occasions, although they never could take the lead. LSU used a balance attack on offense to seal the win.

LSU was led in scoring by Ralston Turner with 16 points. Justin Hamilton added 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. Andrew Hickey and Eddie Ludwig each scored 12 points and Johnny O'Bryant III scored nine points. LSU had a bad day shooting the basketball only making 24-of-58 field goals attempted for a 41.4% average. The team only made 2-of-13 from three-point range for 15.4%. The Tigers made 21-of-33 free throws for 63.6%. LSU committed 16 turnovers, which is not bad considering Arkansas uses a very aggressive man-to-man defense. There were only three ties in the game and only three lead changes.

I thought the team played hard the entire game and that Eddie Ludwig played his best game of the season. The win was huge for LSU head coach Trent Johnson who needs to win every game possible to secure his job. LSU's next game will be Wednesday, February 08 at Vanderbilt.

LSU's Lady Tigers basketball team (14-8, 4-5) will return to action today as they take on 5th ranked Kentucky (21-2, 10-0) in the PMAC. The Lady Tigers are hoping to end their five-game losing streak, but will have to bring their absolute best to upset Kentucky. The game will be televised by CST at 2 p.m.

2/4/12  6:00 am CST

Good morning, Tiger Fans. I hope all of you enjoy a nice Super Bowl weekend.

Today is Junior Day at LSU and several of the state's top football prospects, along with several from surrounding states, will be in attendance. With the general morale among LSU fans relatively low, it would be great to see LSU pick up a big commitment or two this weekend. The number one player on our list of Top Louisiana Football Prospects for 2013, tight end DeSean Smith (6'5", 225) from Barbe High School in Lake Charles, will be there, as will almost all of our highly ranked prospects. I know that Smith is very high on LSU, and an early commitment from him, or from any top prospect, would go a long way in lifting the spirits of the Tiger faithful.

As a tight end from Lake Charles, Smith should be encouraged by LSU's latest coaching hire - wide receivers coach Adam Henry. I say this because Henry spent his last three years coaching tight ends for the Oakland Raiders, and before joining the Raiders' coaching staff he spent 10 years in Lake Charles coaching for McNeese State. I like the fact that Henry holds a Master’s degree in education and is said to be a great teacher on the field, and I also like that he has connections to Louisiana and East Texas. Henry is originally from Beaumont, TX.

In basketball news, LSU’s men (12-9, 2-5) will take on Arkansas (16-6, 4-3) for the second time this season when they welcome the Razorbacks to the PMAC for a 12:45 tip-off this afternoon. In the first game against Arkansas back on January 14, the Tigers turned the ball over 16 times and lost 69-60 in Fayetteville. The Tigers will have to do a better job of protecting the ball this time around, and they will have to do so with the service of forward Malcolm White who was suspended by Coach Trent Johnson after committing a flagrant foul against Kentucky last week. A win today at home would be big for the Tigers who have lost three in a row, including last week's 24-point loss to top-ranked Kentucky. Today's game will be televised on the SEC Network (Alexandria - KLAX-DT; Baton Rouge - WAFB; Lafayette - KADN; Lake Charles - KVHP; Monroe - KARD; New Orleans - WUPL; Shreveport - KMSS)

Reader comments: For Tiger Fans curious about 6-3, 270 pound quarterback Jeremy Liggins, here's a great highlight video: Jeremy Liggins, LSU, and the PERFECT Highlight Music

2/3/12 5:55 am CST

Good morning, Tiger Fans. Yesterday I received a lot of comments and questions about LSU’s 2012 recruiting class and I'll do my best to address many of them in today's update.

First, I want to make it clear that although this signing class is not spectacular, it is solid. Yes, in some ways the class was disappointing, but in no way was it a failure, and I don't agree with those who say that LSU's position in the final team rankings is an indication that the program is on a steep decline. This class was disappointing in that LSU missed out on a few big-time prospects, but finishing with an average ranking of 11.25 across the four major recruiting services is not the end of the world, especially when you consider that only Scout included RB Jeremy Hill, and none of the services give much credit for specialists like Reid Ferguson who is the No. 1 player at his position. More importantly, LSU's key needs for team speed, particularly at the linebacker and wide receiver positions, were adequately met.

I also heard from a lot of you about LSU only signing 22 players. That sounds bad because the expectation was 25, but it’s not that uncommon. Other SEC schools that signed under 25 are Arkansas with 23, Auburn 20, Georgia 18, Ole Miss 17, Missouri 19, Texas A&M 19, Tennessee 21 and Vanderbilt 21. With three scholarships still available, Coach Miles has said he will extend aid to at least two players on the current roster who are deserving.

Lastly, I heard from many of you who questioned the wisdom of signing a 6-3, 270 pound quarterback. If you think a man of Jeremy Liggins’ size has no business playing quarterback, I would like to remind you of someone by the name of Jared Lorenzen, a.k.a. Fat Cat, who played at Kentucky about 10 years ago and gave everyone in the SEC fits. Lorenzen (6-4, 315) was a three-year starter at Kentucky and set school records in total offense, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I think Liggins will come in and start over Mettenberger, Rivers or Randall, but I do think he will compete very well and add quality depth at the position.

Before leaving the topic of football, I'd like to thanks those of you who voted in our poll asking “Which incoming LSU football signee(s) will make the biggest impact in the 2012 season?” I will keep the poll open until Monday morning.

In basketball news, LSU's Lady Tigers lost to the Florida Lady Gators, 73-64 last night in the PMAC. The Lady Tigers committed 12 turnovers early in the game and found themselves trailing 25-14 with 6:15 to go in the first half, then they went on a 6-0 run to pull within five, 25-20, with 3:31 remaining in the half. At the half the Lady Tigers trailed 33-24. Florida came out hot to start the second half and extended the lead to 14 points, 38-24, with 17:16 remaining. LSU rallied to within six points, 58-52, with 4:11 to play, but that was as close as they would get. The Tigers committed 22 turnovers in the game and continued to struggle on defense. With the loss, the Lady Tigers' record fell to 14-8, 4-5. The Lady Tigers were led in scoring by Adrienne Webb with 19 points. Jeanne Kenney and Courtney Jones each scored 10 points. LSU made 22-of-57 from the floor for 38.6%, 5-of-15 from three-point range for 33.3% and 15-of-19 from the free throw line for 78.9%.