Autumn Q&A … again!

After doing my mailbag a few weeks ago, I got an influx of questions, so I guess it’s time to circle the wagons and do it all over again.

In this week’s edition, fans are sort of changing seasons. We got a lot of questions about basketball and other non-football-related things.

But still others want to talk about the pigskin, which is OK, because we all know that people in Louisiana are enamored with some football – especially at this time of the year.

So fire away!

Q: Who are your picks to win the football state championships?

A: There are too many brackets for me to give them all to you, so let’s go with Class 5A, Class 4A, Class 3A, Division I and Division II. In 5A, I like Hahnville. I know that’s a bit of a wild card, but those guys can run the football like crazy and I think they’re developing a little bit of that edge and that mean streak that coach Nick Saltaformaggio wants out of his football team. In Class 4A, I’m going with Karr. They’re a human cheat code. No one is beating them unless they make a few mistakes and/or someone gives a Herculean effort against them. In Class 3A, I’ll be a homer and take St. James. I like their athletes and they have a proven winning pedigree. In Division I, I will take Evangel and trust that their dominant defense will hold up throughout the playoffs and in Division II, I’m going with De La Salle. That’s the best team I’ve seen all season in Louisiana – any classification. Those guys have beaten St. Aug, Karr, Riverside, St. James, St. Charles and Donaldsonville in their nine games. Their resume is impeccable.

Q: Is LSU basketball for real? They looked great in the opener!

A: For real as in a national contender? No indeed! But if you’re asking me if they’re for real in terms of getting back out of the doldrums and into contention, then sure, I’ll buy that. Will Wade is an outstanding coach and the Tigers will be solid for as long as he’s on campus. It’s going to take a long time to clean up the sewer system that Johnny Jones turned the Tigers into over his tenure. But given time and given the right resources, Wade is absolutely the right man for the job. Of course, I’m a pessimist, so my concern immediately becomes the future – specifically my fear that he will leave the program after a few successful seasons. But I guess we have to cross that bridge when we get there and see how it all goes.

Q: Who is the best local basketball players this year? For boys and girls.

A: For boys, I think it’s out of AJ Rainey, the Mosely kid at Ellender and David Robinson at Central Lafourche. If you ask me to pick one, I will go with Rainey just because I think he’s a great leader and his guys rally around his effort and his energy on the court. For the girls, I don’t have to think twice. I think Traya Bruce is the MVP and I don’t think it’s close. There are other great players, but if Bruce were to leave a close game because of foul trouble, the entire complexion of South Lafourche’s lineup would change. She is the heart and soul of that basketball team.

Q: Who will go to the NBA Finals?

A: The Rockets and Warriors are the two best teams and it’s not close. James Harden is the best offensive player of my lifetime. It’s unbelievable how good that dude is with the ball. But they can’t both go, so I will say the Warriors against the Celtics. The Cavs are washed. LeBron’s supporting cast stinks and he knows it. He has one foot out the door.

Q: Are you surprised that all the locals lost in the first round?

A: A little, but honestly, I’m not all that shocked. E.D. White losing to St. Louis was the biggest shock to me, but when I found out that their quarterback was limited in the game, suddenly, things started to make a little bit more sense. Next year, I think Vandebilt will be loaded. They were awfully young last year and have quarterback Andrew Robison back. From what I understand, Central Lafourche will be surprisingly good, too. They have a lot of youth defensively and they can maybe make a little bit of a push. But to answer your question, no, I’m not surprised. I wouldn’t have predicted it, but I’m not shocked.

Q: What do you think of the Nicholls basketball teams?

A: I like them both. I think the women have their health back, which was the only thing they were missing last season. I think their season-opening game against SMU is a sign of things to come – quality play and a team that will be a tough out for just about anyone. The men are going to be a lot of fun. They’re going to score, press and be one of the most exciting teams to watch in recent memory of Nicholls basketball. I will be in Stopher Gymnasium quite often this season. I can’t wait to see how these two teams evolve. I like them both.

Q: Who is going to win the College Football Playoff?

A: I mean, I could be a big cheese ball right here and pick Alabama, right? But that’s boring. They win almost every year. So in the sake of having a little fun with my prediction, I’m going to go with Oklahoma. I love Baker Mayfield. My NFL team is the Dallas Cowboys and we, obviously, don’t need a quarterback for the future. But if I were a team without an established quarterback or with an aging veteran (like the Saints), I would be more than happy to spend an early draft pick on Baker Mayfield. That guy can go. I love his toughness, his leadership and his willingness to compete. That guy is just a nasty competitor.

Q: Which local basketball team will go deepest?

A: How can you go against the Ellender girls? They won it all last year. I see no reason to believe they won’t have another deep run in them this season. If not them, I like the South Lafourche girls, too. How can you bet against Traya Bruce after watching the way she played last year in the playoffs? That kid is incredible and she’s been incredible her whole career – dating back to her days in Biddy.

Q: Why did they take the title off Jinder Mahal?

A: This smells like a fish. Jinder had already started his program with Brock Lesnar, then the whole thing got scratched and they put the belt on A.J. Styles and moved forward with that. Mahal has since gone on social media and said that he is not in trouble, nor is he suspended because of a failed drug test. I believe him, but I still think the whole thing smells like a fish. Something had to happen behind the scenes to get the big wigs to take that belt off him at this time.

Q: Who is the best athlete you’ve ever covered?

A: At LSU, I covered Ryan Perrilloux, who was just a freak. Brandon LaFell was also one of those guys who was just good at every sport he played. Back home at the high school level, the best I’ve covered is probably either Justin Williams or Lionheart Leslie. Williams was so good at his craft that he literally used a wooden bat for his senior season – just to get ready for professional ball. That’s special. Lionheart was great in his own way, too, just in that his sheer athleticism and talent made up for his lack of size. He gave his full 100 percent effort in every, single game he played. That’s not something that everyone does anymore.

Q: What do you make of LSU’s football season so far?

A: Pretty good. The beginning was a disaster, but the team has gotten better as the year has gone on. To be 7-3 so far with a chance to make it to a significant bowl game – all while playing more SEC road games than home games – is pretty nice. I think Coach Ed Orgeron is getting a raw deal. When LSU wins, we give all the credit to Matt Canada and Dave Aranda. When LSU loses, we give all the blame to Orgeron. We can’t have our cake and eat it, too. We have to give Orgeron some credit for LSU’s successes. The Tigers were in a serious rut after losing to Troy, but they’ve dug out of that rut and are now near the top-half of the SEC – all while fielding an awfully young football team.

Baker Mayfield

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