Guerry any reason our pledges are not listed on this site

Most of us are probably a little disappointed in the recent play of our baseball team. We're 7-8 over the last fifteen games against teams with a combined record of 201-206 (.494). This is after we started out 11-2 against teams with a combined record to date of 176-175 (.501), not a lot of difference in opponents-basically .500 teams during both stretches. Overall, our wins have come against teams with a 232-254 record (.477) and our losses to teams with a 145-121 record (.545). Not surprisingly, like everyone else, we tend to fair better against lesser competition.

Well, that's got to change soon. Our next thirteen games are against teams with a combined 244-118 record (.674). And, but for the three game respite at Cincinnati, we don't play a team with a losing record the remainder of the year. It's going to get tougher, not easier.

Our most obvious problem continues to be hitting. We're down to .245 on the season (number 242 in the country) and our lack of aggressiveness at the plate is confounding. I know some people think it is great to "work the pitcher," take strikes, and "get into their bullpen." But, it's not working!



We're now getting to 2-strike counts in over half our at bats. That gives the pitcher a tremendous advantage and opponents are making the most of it. We're batting .151 with two strikes, mostly because we're striking out half the time once we reach that count. Almost a third of those "K's" were looking. When we get the ball in play, we're hitting .304. Compare that to when we hit with no strikes (.345) or one strike (.322). The only truly aggressive hitter on our team is Alemais. He hits the first "good" pitch he sees in almost ever at bat. Yet, he's the ONLY guy on the team with more walks than strikeouts. Moreover, he has our best on base average and slugging average. "Working the pitcher for a walk" takes the bat out of a hitter's hands and does not work in the long run. Taking a ball "works the pitcher," fouling off two-strike pitches "works the pitcher." Tattooing his mistakes for base hits "works the pitcher." Taking strikes puts the batter behind in the count and gives the pitcher many options and a huge advantage. We're doing far too much of it.

Of course, lack of aggressiveness is not our only problem at bat. Simply put, we don't have many good hitters. And that won't change until we get some new players. Coach Pierce is working on that. Nonetheless, we're not making the most of what we have. I don't want to pick on one guy, so I won't name him, but on Saturday, a Tulane hitter had one of the worst at bats I've ever seen. We had no one out and a man on second with a 2-0 count on our batter. The left handed pitcher threw a breaking ball that came at least six inches inside to our right handed hitter. Beyond the fact that taking it would have resulted in a 3-0 count, the batter tried to pull it, barely fouling it off; it was not the time to be aggressive on an impossible pitch. We had a man on second. We need to move him along by hitting to right field. Why swing at a pitch that could not possibly achieve that end? And worse, why try to pull it. On the next pitch, on the outside corner, a perfect pitch to go to right, he again tried to pull it, and, once again, fouled it off weakly. What's he thinking? What's he been taught? Finally, he took a change up on the outside corner for a third strike. It was another easy pitch to go "the other way." That's really poor fundamental hitting, but it also indicts coaching. He's not being taught or he's not learning. And, it's not the only example, just a very recent one.

Our pitching is also suffering a bit of late. Our "big six" of Merrill, Gibbs, Yandel, Duester, Massey, and Gibault, who between them have thrown 82% of our innings, have not been performing that well in recent games. Only Gibbs and Massey have done the job in their last couple of games. The rest have not. I think that can change and I have no real explanation. Gibbs has succeeded recently due to excellent command of his pitches. His fast ball is not "frightening" by any means but he is placing it well. And his curve ball which is a "plus pitch" is really good when he keeps it down. He's been doing that. Other guys are getting hammered early in the count or falling behind and issuing walks or serving up "fat" pitches to avoid them. Still, we remain #8 in the nation in ERA, so the pitchers are getting the job done, just not so much lately.

Our defense is most perplexing. We're #74 in the nation in fielding percentage and Alemais, Hope, and Rogers, in particular, make spectacular plays. Rogers throwing has been nothing short of sensational. And, on Saturday, Alemais went deep in the hole to field a possible base hit, made a really tough throw to second across his body for the force, and Deschamp made a great pivot and throw to complete a double play. It was a tremendous play all the way around. But, Alemais throws too many balls away on routine grounders. Hope does the same. And Willsey's play in the 9th Sunday when he let a ball dribble through his legs near second base looked like Bill Buckner's infamous "boot" in the World Series. The defense must tighten up.

I know some people are already starting to throw the coaching staff under the bus, but I think that is far too early. I've had no problem with coaching decisions thus far and I think what I read of incoming recruits is promising. We need to work on fundamentals, make the routine play at bat and in the field, and get our pitching staff settled down and we can still have a winning season and compete in our conference. I fear regionals, super regionals, and World Series appearances, however, are still in the future-hopefully the "near" future.

Roll Wave!!!

Here's hoping that some day Tulane will be involved in this discussion and get a chance to keep its opening-round perfect record intact.

My pick is Kentucky to win it all, and I'm surprised the odds are 50-50 according to Vegas. The Wildcats are by no means a lock in the one-loss-and-you're done system, but come on, they have to have at least a 75 percent chance to win it all. They've gotten better as the year has gone along, and John Calipari is one of the most underrated bench coaches of all time. Because people can't stand him, they act like he just rolls the balls out. This guy gets McDonald's All-Americans to play cohesively and never selfishly, which is an incredibly difficult task. I don't know he does it.

If Kentucky loses, it will be on a day it does not shoot well from outside and the other team does. No one is going to beat the Wildcats straight up.

If the Cats lose, this is my order of likely national champions.

1) Wisconsin --Frank Kaminsky definitely should be the player of the year. Wisconsin executes more efficiently on offense than anyone, and these guys are winners. That's why I think they will beat Arizona again in a regional final rematch of one of the best games I've seen in the last 10 years. Arizona is more talented, but the Wildcats don't have the same will to win.

2) Arizona --Because Arizona does everything well, is terrific defensively and would not be intimidated by Kentucky at all.

3) Villanova --This team cannot beat Kentucky, but it is capable of beating whoever does beat Kentucky. The idea that Villanova will flop because it has in the past is plain stupid. The other teams didn't go 32-2 and crush just about everyone in a good league (Big East). I have Villanova losing to Kentucky in the championship game.

4) Duke --the Blue Devils played the three most impressive games of any team not named Kentucky, beating a healthy Virginia on the road, Wisconsin on the road and crushing Notre Dame by 30. They definitely would have a shot at Kentucky if they played. The problem is their lows are lower than the other contenders and they will have a hard time getting to the championship game. Okafor misses too many free throws, they take too many 3s at times and they play questionable defense.

5) Virginia--I have Virginia losing in the second round to Michigan State, but if Justin Anderson gets healthy and plays well, the Cavaliers can beat anyone with their grinding, defensive style. It's brutal to watch but lethally effective.

No other team has a shot to win it all in my view. Gonzaga is better than its recent editions that flopped but not good enough defensively to beat multiple contenders. II have the Zags reaching the Final Four, but with little confidence in that prediction.

My regional finals are Kentucky over Notre Dame, Wisconsin over Arizona, Villanova over Michigan State and Gonzaga over Duke.

In the Final Four I have Kentucky over Wisconsin and Villanova over Gonzaga, then Kentucky cutting down the nets.

The last time I won an NCAA tournament pool was 1996, so it's been a long drought that is unlikely to end this time.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (17) [/B]Like wide receiver, Louisiana provides a large number of defensive backs annually to Division 1 college football. In 2015, eleven kids signed with P5 schools, fifteen with G5 schools, and twenty-two more with FCS schools. The numbers will probably be similar this year though I've only identified 17 so far. [/B]Currently, the Wave has between 15 and 17 DB's on scholarship depending on how you count our 3rd LB/Nickel position. Only two, Carthon and Monroe, will be seniors, and only two more, Allen and Davis, are juniors, so we have about a dozen DB's who will still be here in 2017. We'll still probably take one, maybe even two this year. As usual, Louisiana is fully stocked at this position. Here are some of the better ones.

[/B]

1. Shyheim Carter 5'10" 181# Kentwood[/B] (ALABAMA COMMIT) [/B]Carter's size may be in doubt (variously reported at 5'10" to 6'1"), but his speed is not. In his highlights, he lines up at QB, RB, WR, CB, S, and punt returner. At all of them, he appears to be the fastest guy on the field as he outmaneuvers foes and more often than not, outruns them for a TD. He's currently an Alabama commitment and has offers from everywhere including Tulane. Named all state (1A) as an athlete, he's probably the best DB prospect in the state. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1421828/shyheim-carter

2. Kristian Fulton 6'0" 170# Rummel[/B] Fulton has good size and excellent speed for a defensive back. He's also a sure tackler and a true "ballhawk." His junior-year highlights include all eleven of his interceptions for the year-a very big number. He's been offered by numerous P5 schools including LSU, and, of course, Tulane. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1832162/kristian-fulton

3. Andraez (Greedy) Williams 6'2" 170# Calvary Academy[/B] Williams is another highly recruited player who Tulane has offered, though Alabama and others may have the inside track. Most of his highlights are from his sophomore year and show him as a terrific tackler and solid "cover guy." http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1529001/highlights

4. Cameron Lewis 6'1" Wossman[/B] (LSU COMMIT) [/B]As with many top-end athletes, most of Lewis' highlights feature him on offense, in his case as an elusive, very fast QB; he is clearly the fastest guy on the field in his tapes. On the few plays shown as a free safety, he has great ball instincts and coverage skills. I don't know that Tulane has offered him but many others have. After he ran a purported 4.3 40 at an LSU camp, they did, and he committed. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3134064/highlights/187546383/v2

5. Clifford Chattman 6'4" 175# McDonough 35 (LSU COMMIT[/B]) The first thing one notices about Chattman is his size. At 6'4 (some have him at 6'5") he's clearly taller than any other DB's or WR's on his highlights. He appears very athletic though it's hard to judge his speed. He's been offered by everyone but committed to LSU. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1554624/clifford-chattman

6. Chanse Sylvie 6'1" 180 Calvary Academy[/B] Sylvie has good size and speed. During his junior year, he played CB, SS, and FS and proved to be a punishing and sure tackler. He has an offer from Tulane as well as several P5 colleges, including Oklahoma. At Tulane, I'd see him at a safety position or our hybrid Nickel/LB position. He'd be a good get. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1529045/chanse-sylvie-

7. C.J. Morgan-Walker 5'10" 179# Parkway (MISSISSIPPI STATE COMMIT[/B]) Morgan -Walker is a Miss State commit despite a number of other P5 offers and one from Tulane. He's got the size and speed to play CB at the next level, with excellent coverage skills and good tackling techniques and aggressiveness. Solid potential! http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2582434/cj-morgan-walker

8. Joshua Perry 6'1" 181# Amite[/B] Perry has good size but I don't see the speed on his highlights to make him a "can't miss." He hasn't had much coverage from the recruiting sites but has offers from LSU and Ole Miss. Frankly, while he's a good player, I don't understand offers at that level. I'm probably missing something. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3394927/joshua-perry

9. Tre Jackson 5'9" 165# [/B]University Lab[/B] Jackson played both wide receiver and free safety as a junior and clearly excelled at both. I'm not sure he has the breakaway speed to be a top end player in college, however. That said, he has a number of "big time" offers including Florida and Mississippi State, who see more than I do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USxQvYSz1BE

10. Malik Antoine 5'11" 182# University Lab[/B] Antoine is a legitimate "cover corner" with good feet, great hands (displayed in a few clips as wide receiver), and above average speed. His offers, beside Tulane, include Stanford, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt, so he must be a good student who is interested in a quality education. He's not one of the very best, but he's a good player. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5WYKoywQ5M

11. Rodarius Williams 6'0" 170# Calvary Academy[/B] Williams looks to have about average size, maybe a little taller than average, for a corner back and really good hands; his highlights show him intercepting six passes. He also appears to have above average speed and does a good job in one-on-one coverage. Along with Tulane, he has a number of P5 offers from schools like Oklahoma and Arizona State. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2601210/rodarius-williams

12. Coney Durr 5'10" 180# Dutchtown[/B] Durr isn't as big or as fast as some, but he is a "big play" guy. On his highlights two plays really stick out. On one, he chases a ball carrier down from behind and punches the ball out of his grasp. On another, he is the first man downfield on a kickoff near the sideline that bounces in front of the return man. Durr makes great play to grab the ball before going out of bounds, giving his team the ball inside the ten. Those are "game changing" plays. To date he does not have any P5 offers, though he has one from Tulane and a couple other G5 schools. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2613737/coney-durr

13. Kyle Meyers 5'10" 160# Holy Cross [/B]Meyers is another true "cover corner with speed to burn. I think he needs to get a little bigger and stronger without losing any speed to make an impact at the next level. He's been offered by Utah and a host of G5 schools including Tulane. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1466065/highlights/206789385/v2

14. Nehemiah Augustus 5'11" 196# Patterson[/B] Augustus primarily played strong safety and outside linebacker as a junior, He's got the size already for the former and could grow into the latter. He's a very athletic guy on film and though I don't think he's can run the 4.47 40 accredited to him by HUDL, he's fast enough that he returned kickoffs for Patterson and was at least as fast as opponent's wide receivers. He hits hard and seems to have good instincts for the ball in the air. Tulane is one of about eight teams so far on his offer list which also includes Nebraska and Arizona State. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1596586/nehemiah-augustus

15. Jayrin Wilson 5'9" 165# Acadiana[/B] Wilson played free safety in all his junior year highlights. What stands out is his "hitting. He hits much harder than his size would suggest. He's quick and gets a good jump on the ball, but he dropped at least five potential interceptions on his highlights. Good coverage, but didn't follow up with the "big play." Tulane, USM, and LaTech appear to be his only current offers. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2922428/jayrin-wilson

16. Blair Brooks 6'2" 190# Thibodaux[/B] Brooks is a big defensive back who appeared to play free safety for most of his plays as a junior. Almost all of his highlights show him making tackles all over the field and he is clearly a solid tackler. I was less impressed with his coverage skills, only highlighted on 3-4 plays, one of which he was beaten but due to a badly underthrown ball, was able to make the play. Tulane appears to be his only offer thus far. If he joined the Wave, I'd think he'd play strong safety or our hybrid nickle/linebacker slot. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2730700/highlights/216052379/v2

17. Eric Lewis 5'10" 173# St. Charles Catholic[/B] Lewis is another DB with a single offer from Tulane. But, on his highlights, he returns kickoffs and punts, blocks extra points, blitzes, tackles all over the field, forces fumbles, breaks up passes, and makes several interceptions. What's not to like? He primarily lines up as a free safety but also appears to move over to strong safety in some situations. He's a hard-nosed tackler who, despite lacking "elite" speed, looks to have good speed. I think he'll be playing in Division 1 somewhere, though probably not with a P5 school. Tulane? Maybe. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2228085/eric-lewis



That concludes my early rundown of prospects in the 2016 class from Louisiana. Like I mentioned at the beginning, there are undoubtedly many more really good players. Since I only listed 87 players and over 100 will sign with FBS schools and probably a similar number with FCS schools, quite a few weren't included on "my list." And, certainly, some of those I mentioned will not pan out. With all the money in the world, numerous scouts, miles of film, uncountable interviews, and the ability to actually "work out" a couple hundred recruits, Nick Saban doesn't hit close to 100% in evaluating his signees. And, I'm not him.



As for Tulane, according to my count, we currently have eight seniors on our roster of 82 scholarship players. That means we could take only eleven in the 2016 class if we have no additional attrition. Because last year was also a small class, I think we could actually bring on up to eight kids early, in time for spring football-something to watch for. If we were limited to eleven, I'd probably take 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 OL, 2 WR, 1 TE, 2 DE, 1 DT, and 1 DB. And, I'd be willing to adjust some of those numbers for the right players.



Of course, I expect us to have some attrition. After those "needs" I mentioned, I'd try to get the best player available, but I'd have to pay attention to where the attrition came from. If we lost five more players (a good bet based on history) and two of them were from the same position, I'd undoubtedly take at least one more for that spot. At the end of March and over ten months to signing day, it's a little early to make a credible estimate.



Roll Wave!!!

LINEBACKERS (8) [/B]Last year was a good year for linebackers in Louisiana, Six signed with P5 schools, five with G5 schools, and twelve with FCS schools. [/B]Tulane didn't sign any LB's in 2015 and, depending on attrition, might not sign any this year either, though we've offered several. I think Louisiana has several good ones in this year's class starting with two who stand out above the others.

1. Michael Divinity 6'2" 203# John Ehret[/B] Most of Divinity's highlights are as an OLB in a 3-4 defense, where he is used primarily as a pass rusher. He even plays DE with his hand on the ground but he also looks very good playing off the line and in pass coverage, where I think he could really excel. He's already highly rated by the services and has offers from about 20 P5 schools including LSU. He may be an impossible "get" for Tulane, but we have offered. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1614504/michael-divinity

2. Travez Moore 6'3" 230# Bastrop[/B] In his highlights, Moore is featured almost exclusively at DE. And that may well be where he ends up. But, he is very athletic, a truly impressive physical specimen. On some plays he runs obviously fast running backs down from behind. And he's always around the ball. Even at this early date, he's highly regarded by all of the recruiting services and been offered by several P5 schools, including LSU. The best I can tell, he has not been offered by Tulane. He'd be a "reach" in my view, but I'd offer regardless. Can't hurt. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4742418/highlights/238594378/v2

3. Kevin Moore 6'0" 195# Acadiana[/B] Kevin Moore has been offered by Tulane as well as Miami and Kansas State among others. He was a scrambling QB and LB as a junior in high school, but his best position may be strong safety or nickel in a Tulane system. Most of his LB highlights show him dropping into coverage or covering a WR man-to-man. It shows him making five interceptions. He's a strong tackler and the way he runs away from guys at QB suggests some legitimate speed. I think he's a player we could use if he's interested. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2922446/highlights/179323377/v2

4. Giovanni LaFrance 6'1" 220# St. Augustine [/B] LaFrance really looks good on his highlights. He's got the size you want and plenty of speed. I didn't see him much in coverage but he is a terrific blitzer from the LB position. If he gets a lot bigger, he could easily move to defensive end. But with his speed, it would be nice if he stayed at LB. Tulane has offered and he visited during the spring work outs, so he would appear to be a possibility. He also has offers from Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and a number of G5 schools. He'd be a good "get," but it won't be easy. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4518694/

5. Nathaniel Evans 6'1" 225# John Curtis[/B] Evans is much like LaFrance, a true middle linebacker with the size and speed necessary to move on to the next level. He runs well to the ball, is a sure tackler, and looks good dropping back into pass coverage. Hard not to like him. So far, he's a bit under the radar with offers from Tulane and a couple of other G5 schools. I'd think he'll get more interest over time. I like him a lot. Sadly, when interviewed YESTERDAY, he mentioned seven schools he liked including ULL and ULM, but not Tulane. Huh?!?! http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1615087/

6. Johnathan Picone 6'1" 216# Mandeville[/B] In high school, Picone lined up in every position along the front seven: DT, DE, OLB, and MLB. According to HUDL, he runs a 4.61 40 and viewing his highlights, I don't doubt it. He looks pretty fast. So far, he's not been noticed much by the service though he does have an offer from Texas Tech. I don't think Tulane has offered him yet, but I would expect that to come at some point. .http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2714875/johnathan-picone

7. Dejon Harris 6'1" 223# John Ehret[/B] In his junior highlights, Harris played everything from OLB to DE, to MLB on defense to RB and receiver on offense, He's even shown throwing a half-back pass for a TD. But I think his best position is MLB, where his pursuit and tackling stand out. He's got an offer from Oregon and a few G5 schools including the Wave. He looks like a good player to me. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3308614/highlights

8. Layton Garnette 6'2" 230# West Monroe [/B]Garnette missed virtually all of his junior season due to injury so his recruiting thus far has been slow, awaiting proof of his recovery. But his sophomore highlights are impressive. He is a "brute." Everyone he hits goes backward and though he currently plays middle linebacker, he could easily transition to defensive end or even defensive tackle if he grows much. He looks pretty quick in highlights but HUDL has him listed as running a 4.65-neither slow, nor fast, but probably a little above average for a D-1 LB.. Until he gets back on the field, he is a question mark, but a player to keep an eye on. He could easily move up past others on my list in the fall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AhnJpLPPzY

DEFENSIVE TACKLES (8) [/B]This is another position where Tulane is likely to take only one guy barring significant attrition from the current roster. The top five are all tremendous, highly regarded prospects. We're unlikely to sign any of them but I'd take up to three of them in a heartbeat no matter how small our class. Last year (2015 signing class), Louisiana contributed four DT's to P5 schools, four to G5 schools, and eleven to FCS schools.

1. Edwin Alexander 6'3" 328# St. Thomas Aquinas[/B] Alexander is one of the top two or three most heralded players in Louisiana for the signing class of 2016, rated a 4 or 5 star by everyone. On his highlights, he's double teamed on virtually every play, yet still busts through to make tackles. Along with everyone else in America, Tulane has offered him, for what that is worth. Truthfuly, we probably don't have a chance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gwx_MWBIEA

2. Rashad Lawrence 6'2" 307# Neville [/B]In Neville's 3-4 scheme, Lawrence plays nose tackle. Because they spread the two ends out wider than the offensive tackles, he almost always takes on two and even three blockers. Yet, he's still effective, even dominant. He's not quite as big and maybe not quite as quick as Alexander, but he's a heck of a prospect. Tulane apparently hasn't offered him but virtually all the big name P5 schools (LSU, Alabama, etc.) have. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2610296/rashard-lawrence

3. Glen Logan 6'4" 290# Destrehan[/B] Logan actually plays DE in Destrehan's 3-4 but would be a DT for most teams, even those running the 3-4. He's big, quick for his size, and another highly sought after prospect with offers from virtually everyone including Tulane. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2800848/glen-logan

4. Briston Guidry 6'3" 275# Rummel[/B] Guidry was an early commit to Mississippi State but has since de-committed and received offers from all the usual suspects at the top of the food chain including Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, etc. In high school he lined up at DE almost as much as DT, probably due to his speed. He's a little smaller than some of the top defensive tackles in this class but also quicker. Rummel even uses him on kick coverage teams and he gets down field with the best of them. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2588775/highlights/167606378/v2

5. Mastephon (Stephon) Taylor 6'5" 275# McDonough 35[/B] I don't think Taylor is quite in the class as the first four but he's not far off. He's big and strong and has the potential to put on another 20-30 pounds. He, too, has offers from all the top SEC schools (Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, etc.) and many more, including the Wave. We'd be very lucky to get him. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2954998/highlights/197384375/v2

6. Gerald Wilbon 6'3" 305# Destrehan[/B] Wilbon is the other big Defensive lineman from Destrehan in this class. He plays NG in their 3-4 alignment and is clearly a load. He hasn't received near the offers as some of the others with Arizona State and Texas Tech his only ones from P5 schools and Texas Tech's offer is apparently as an Offensive Guard. I haven't seen any film of him on offense but that may be his better position; I don't know. Tulane hasn't offered and though I'd take him if we couldn't sign some of the others, I probably wouldn't grab him up as a second DT this year. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2954998/highlights/197384375/v2

7. Tyrus Butler 6'4" 275# Riverdale[/B] Butler has an offer from Tulane as well as Mississippi State, but I wouldn't make him a high priority until the others I've listed are "off the table" or recognized as unlikely to join the Wave. That said, he's a good prospect with size, strength and quickness. Riverdale even uses him occasionally in a "Refrigerator" Perry role to run the ball in short yardage situations. Watching him rumbled down the field with 3-4 tacklers on his back provides for an entertaining highlight. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3723162/tyrus-butler

8. Ronald Cherry 6'4" 280# Washington-Marion.[/B] Cherry has a Tulane offer, but has generated little interest elsewhere. He lined up all along the defensive line but played mostly DE as a junior. He's a good pass rusher and seems to be equally adept at stopping the run. I think he plays a little high, but that can probably be fixed. He's already pretty big for a DE so I'm guessing as he matures, he'll move to DT, where, for what it's worth, I've assigned him. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4284096/highlights/214529379/v2

DEFENSIVE ENDS (7) [/B]In 2015, five Louisiana DE's signed with P5 schools, three with G5 schools, and fifteen more with FCS schools. [/B]I'd think we'd sign two defensive ends this year if for no other reason we've offered several despite already having one commitment from out of state. These are some of the ones I think would make good sense for the Wave. We've offered them all.[/B]

1. Willie Baker 6'4" 215# Livonia[/B] Baker already has a Tulane offer as well as several from P5 schools. He will need to "bulk up" some to take the pounding of a college defensive end, but his body can take it. By the time he enters college, he'll probably be 230 pounds. An All State 3A selection, he really impressed me with his highlights. He's very quick and seems to play in the opponent's backfield all the time. A really good prospect. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2617005/highlights/171090378/v2

2. Andre Anthony 6'4" 203# Karr[/B] Tulane has offered Andre Anthony, who apparently has transferred from Miller-McCoy to Karr. He also has offers from Ole Miss, TCU, and a number of other P5 schools. In high school he operated mostly from a standup defensive end position but showed a great first step and quickness. If he can put on 20-30 pounds and retain that quickness, he'll be a solid player. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1386290/andre-anthony

3. Sci Martin 6'3" 193# McDonough 35[/B] Like Baker and Anthony, Martin already has an offer from Tulane, who he apparently likes a lot ("those Tulane coaches are awesome"). He also has offers from a number of P5 schools, which means the competition for his services will be tough. In high school he lined up as a "stand up" defensive end on most plays, so he will probably have to adjust somewhat in college. While he is clearly one of the better DE prospect in the state, he needs to add some weight to play DE in college. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3002117/sci-martin-jr

4. Malcolm Roach 6'4" 240# Madison Prep[/B] Roach is a coach's son, so he probably knows something of the game. In his highlights, he played DE, LB, and TE. He made All State 1A as a defensive end in 2014. Since the Sports Writers didn't name a TE to the team, he might have been named that also. He's a devastating blocker with good speed for a TE. Regardless, he's a pretty athletic guy; he even ran the ball out of shotgun formation on some plays. He's gotten some rave notices at a couple of LSU camps and will, in my opinion, end up playing FBS football somewhere. He's got a Tulane offer and I'd be very happy if he ended up with the Wave. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3163509/malcolm-roach

5. Pernell Jefferson 6'3" 234# Warren Easton[/B] Jefferson played both defensive end and outside linebacker in high school, probably more of the latter. Nonetheless, I think his college position will be defensive end. He's very fast for his size (several sites having him run better than 4.6 in the 40) and is a good tackler. He looks like a player and has several P5 offers already, plus one from the Wave. He'd be a really good "get." http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2606660/pernell-jefferson

6. Caleb Roddy 6'5" 248# Denham Springs[/B] Roddy played defensive end in both 4-3 and 3-4 alignments in high school. He has good speed for his size and position and probably would be the most likely 2016 recruit to immediately step in to a starting role at DE of any other in the class. He's strong, fast, and agile. In his highlights, he's shown blocking several passes. He's only had a few P5 offers so far, but there will be more. He does have a Tulane offer as well. As an aside, Roddy looks like he could put on 20-30 pounds and move inside. Personally, I'd avoid that. He looks really good at DE. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2620596/highlights/163729376/v2

7. Deion Rainey 6'3" 248# Southern Lab[/B] I've only seen sophomore highlights for Rainey but they were very impressive. He lined up as a MLB, DE, and even RB in short yardage situations. At his size, though, I think DE is his positon. He's only received offers from Tulane and some G5 schools so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets some P5 interest once the season starts. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2085423/deion-rainey

TIGHT ENDS (4) [/B]In 2015, only three Louisiana TE's signed with P5 schools, two with G5 schools, and three more with FCS schools. [/B]I wouldn't be surprises with a similar result this year. From what I've seen so far, there are not that many D-1 types in the state for 2016. Nonetheless, with Sydie London departing after this year, whether he plays much or not, I think we'll take one tight end in 2016. The first three of the following would, in my view, help our cause greatly. We've offered all three, but, if we don't get any of them, I'd guess we'll go out of state.



1. Jamaal Pettigrew 6'5" 216# St. Augustine[/B] (LSU COMMITMENT)[/B] [/B]Pettigrew is the class of tight ends in the state for 2016. His highlight tape is fantastic. He's a good blocker and he looks like Randy Moss on the receiving end. In high school, he played tight end, slot, H-back, and was even split out as a wide receiver. In that role, the defensive backs had no chance-NONE! He's fast, very smooth, and catches the ball away from his body with his hands. Wish we had him. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1421065/jamal-pettigrew

2. Irv Smith 6'4" 235# Brother Martin[/B] Smith is probably the more heralded of the two Brother Martin tight ends. He already has an offer from "the U," Arizona State, and Vandy among others. He also has an offer from Tulane, but, if he gets an offer from Notre Dame, I think that's where he'll go. His father played there and is apparently pushing him that way. It doesn't appear that he needs much pushing, just the offer. He's a good blocker, but he excels as a receiver. He catches the ball with his hands, finds the open spot in the zone, and, I don't know what his time is in the 40, but he can stay with almost all of the CB's and safeties he's shown playing against. Big time recruit, I think. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2592745/irvin-smith

3. Peyton Aucoin 6'4" 259# Brother Martin[/B] Aucoin is a devastating blocker, clearly the best in the class of tight ends. He sticks with blocks! In over 80 highlight plays, he probably "pancaked" the defender on half. He only caught two passes in all the highlights I saw but both were nice catches above his head using his hands. But, his strength is clearly blocking, taking advantage of good footwork. He might even grow into a tackle. He's already got offers from Arizona St., NC State, and Vandy, as well as Tulane and several other G-5 schools. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2592748/peyton-aucoin

4. Seth Shipp 6'4" 220# Sacred Heart (Ville Platte)[/B] Shipp is far below the radar at this point, not even listed on any of the services and not offered by anyone. And, in my view, he's not in the same class as the other three I've listed. That said, he looks pretty good on his highlights. In high school, his team had him split out quite a bit, though I don't think he has the speed for that in college. He's big, though he looks on tape like he could add some weight. I think he'd be a significant fall back for us, but likely to end up at a G5 or FCS school. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3447156/seth-shipp



That does it for the offense. Defense is next.

WIDE RECEIVERS (14) [/B]Breaux will be our only senior in 2016 if he comes back, which, at this point I expect. But we will probably sign at least one more wide receiver, if not two, in this recruiting class. Most teams retain eight or more and we've got six. There are certainly many more "possibles" in the state and more out of state. Last year, 42 Louisiana WR's signed with D-1 schools: 17 with P5 teams, 13 with G5 schools, and 13 more with schools in the FCS. That's probably about the number who will sign this year, too.[/B]

1. Stephen Sullivan 6'6" 210# Donaldsonville[/B] (LSU COMMIT)[/B] Sullivan is certainly the most physically imposing wide receiver in the class at 6'6." And for what it's worth, he also played defensive end in high school and was almost impossible to block. For the older ones among us, he reminds me of Ted "The Stork" Hendricks, the former NFL Hall of Famer. That said, his position is clearly WR. I don't know his 40 time, but he's clearly fast enough and certainly big enough to make him virtually impossible to cover. Tulane is one of many to offer him but he appears to be headed to LSU. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1558702/stephen-sullivan

2. Mykel Jones 5'11" 174# Patterson [/B]Jones is fast and shifty coming out of the backfield, as a slot receiver, and from a wide split. [/B]Tulane has offered but so have LSU, Alabama, and a host of other P5 schools. As much as I'd like him, he's not coming to the Wave http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1596583/mykel-jones

3. Clyde Leflore-Chris 6'2" 175# Warren Easton[/B] Leflore has the size, hands, and speed to make it big in college. He has many offers including from Tulane and LSU as well as a many other P5 offers. If LSU fills up with wideouts we might have a chance, though the competition will be tough.. He visited us during the spring, so he may have some level of interest. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1518513/

4. Henderson, Corey 6'0" 175# Evangel[/B] [/B]Henderson is another fast, shifty guy who is starting to pick up a lot of interest with offers from LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, and many others. Of those, he apparently really likes Arkansas. He plays QB a lot at Evangel but WR is clearly his position, though he also returns kicks and punts. With the talent at his school, I think that says something. He has a Tulane offer but I don't remember the last time we signed someone from Evangel, so, along with the recruiting competition, signing him may be doubtful. Nonetheless, a pipeline to Evangel would be great. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3145474/highlights

5. Isaiah Graham 6'0" 170# Bastrop[/B] Graham is another of the most highly rated receivers in the state and like the others has a Tulane offer along with many P5 offers, though not LSU. He's quick, with good hands and will probably end up at a P5 school. He'd be a good "get" for us. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1726332/

6. Herb McGee 6'2" 175 Riverside[/B] McGee is a tremendous athlete. In football, he plays QB and DB as well as WR, which I think is his best position. He doesn't have "break away" speed but he moves very well, has good hands and good size to make a solid Division 1 receiver. Oddly, LSU is apparently the only P5 school to offer him so far, but that could change. The big issue is what sport he'll play in college because he may be a better basketball player than football player. Tulane has offered him in both sports, but that's a hard combination seldom accomplished due to seasonal overlap. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1466387/herb-mcgee

7. Marquez Stevenson 5'10" 165# Northwood[/B] Stevenson is not a particularly big receiver; I've seen him listed as anywhere from 5'9" to 6'0." And I have not seen any reputable estimate of his time in the 40. But, on his highlights, he appears to be the fastest guy in the stadium, regularly outrunning everyone. He was named to the 1st team All State team for 4A and has numerous P5 offers from the likes of TCU, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Miss. State, and Baylor. Tulane has also offered. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3185509/highlights/115149397/v2

8. John Williams 5'10" 170# Destrehan[/B] Williams highlight reel is sensational. He's very fast and more impressive, very shifty. He leaves potential tacklers grasping at air all over the field. He's another guy I like. He has an offer from Arizona State and a few more from G5 schools, but not Tulane, the best I can tell. I think his stock will rise significantly. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2800424/john-williams

9. Ca'Ron Baham 5'11" 180 John Ehret[/B] Like many top athletes, Baham played QB on his high school team as a junior. His passing wouldn't remind anyone of Drew Brees but the number of long TD runs, including one for about 98 yards would suggest he has speed to burn. He could possibly play DB but since he played WR as a sophomore, that's where I chose to put him. He's not real big, but I expect he'll end up on a Division 1 team somewhere. Currently he has offers from Arizona, Tulane, and a number of other G5 schools. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2607517/highlights

10. Cameron Dantzler 6'2" 160 St. Thomas Aquinas[/B] From everything I understand, Dantzler is being recruited as a wide receiver by everyone who's interested. But you couldn't tell it by his highlights. Like Baham, he played QB as a junior and his only other highlights show him as a DB. Pass-happy Texas Tech has offered him as has Tulane and a number of other G5 schools. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1894543/cameron-dantzler

11. Tyler Addison 6'0" 185# Newman[/B] Addison has a single scholarship offer from Tulane.[/B] Whether that's an offer that he can commit to is another question. He's a fine looking high school player with good athleticism and speed but I don't see him as a "game-changer" for the Wave. Ihttp://www.hudl.com/athlete/2196389/highlights

12. Robert Hayes 6'2" 180# Salmen[/B] Hayes is a long striding player with good moves for a receiver. He seems to find the open areas against the zone but doesn't seem to get as much separation against man-to-man coverage, though he's a good leaper and fights hard for the ball. His only offer so far seems to be Tulane and, to this point, he's really not making much of an impression on the recruiting sites yet. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3318559/robert-hayes-jr

13. Kalija Lipscomb 6'1" 180# Jesuit[/B] Lipscomb's highlights are very good. He's a tall, rangy kid with good speed and moves. I'm surprised at how little attention he's received from the recruiting service. Also, the best I can tell, he hasn't received any scholarship offers yet. I think that will change. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2527798/kalija-lipscomb

14. Parker Orgeron 5'11" 172 Mandeville[/B] Orgeron is the son of LSU Assistant Coach, Ed Orgeron. As one might expect, he seems to be a heady player with a good feel for the game. In most of his junior year highlights, he plays QB where he shows quick feet and good elusiveness, but not elite speed by any means. As a wide receiver he shows great hands, making several really tough catches. Thus far, I don't think he has any scholarship offers. It wouldn't surprise me if he got a "preferred walk on" at LSU. I don't think he would help us much, if any, though he may garner a "free ride" to another Division 1 school. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1613255/parker-orgeron

Houston was supposed to be a College World Series contender, then tanked early before making a nice recovery.

UCF looks like it has the best team in program history. The Knights have never sniffed Omaha but appear good enough to contend for at least a regional title this year.

Tulane, South Florida, Memphis, UConn and East Carolina are the unknowns, capable of contending or finishing near the bottom.

Cincinnati stinks even though it has the league's top Major League prospect.

That's the quick summary. Here's a more in-depth look.

1) THE FAVORITE: HOUSTON

Record: 18-7

Plays Tulane: April 10-12 in Houston, May 1-3 at Turchin Stadium

D1Baseball.com ranking: 20

Analysis: The Cougars clearly got caught up in the hype that they were a College World Series caliber team after a 6-0 start when they outscored Minnesota, Texas Southern and Alabama 47-16. They promptly dumped seven of their next nine games, getting outscored 51-34. Their only two wins in that span were at home against Columbia, which split a four-game series with Houston and is winless against any other team in the RPI top 200. Since then, the Cougars have won 10 in a row, including a 17-7 pasting of Sam Houston State and a 9-3 rout of Rice. The last four wins have been by one run, though, so it remains unclear how good Houston is. Last year the Cougars stunned LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional before falling to Texas in a Super Regional.

Their numbers aren't overwhelming--a .281 batting average and a 3.36 ERA. Junior Chris Iriart is hitting .356 with six home runs, and Friday ace Andrew Lantrip is 5-1 with a 1.73 ERA.

The Cougars open their conference schedule this evening at UCF, which is ranked higher, so we'll get a good read on the teams that appear to be the league's two best right away.

2) THE CONTENDER: UCF

Record: 20-6

Plays Tulane: April 17-19 at Turchin Stadium

D1Baseball.com ranking: 10

Analysis: I question how this team is ranked 10th, but after living in Florida from 1990 to 2007, I'm used to the non-big three schools being overrated every time it looks like they are ready for a breakthrough. Terry Rooney has done a nice job in six years as coach at UCF, bringing in highly ranked recruiting classes, but UCF has not been to a regional since back-to-back appearances in 2011 and 2012. This year, they have some impressive wins, but a series victory against Ole Miss looked better at the time than it does now with the Rebels standing at 13-13 and having gotten whipped in two midweek games by UAB. UCF beat Florida 4-3, then lost to the Gators 10-2 and got swept by FSU 11-8 and 15-11. The Knights just lost to Jacksonville 13-9 and clearly have pitching depth issues. They've given up 10 or more runs six times, with all but one of them coming in midweek games.

The Knights are terrific at the plate, ranking third nationally in bating average (.330) and first in home runs (their 38 is six more than any other team) but they are shaky on the mound (ERA: 4.97). That formula does not bode well for a conference championship unless we're going back to the gorilla ball days. Color me skeptical.

3) TOO EARLY? SOUTH FLORIDA

Record: 17-8-1

Plays Tulane: May 8-10 at Turchin Stadium

D1Baseball Ranking: unranked

Analysis: Mark Kingston is an excellent coach, but can he transform the most underachieving program in Florida into a regional team right away? Incredibly, the Bulls have not been to the postseason since 2002, and in nine regional appearances under former coach Eddie Cardieri, they never got to the championship game. This year, most of their wins have come against lesser lights, and an impressive opening victory against Cal St. Fulllerton has been devalued by the Titans' underwhelming 12-12 start. USF lost 24-1 to FSU and 13-3 to Florida and 13-1 to Illinois before salvaging the third game of a series loss to the Illini.

Like Tulane, USF struggles at the plate, hitting .249. with only one batter above .300. Its weekend rotation is solid, and reliever Tommy Peterson has seven saves.

4) TOO FAR NORTH: UCONN

Record: 15-8

Plays Tulane: March 27-29 at Turchin Stadium

D1Baseball Ranking; unranked

Analysis: Since getting swept by FAU to start the season, losing the last two games by one run, the Huskies have not really played anybody. Their only game against a team with a winning record was a 6-2 loss to Wake Forest, although they did beat recent regional participant Kennesaw State in a weekend series. UConn had a losing record last year and went 8-13 in the first season of AAC play, but the Huskies reached a regional in 2013 and won a regional in 2011, so they have a recent history of success. It's always hard to judge northern teams early in the year because they tend to struggle against southern competition, so it's anyone's guess what UConn will do in league play.

Pitching has been the Huskies' strength so far with an ERA of 2.45. Starters Anthony Kay and Carson Cross have ERAs below 2.00 and have struck out a ton of batters.

The hitting is OK, with a batting average of .281. Leadoff hitter Jack Sundberg has stolen 13 bases in 14 attempts, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against rocket-release Tulane catcher Jake Rogers. UConn arrives in New Orleans having scored 35 runs in its last two games against Yale and Central Connecticut.

5) ALTERING HISTORY: MEMPHIS

Record: 15-5

Plays Tulane: May 14-16 in Memphis

D1Baseball.com Ranking: unranked

Analysis: The Tigers have been longtime doormats, making just two regional appearances since 1981 (1994, 2007), but that has changed slowly under coach Daron Schoenrock, who has produced four consecutive winning seasons while being competitive in conference play. Memphis capped an 11-game winning streak by beating Arkansas 5-4 in North Little Rock on Tuesday before dropping a return engagement in Memphis on Wednesday. The Tigers allowed a total of 23 runs during that long streak, holding eight opponents to two runs or fewer. Then again, seven of those victories came against winless Eastern Illinois and 5-18 Alcorn State, and Arkansas is a mediocre 12-13.

The new balls have not helped Memphis' power--the Tigers have only six home runs. Their overall statistics are solid (.298 average, 2.51 ERA), but the substandard competition factors in there. They open at East Carolina and then play a home series against Houston. We'll know a lot more about them after two weeks of conference play.

6) STARTING OVER: EAST CAROLINA

Record: 16-10

Plays Tulane: April 2-4 in Greenville

D1Baseball.com Ranking: unranked

Analysis: A perennial regional team under former coach Billy Godwin, the Pirates missed out on the postseason after finishing 31-26 and 33-26 the past two years, so Godwin was shown the door. His replacement is former Ole Miss assistant Cliff Godwin (no relation), who may need some time to get the program back to it accustomed spot. The Pirates have lost four of their last five games, dropping a weekend series to VCU and falling in both midweek games, including a 13-2 thumping by High Point. Their best result was a weekend sweep of Elon earlier this month.

Luke Lowery is a menace at the plate, hitting .423 with eight home runs, and the Pirates have a solid average of .301, but those numbers are misleading. ECU scored five runs while getting swept by Virginia to start the year and has scored two runs in each of its last three losses. The team ERA is 2.95, and until the loss to High Point the Pirates had not allowed double-digit runs in a game.

7) NEVER MIND: CINCINNATI

Record: 6-16

Plays Tulane: March 24-26 at Cincinnati

D1Baseball.com Ranking: unranked

Analysis: Has there ever been a team this bad that also boasted a league's preseason Player of the Year? Major League prospect Ian Happ is cruising along with a .418 batting average, seven home runs, 18 RBIs and 17 runs scored even though opponents pitch around him. He is getting no help, though. Cincinnati hits .233 as a team and has an ERA of 6.46. Yikes. The Bearcats enter their AAC opening series against South Florida on a five-game losing streak after having a nine-game skid earlier this year. They are the only bad team in the conference.























This post was edited on 3/27 10:37 AM by Guerry Smith

This post was edited on 3/27 10:42 AM by Guerry Smith

Media was allowed to watch Pro Day since it was at the Saints facility, and unlike last year, there are very few legitimate Tulane prospects anyway.

Matthew Bailey, Dante Butler, Sean Donnelly, Lorenzo Doss, Tyler Gilbert, Brandon LeBeau, Matt Marfisi, Taurean Nixon, Andre Robinson, Xavier Rush and Justyn Shackleford participated along with former Tulane players Jordan Sullen and Albert Williams. Other than Doss, none of them will get drafted, and I don't see any NFL future for the others.

Near the end of spring practice, I talked to CJ about Doss and anyone else who had a chance. Here were his comments.





What are your thoughts on Doss?

"I like what Lorenzo's doing. He's physical, he's learned to be physical, he can cover and he can intercept the ball. The best thing about him is he can intercept the ball. He's one of those guys I would definitely take a long, hard look at and I would get him if I could."

Was 2014 a learning experience for him?

"I would say this. One thing about that position is you definitely have to have amnesia. He has the ability to come back from some stuff. I think he'll be good. When Doss gets with a team and gets settled in and learns what to do, I think he'll be good."

Where do you think he will go in the draft?

"You never know with the draft. If I say first round I could be wrong and if I say seventh round or free agent I could be wrong, so I don't know. Wherever he goes, he'll make a team and he'll play a lot of football."

Who else can help themselves at Pro Day?

"Donnelly is a big, athletic tackle and everybody wants size. I really like the athleticism of Tyler Gilbert. He may be the one guy that somebody takes a chance on. You get him in camp and you get him moving, and I think he can be something. Marfisi is a big kid that may be able to do some stuff."

What about Taurean Nixon?

"The one thing everybody loves about T Nix is his speed. He can run and he looks good, so guys are definitely asking about him. It will be crucial for him to run well at the Pro Day. If he runs well I think he will get a great opportunity."

I don't know how anyone besides Doss fared at Pro Day, but unless they shocked people with their performance, I just don't see it. None of those guys were special at any point of their Tulane careers. Sam Scofield, who was special, does not have the measurables and did not even participate in Pro Day. Taurean Nixon has the speed to make it in the NFL but he did not even start in his senior year.

OFFENSIVE LINE (10[/B]) In 2015, Louisiana produced three linemen who signed with P5 schools, four more who signed with G5 schools, and 13 who signed with FCS schools. How will it go this year? [/B]Probably about the same. [/B]Everyone always needs linemen and Tulane is clearly no exception. We'll lose at least two this year (Uzvadinis and Bradley) and I wouldn't be surprised if one or two more left. We'll sign at least one new one I'd think, and maybe up to three, depending on how many openings we have. We've offered at least 15 offensive linemen from out of state and five from inside Louisiana. Here are the ones I see as the best in the state. At this point I'd be thrilled with any of my top three or four.

[/B]

1. OT Willie Allen, 6'7", 310#, John Curtis[/B], With the exception of Edwin Alexander, who I have listed as a DT, Allen may be the best offensive line prospect in the state. He's really big and strong, with good feet. The rest of the linemen I have listed are well behind him in my view regarding potential. He's caused a lot of excitement among the Greenie faithful by showing up at several of our practices, but with offers from LSU and many other P5 schools, I think our chances are slim. Of course, you can't win if you don't play. CJ and staff are trying with him. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1636111/highlights/185842376/v2

2. OG Donavaughn Campbell 6'5", 340#, Ponchatoula (LSU COMMIT)[/B]. Campbell is huge and, though some list him as a tackle, all the highlights I saw had him at left guard. He blows away everyone on running plays and has the speed to pull on sweeps. He's so much bigger than the kids he's blocking that it's hard to tell how he'll do against 300 pounders. That said, he's clearly a great prospect. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2603111/donavaughn-campbell

3. OT Colton Prater 6'4", 280# Airline[/B], In his highlights, Prater lines up at left tackle. While most offensive linemen feature almost all running plays in their highlights, Prater has at least as many showing him as a pass blocker, at which he excels (at least on highlights). He has an offer from Tulane as well as Mississippi State so he's not a "below the radar" recruit, but not one on everyone's offer list. I think he'd be a good addition to the Wave. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2161197/colton-prater

4. OG Collin Fountain 6'2" 309# Barbe[/B] Fountain played left guard as a junior and looked good. Despite his size, he has good footwork and more than enough speed to "pull" on sweeps and running plays to the outside. I was glad to see that he has trimmed down from 330 pounds to 309 recently. That shows a commitment some of our recent linemen haven't gotten around to making. He has offers from Tulane and some other G5 schools. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1749210/collin-fountain

5. OG Taylor Fondal 6'3" 282# Westgate[/B] Fondal played offensive guard in high school, though he also spent some time at defensive tackle. The latter is simply NOT his position. Guard could be, and I think he'll probably sign somewhere in Division 1. He has scholarship offers from LaTech and USM but not much interest elsewhere so far. His highlights feature his run blocking with not a single pass blocking play shown. That, to me is a concern. With as many out of state scholarship we've offered and the guys from Louisiana who I think are better prospects, I hope we don't have to dip this low. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2714380/taylor-fondal-

6. OT Malik Clark 6'5" 275# Riverside[/B] Clark played left tackle his junior year and appeared to excel at run blocking, though his highlights are not as impressive as some of the ones I've included on this list. Of course, highlights don't show the whole package but they should show the player at his best. He holds offers from Mississippi State and Missouri as well as Tulane, so he's showing something to some. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3786978/highlights/171405381/v2

7. OT Cory Harden 6'3" 285# Landry-Walker[/B] Harden played left tackle as a junior and looked good. He doesn't seem to have the coordination I would like, however, and I think his lack of quickness makes him a marginal FBS player, though he already has an offer from Utah, so someone clearly disagrees with me. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3543530/highlights

8. OG Kelton Hollins 6'1" 278# Zachary[/B] [/B]Hollins lined up at center, guard, and tackle for Zachary this year and he's certainly a solid high school player. I think his best position is center but I don't see him as helping Tulane. He doesn't seem to have the footwork necessary to compete at the level we need. Nonetheless, he has offers from Tulane, USM, and LaTech, so some football people see more potential than I. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1404950/kellton-hollins

9. OT Lloyd Cushenberry 6'4" 310# Dutchtown[/B] Cushberry played right tackle for Dutchtown as a junior. That, to me, is suspect because the best tackle on a team usually plays on the left side. For Dutchtown last year, that was Hunter Austin who signed with Nichols State. That said, Cushberry seems to be a solid run blocker, who already has offers from a few G5 teams, but not Tulane, the best I can tell. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1931006/lloyd-cushenberry [/B]

10. OG Travontae Booker 6'4" 290#, East Feliciana[/B] Booker plays tackle on defense and guard on offense. I think the latter is his better position because he doesn't seem to have the quickness to play on the defensive side of the ball. He's pretty much a "below the radar" guy so far with no offers that I can tell and little interest from the scouting services. I'd be surprised if Tulane went after him. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1723989/travontae-booker

Tulane released it today. The big surprise is Edward Williams being nowhere on it, but I've gotten confirmation he is in good standing with the team. This is simply a motivational ploy.

Link

RUNNING BACKS (9) Last year from Louisiana, five RB’s signed scholarships with P5 schools, five more with G5 schools, and none that I could find with FCS schools. Tulane signed two of those ten. If everyone comes back after this next season, Tulane should be in pretty good shape for running backs and we may not take any. But since we've offered a number of them, I'd guess we'll end up taking one. More than that, barring attrition, would surprise me. To that end, I reviewed about 60 running backs in the state, While I don't think it's a great year for "top end" RB's, I think the following guys could be good choices for the Wave:



1. Devin White 6'1" 240# North Webster White may be the best all-around player in the state. He's big, fast (HUDL has him at 4.46 in the 40) and can play anywhere. As a sophomore he ran a 10.97 100 meters, finishing 5th in the state just behind Sherman Badie and Richard Allen, so his speed is legitimate. He apparently wants to play running back in college and was named All State in Class 3A at that position, though I personally think his best position and most likely route to the NFL is at linebacker. I haven't seen any indication that Tulane has offered him, but if so, we're one of the few. Everyone from Alabama and LSU to Notre Dame and Stanford have offered. That probably means we don't have a chance. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1881930/devin-white



2. Tre Turner 5'8" 190# Holy Cross Turner is short, stocky, strong, and very fast. HUDL has him running a 4.35 40 and he outruns everyone on the field in his highlights. He has an offer from Tulane as well as many P5 schools. In fact, he earlier committed to Mississippi State prior to de-committing and reopening his recruitment. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1465982/tre-turner



3. Trey Ragas 5'11" 210# Archbishop Shaw Ragas rushed for over 1800 yards and 23 TD's as a junior and was 1st team All State 4A. He's certainly not as fast as Turner but he looks a lot faster on highlights than HUDL's listing of 4.65 in the 40. In the open field he appears to outrun everyone and he's very hard to bring down. He has offers from Tulane and Ole Miss among others. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2716266/trey-ragas



4. Barrick Slaughter 6'1" 201# Livonia Slaughter is flying well under the radar thus far, though he recently received an offer from California, along with ULL and Arkansas State. He's almost as fast at Turner and nearly as tough to bring down as Ragas. I would expect his recruiting to pick up. If we get one running back in this class and it's him, I'd be happy. But, to date, I don't think we've offered. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1651213/barrick-slaughter



5. Ja'Ceiry Linzer 6'2" 220# Ascension Episcopal Linzer is a big back with good speed, good hands, and a determination not to be tackled. I don't think he's quite in the same class as the first three I've mentioned, but he's clearly a good back. He also plays linebacker on defense and that could be his best position, but a team looking for a "pile driving" type running back could probably use him at the next level. He has no offers so far that I've seen and little interest from the recruiting services. Yet, he could be the fullback we've lacked for a long time. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1651213/barrick-slaughter



6. Ladarrius Thomas 6'1" 215# Wossman Thomas is another "big back" similar to Linzer who is even further below the radar from what I have seen-no offers and little interest from the services. Yet, depending on his senior season, could get a lot more interest as time goes on. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3134099/ladarrius-thomas



7. Donald Jenkins 6'2" 205# Neville. Jenkins is another "way below the radar" guy with no offers and very little following by the services. He still looks pretty darn good. Hudl lists him as running a 4.4 40 which I don't think is true based on his highlights, but he's still pretty fast and bigger than most college running backs. To say he is hard to bring down is an understatement. On numerous plays it takes 3, 4, 5 or more guys to wrestle him to the ground. A real "sleeper" in my book. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1795580/highlights/116942375/v2



8. Darius May 6'1" 173# McDonough 35 May is fairly tall for a running back and could easily put on another 20-30 pounds I think with some work in the weight room. What he has, however, is speed. I don't know his time in the 40, but on the highlights he runs past defensive backs and pulls away from everyone on his way to the end zone. He has offers from Tulane and a couple of other G5 schools. Depending on a team's needs (big back vs. speed back), I could easily move him up a couple notches in my rankings. Since Tulane has offered him, CJ must like him too. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1554610/highlights/175888375/v2



9. Raymond Calais 5'9" 170# Cecilia Calais looks REALLY fast in his highlights but possibly smaller than the 5'9" listed. He runs track and his 100m best is roughly the same as Badie, Allen, and Nixon (all in the 10.72 to 10.75 range) when they ran track for Tulane last year. So, he is fast. He looks shifty also and I'd guess he'll end up somewhere. If we're still looking for a shifty little back, it could be with the Wave, though I don't think we've offered. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1402624/highlights/220635379/v2



This post was edited on 3/25 4:16 PM by WaveON

For my own interest, I have spent some time reviewing the highlights of about 500 Louisiana high school football players who will be seniors this coming season. With over 300 teams in the state and probably at least a dozen (probably more) rising seniors on each team, this is obviously a small percentage of all the potential college football players in Louisiana. It's also why kids "fall through the cracks." Even college recruiters cannot see them all. But I used the recruiting sites and other sources to identify kids who were at least on someone's radar somewhere, even if not rated at all, to "cull" the numbers somewhat. There can be no doubt that I missed some good players. But, since the recruiting sites have not rated a lot of the players to this point, I thought I'd try my hand at picking out some of those (turns out to be about 80) who I thought had the greatest likelihood of becoming a Division 1 scholarship football player and who might improve the Wave roster. Next February I'll see how it went. Anyway, though I did this for my own amusement, I thought some on here might be interested in the results. I'll start with QB's. If there is any interest, I'll pull together my notes on the other positions and post over the next couple of weeks.







QUARTERBACKS (9) 2016 appears to be one of the better years in a long time for QB's coming out of Louisiana high schools. Recently, 3-4 solid prospects would make for a good year. This year, I'd include at least nine. Although I've rank ordered these guys, I wouldn't argue with anyone who thought the ordering is wrong or, for that matter, that someone else should be included instead. It's one man's opinion based on a lot of film watching of about 50 QB's. Had I had access to the full game films of each player (and the time and inclination to watch them), I'm sure I'd come up with a somewhat different opinion. Personal interviews and workouts would probably make a significant difference also. Heck, some of these guys may not be academically eligible. I don't know. So, it is what it is. BTW, to the best of my knowledge Tulane has only offered one of them (Kelley) though they may well have (and probably have) offered others. Despite the belief in some quarters that three scholarship QB's is enough, It's hard for me to believe we won't sign at least one QB in 2016. Saban has five highly rated scholarship QB's on his roster, and I've always thought five was the "right" number. - one every year, expecting a redshirt, and allowing for transfers, injuries, and other disqualifying issues. The position is too important to leave it to "chance." For interest: in the 2015 class, two QB’s from Louisiana signed with P5 schools, three with G5 schools, and one with an FCS school within Division 1.



1. Shea Patterson 6'2" 191 # Calvary Academy (Ole Miss COMMIT) Patterson is the highest rated of all the Louisiana QB's, and arguably the best player in the state. He's mobile in the pocket and seemingly can make all the throws. Even this early he is a 4 and 5 star recruit on all of the services. He's already committed to Arizona, de-committed, and then committed to Ole Miss, so who knows where he'll end up. He's received over 20 offers from P5 schools, including LSU and Alabama. He was named all state and led his team to the Class 2A championship and is probably well beyond the reach of the Wave. As an aside, he's also a very good baseball and basketball player, though football appears to be his primary athletic future. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2109332/highlights/118520380



2. Bladrick Veal 6'5" 190# Southern Lab Like a couple others in the class, Veal reminds me a lot of Ryan Griffin-same relative size and similar skill sets coming out of high school. He doesn't seem to have a cannon for an arm, but certainly good. He also moves a little better than Griffin and even runs some planned QB keepers. He has many P5 offers, including LSU, and would clearly be a good get for the Wave. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2085424/highlights/98074404



3. John Randall Belton 6'3" 203# West Monroe Another really good looking prospect! He can throw and run and has been playing QB for West Monroe since 8th grade. He has a number of P5 offers already, and though he's from Northern Louisiana (not our best recruiting ground), I think he could be a possible. When his teammate, John Washington, signed with Tulane, Belton retweeted CJ's tweet making the announcement. So, he's aware of us anyway. The potential downside and we won't know until his senior year: he's torn the ACL in the same knee during the middle of the 2013 season and prior to the 2014 season. He hasn't been on the field since half way through his sophomore year and is still in rehab. With all that said, he's highly regarded by virtually everyone, though Jimmie Smith dropped him from #33 on his "nifty 50" list prior to the 2014 season to #49 a few weeks ago with his latest ratings. If he comes back like he was as a sophomore, he's a clear P5-level QB http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jon+randall+belton&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=9CC9D03B46D595EDA1F19CC9D03B46D595EDA1F1



4. Cole Kelley 6'6" 230# Teurings Catholic Kelley is a huge physical specimen. And he can REALLY rifle the ball. Moreover, he can run, too, and is a threat in the open field. He's rated highly by Jimmie Smith, but really hasn't been included much to this point in the data bases of the recruiting services. Max Emfinger has said he's never seen a player, outside of RG III that "could change a game so fast." http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3137127/cole-aka-francis-kelley



5. Austin Guy 6'3" 200# Natchitoches Central I first noticed Guy in reviewing Reginald Turner's highlights last year. Turner looked good and eventually signed with ULM but all I could think of was, "who is that QB?" http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2444848/highlights/203941394



6. Keondre Wudtee 6'3" 183 Parkway This is another kid with pro-size, though he could put on 20-30 pounds without a problem. He has a strong arm and excellent mobility, especially for his size. He can turn broken plays into long yardage with his feet. He's also a top basketball prospect for 2016 with several big offers, including Louisville, which clearly says a lot. We haven't offered in either sport apparently. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2514580/keondre-wudtee



7. Matthew Beck 6'6" 210# Alexandria Beck also looks a lot like Ryan Griffin based on his size and skill set. He has a very quick release from what I've seen and nice touch on longer passes. He even provides some threat to run. Like, Guy, he was included on Jimmie Smith's original "Nifty 50," but not the latest one. Nonetheless, he looks very good to me. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2100478/highlights/218576377



8. Kenney Sears 6'1" 206# St. Paul's Sears completed over 72% of his passes for 2,000+ yards, 22 TD's and 4 INT's as a junior. On his highlights he appears extremely accurate (72% completion rate might suggest that also), hitting receivers in stride consistently. I'm not sure how strong his arm is; he doesn't "air it out" much on the tape, though he throws several passes of 40-45 yards in the air without apparent strain. He also doesn't look particularly fast, but he runs QB draws and other clearly-planned runs very well. I don't think he's in the top four or five in the state, but he looks to be a solid FBS prospect to me. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1504274/kenny-sears



9. Lindsey Scott, Jr. 6'0" 190# Zachary Scott does not have prototypical size for a QB, but then neither does Drew Brees. He has a strong arm, good touch, and great speed and maneuverability to avoid the rush or to take off and run. He was named the most outstanding player in the state for Class 5A as a junior, when he threw for almost 3200 yards and 39 TD's. Those are pretty good credential if you ask me. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1552093/highlights/177961382



This post was edited on 3/25 4:13 PM by WaveON

Most are prettty clear. Some are less so. I have LaFrance on the depth chart because he's coming back, as is Leondre James at wide receiver.

QB

Tanner Lee
Devin Powell

RB

Sherman Badie OR
Lazedrick Thompson OR
Dontrell Hilliard

WR

Teddy Veal
Leondre James

WR

Terren Encalade
Devon Breaux

TE

Charles Jones
Trey Scott

LT

Arturo Uzdavinis
Devon Johnson 0R John Leglue

LG

Colton Hanson
Jason Stewart

C

Nathan Shienle
Junior Diaz

RG

Chris Taylor
Brandon Godfrey

RT

Kenneth Santa Marina
Todd Jacquet

DE

Ade Aruna
Daren Williams

DT

Tanzel Smart
Braynon Edwards

DT

Sean Wilson
Corey Redwine

DE

Royce LaFrance
Peter Woullard

WLB

Nico Marley
William Townsend

MLB

Eric Thomas
Edward Williams

NB

Jarrod Franklin
Zach Harris

CB

Parry Nickerson
Stephon Lofton

CB

Richard Allen
Donnie Lewis

SS

Leonard Davis
Tristan Cooper

FS

Darion Monroe
Carlton Williams

PK

Trevor Simms
Andrew DiRocco

P

Peter Picerelli

LS (punts)

Mike Lizanich

LS (field goals and extra points)

Mike Lizanich OR John Leglue













This post was edited on 3/19 3:47 PM by Guerry Smith

I talked with Nico Marley after practice last Saturday. One quote made it into my defense story, but here was the rest of what he said. He is very, very high on Ade Aruna.

How do you feel overall about the defense's performance in the spring?

"I feel real good about where we are right now. The young guys did a great job picking up the defense and the older guys are doing a great job helping the young guys know where they are supposed to be and improving their game."

How do you feel the defense played overall last year?

"We could have done better. We could have done a lot better. We missed some tackles and were too inconsistent. We had some great games and some bad games. Disappointed is definitely not the word, but we're not satisfied at all either. We could be a lot better. There are things to work on.

Do you expect to be a lot better with the number of returning guys you have?

"Oh yeah. Definitely. The way we've been playing this spring, I think we'll be a lot better."

How have Leonard Davis and Richard Allen come along?

"They are doing a great job, both of them. Leonard is not missing a step each way."

No defense is great without productive tackles. What are you thoughts on those guys?

"Tanzel Smart is an animal. He's a beast. Him and Sean, Sean's also a beast. We also have Corey Redwine. He came in here and had a great spring. We have Ade Aruna. He's the truth. He's one of the best athletes I've ever seen."

Tulane is headed to UC Riverside for a three-game series that has the potential to do some damage. Since UC Riverside is not in the top 200 of the RPI, the Wave needs to sweep, and that's never an easy task on the road.

If Tulane does sweep, it will improve to 19-5. The last two times the Green Wave was 19-5 were 2001 and 2005, the two College World Series under Rick Jones. The last time the Wave was better than 19-5 was way back in 1986, when I was a senior in high school and went to just about every home game and every game Tulane played in the Baton Regional regional, where it was eliminated by LSU after torching the losers' bracket with three lopsided victories to get to the final 3.

If Tulane hits like it did against SLU on Tuesday, this will be a regional team. If it hits like it did in the three weeks preceding that explosion, it will be a close call. Either way, it's nice to be talking about those possibilities after a six-year drought when the Wave was really on the bubble only once (2011).

Any thoughts?




Link

I was at Saturday's football practice and never had time to give a report. That was the last spring workout open to reporters.

The most interesting development was a pretty intense fight between defensive end Ade Aruna and offensive tackle Arturo Uzdavinis. They started throwing punches and wrestled each other to the ground, with Aruna winning the wrestling battle before the fight was broken up. I had not seen any fight in the practices I attended this spring, and CJ was not happy. Just as he did last year when Tanzel Smart and Sean Donnelly went at it, CJ made them hold hands and walk around the field at Yulman Stadium while practice continued, but not before screaming at them, "I don't want to see you." They had completed two circuits when he let them back in to the practice.

While Uzdavinis was out, Devon Johnson replaced him on the first unit. The defensive ends rotate, so there was no one guy who replaced Aruna.

Incoming wide receiver Dedrick Shy attended the practice but got chewed out by an assistant coach for sitting down on the sideline. The idea was it was a work environment and no loafing is allowed.

They had a brief field goal drill, and Andrew DiRocco and Trevor Simms both missed their first attempts from about 35 yards (I was at the other end of the field and did not see the exact distance). Then both made attempts from 38 yards, and that was the end of it.

Trey Scott appeared to have a touchdown in a 7-on-7 drill, but Darion Monroe made a terrific effort to strip the ball that in my eyes was a better play by him than a bad play by Scott.

Running backs/tight ends coach Dave Johnson had a funny exchange with one of his players (if I had posted this on Saturday, I'd remember who) after Johnson complimented another player for a nice catch. The second player asked why he had not received a compliment for making the same type of catch, and Johnson look at hime and said "You are supposed to make that catch. You want praise for everything? That's like somebody saying 1I take care of my children' or 'I've never been to jail.' That's what you're supposed to do."

Josh Rounds was featured heavily in the practice, both as a receiver and a runner. I was high on him last fall right before the coaches decided to redshirt him because he was no higher than fourth string, so I'm not going to blow him up too much right now, but he definitely can be a factor in a talented backfield, particularly as a receiver. He makes plays, although I'm still not fond of that play Tulane likes to run where the quarterback throws a swing pass to the back with no blockers in front of him. Good defenses snuff that out and turn into no gain or a minimal gain. It might work against Maine, but probably no one else on the schedule.

Devin Powell threw a pretty touchdown pass to Larry Dace in 11-on-11 work. Don't count on seeing that combo in the fall, but it was a nice throw and catch.

Charles Jones appeared to have a nice gain a little later, but as he started to run after bringing in the ball, Jarrod Franklin stripped him and started running the other way. Bad play by Jones, nice play by Franklin, who I had not noticed much since his strong first week of spring practice.

For those of you who love fullbacks, Sergio Medina ran strong for a touchdown in a red zone drill. Of course, since tackling was not allowed, the offense had a distinct advantage.

They had conditioning sprints from sideline to sideline and back and sideline to sideline and back at the end of the practice. Leonard Davis was the first defensive player to cross the line, while Devon Breaux was the first offensive player. If those guys' on-the-field performance can match their physical skills, Tulane will be in better shape. Breaux in particular has looked lost in games, and that has continued through the spring. Davis has been much better than he was in the fall, but the proof will come in real games.

Jason Stewart could not run, walking from sideline to sideline. Uzdavinis, the second-to-last offensive linemen to finish, had already crossed the finish line before Stewart completed his third leg. Stewart was even slower when they made everyone repeat the sprints.

Later this week, I will give a projected two-deep depth chart for the end of spring. It will be interesting to see how close it is to what Tulane releases later.

Here are all of CJ's quotes from after practice:

What were you thoughts on the practice?

"It was real good. I really enjoyed it. The red zone periods were good. We had a nice red zone and we ran around well. We did a little extra running because we didn't do some stuff right, so we did a little extra running, but I thought it was a really good practice."

Overall, are you happy with the spring?

"Very happy. This has been the best spring since I've been here by far. I watch them run around, and their athleticism is so much better. They are learning how to practice. They are doing what we ask them to do. This is by far the best spring."

You were disappointed with the defense in the last two scrimmages. Was that due in part to your high expectations of that group?

"Very much so. If we're going to win, the defense will carry us this year. This is the most important year for them. They are going to be together. They are going to get better. We had a couple of guys out of the lineup (in the scrimmages) Sean Wilson has been hurt. We just have to create the depth, and there are a lot of guys on the second unit that have to pick it up."

What are your thoughts on the offense?

"Very pleased. You look at last year at this time, and Tanner was throwing pick after pick. I didn't see one pick today. Besides Charles (Jones) not holding on to the ball today, no turnovers. That was the one thing we had. We had a lot of turnovers and a lot of penalties. Now we're not doing those things. They seem like they know what they are doing. They are getting up to the line and running the offense. It's good. I'm very happy."

You're not big fan of fights during practice.

"Not at all. We don't have enough time in the day to put up with fighting, and if you do fight, you are kicked out that game and the next game. It's stupid. It was dumb. I got on both of those guys a little bit and we did some brotherhood stuff."

What are the plans after spring practice ends?

"They are going into the offseason. I like it like this because they are right at midterms. After midterms they have the whole rest of the semester to study and write papers. There will be some academic challenges for us, but academically we are leading towards that and will do some weightlifting and conditioning."

Where do you still want to see the team get better?

"I'm still a little bit confused on this kicking deal. I want to see them do that, and then defensively I want to make sure we can tackle and offensively I want to make sure we can run the ball and not turn it over."

How difficult is it to have three option teams on your schedule and to prepare for them?

"It's very difficult. No one does it. It's a curse and a gift. We could be cursed three times. As you see today, we have an option period every day in practice. We'll do it in the fall, too, and have another option period. And these options are different. We just have to get our assignments and make sure we are doing the right assignments."

William Townsend has to be happy. He started against Georgia Tech last year and barely played in any other game.

"Look, he's just beaming right now. He's getting a lot of reps in. He'll be good for us."

How has Josh Rounds been?

"Outstanding. I would say he's been the most productive back in the spring. He's catching the ball real well. He's doing a fantastic job."

Counting Rounds, you have four guy you can trust at running back. How valuable is that?

"We still don't have enough. Sean (Payton) would tell us about Bill Parcells saying you never have enough backs. I just know what's going to happen. A couple of guys will go down and we'll need two more, we'll need six. We have some good ones here, though. Definitely."

While checking old posts on other message boards, I see where someone called me out on reporting that Tulane would not use all 15 of its practices when the Wave in fact did conduct all of them.

Here's my explanation: During the third week, CJ told me directly and on the record they would not have all four practice in the final week. Then, after the spring game, he told Ted Lewis (I was not part of that interview) they would have two practices and maybe three concentrating on special teams in the final week.

I don't indulge in unsubstantiated speculation.

Here's what I wrote for The Advocate tonight:

The screaming lasted for more than a minute.

They had to wait and wait and wait, but the Tulane women found out they were in the NCAA basketball tournament for the first time in five years on Monday night. The news came at 6:40 p.m. midway through the final bracket and 40 minutes into ESPN's selection show, with the Green Wave (22-10) popping up as a No. 12 seed to face No. 5 seed Mississippi State (26-6) on Friday in Durham, N.C.

Suddenly, the Glazer Club inside Yulman Stadium, where many of the players had gathered to watch along with coach Lisa Stockton, became a very loud place.

"This is one of the best feelings I've felt in a really long time," said Danielle Blagg, one of four seniors in the playing rotation. "It's overwhelming almost. We've had our eyes set on this since the beginning of the season. It's incredible. To wait until the very last bracket was awful, but I'm just so glad that we made it."

The Wave watched as LSU, a team it beat in Baton Rouge, and Miami, which it beat at Devlin Fieldhouse, landed No. 11 seeds. The Albany, Greensboro and Oklahoma City regions filled up, leaving only Spokane.

Finally, euphoria.

"Today was probably the longest day of my life," senior Jamie Kaplan said. "When we saw our name called in that fourth region, it was crazy. This was our goal all along, so to end our careers going into the NCAA tournament, I can't think of a better way to put the icing on the cake."

NCAA tournament appearances were routine for Tulane in the heyday of Conference USA, with the Wave dancing in coach Lisa Stockton's first nine seasons from 1995 to 2003. Since then, though, Tulane had gotten that far only once, when it won the Conference USA tournament in 2010.

Tulane was the last team in the field, getting the lowest seed of any at-large selection.

"I was sitting with the seniors up front, and I felt they were going to have a heart attack," Stockton said. "When that name came up, none of us knew who we were playing and we didn't know where we were going, but everybody was cheering. It was a great moment."

Stockton credited the AAC, Tulane's new league, for boosting it into the field. The only route to a bid from depleted Conference USA was winning the league tournament, but the Wave earned this invitation while finishing tied for fifth in the AAC.

Playing two-time defending national champion Connecticut twice and sixth-seed South Florida three times helped the schedule strength.

"If we were sitting in Conference USA right now, we would be in the NIT again," Stockton said. "We felt like the league would really help us. It's helped us in recruiting, and it's helped us get into the NCAA (tournament)."

The other aid was conference tournaments going to form. Green Bay, which won the Horizon League final in overtime against Wright State, earned a No. 9 seed. If the Phoenix had lost, it likely would have received an at-large bid and Tulane probably would have been relegated to the NIT.

"The thing that makes me the happiest is this group of seniors has been very successful in their career, and they get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament," Stockton said. "We were very fortunate things fell our way, but this team really deserves this opportunity."

Friday's winner will face the winner of the game between No. 4 seed Duke and No. 13 Albany, but Mississippi State (26-6) will present a formidable challenge. The Bulldogs won their first 18 games and finished third in the SEC with an 11-5 record. Two of their defeats -to LSU and Albany Region No. 2 seed Kentucky --came in double overtime.

Tulane lost to Mississippi State 77-68 in the first round of the WNIT last season. The rematch on Friday at 1:30 p.m. will have much higher stakes.

"They are a very physical team, so we need to be ready for that." Kaplan said. "Getting a box-out and making them one-and-done on the defensive end is going to be huge."

This post was edited on 3/16 9:30 PM by Wavetime

This post was edited on 3/16 9:30 PM by Wavetime

Link

We're now twenty games into the Dave Pierce era and I like what I see, though the euphoria of some a little earlier in the season may have been somewhat premature. We're 15-5 through 20 games compared to last year's 10-10, but, IMO, we've got several areas of improvement necessary to become an NCAA tourney team.


On the recruiting front, Duester, Steele, and Johnson, all signed by the previous staff, chose to stay when Pierce was signed. They have clearly helped out pitching, along with the improvement of guys like Merrill and Gibbs and the greater use of Yandel and Rankin, both of whom pitched very well last year in limited opportunities. Along with Gibault, these guys have more than made up for the loss of Mapes, Leblanc, McKenzie, Garner, Flowers, Wilson, and France who threw over 270 innings between them last year (roughly 60% of our total). Massey's most recent performance yesterday is also encouraging. I think coaching can take credit for much of our improvement on the mound.


The rest of recruiting has not played out that well so far. Sequiera and Issa haven't pitched and, except for some pinch running by Symington, he and Aumus haven't taken the field.


Hitting continues to be a concern. From last year, we lost Garner, Woodson, and Dimaggio, who hit a combined .230 on the year, about what the team hit as a whole. And we've added no one. Pierce is having to do with essentially the same guys who hit .227 last year. Frankly, with the new balls and, hopefully, better coaching, I expected better results. And, we're getting it in a few areas. For example, Kaplan, Williams, Gandolfo, Wilson, Brown, Yandel, and Burns hit a combined .150 last year, though, other than Kaplan, they didn't play all that much. This year, they're hitting .243 as a group, not great but almost .100 better. Alemais, Hope, Rogers, Deschamp, Carthan, and Willsey, the other returners, hit .250 last year. As a group, they're hitting .265 so far this year. Again, better, but not great.


Some of our players still lack bat speed to compete at this level and, as a team, we are not very aggressive. We're getting to two strikes far too often-- effectively half of our at bats. This is important because we're hitting .336 prior to two strikes and .163 with two strikes (not unlike past years or other teams, BTW). If it weren't for all the strike outs, we'd be hitting .311 with two strikes, counting only those balls we actually put in play. But we're striking out at a fearful pace, even more than last year. We're taking a tremendous number of strikes while swinging at far too many balls. Part of that goes back to the bat speed and having to make "early decisions." I don't think we'll see a lot better hitting until Coach Pierce can bring in a lot better hitters. Recruiting for 2016 give hope that could be soon.


Fielding continues to be erratic. Without Brown, we don't have any really good outfielders and no-one with a "plus" arm. Most of our throws so far have been short and off line. Teams are running on our outfield arms. We have some speed in the outfield, which is good, but, despite some "highlight reel" plays, we need better outfield play. Rogers, at catcher has been great. He's proven to be a good receiver and excellent at throwing out runners. So far he's thrown out 13 of 20 steal attempts. I might add that the pitching staff is doing a good job holding runners also. With Merrill or Duester on the mound, opponents are 1 for 11 attempting to steal. But, Alemais continues to be a mystery. He makes sensational plays and then bungles the most routine. His .924 fielding average to this point is by far the worst for a Tulane shortstop in at least 15 years and probably much longer.


But, I see more scrappiness in this team than I've seen in a Tulane team (any sport) in a long time. They fight to the end and don't ever give up. I also attribute that to coaching, though some leadership from team members has to play in that results.


The remainder of the year will be interesting. And if we can win two out of three the rest of the way, we should have a shot at the NCAA's. The teams we've played so far have won 166 and lost 204 (.449), though I think they'll improve that over the rest of the season. Those we've yet to play are 404 and 222 (.645), though because many of them (our conference mates) will be playing each other, that will almost assuredly go down. Nonetheless, that will help our RPI a great deal if we can keep winning.


Roll Wave!!!
This post was edited on 3/16 12:14 PM by WaveON

Brown, who injured his shoulder diving for a catch against Creighton, will have surgery after rest did not help the shoulder get better.

He will be a significant loss because of his defense--the Green Wave is shaky in the outfield without him--but like WaveON, I love the toughness and competitiveness of this team. They got the sweep they needed against Xavier, so by sweeping San Francisco and Xavier, they've already matched the number of weekend sweeps they had in the last two years combined.

This post was edited on 3/16 4:28 PM by Guerry Smith