Some notes from Wednesday, July 14

Western Illinois and Coach Jim Molinari will play in the Cancun Challenge --
this will entail two road games at Missouri (Nov. 18), then Wyoming (Nov. 20).
Then they head to Cancun over Thanksgiving weekend and play Morgan State on Nov. 23, and then either North Florida or Prairie View A&M on Nov. 24.
The four "host teams) that get home games and then play for the tournament title are Mizzou, Wyoming, LaSalle, and Providence.


For you Illinois fans...
Sporting News ranks the non-conference FOOTBALL schedules of all the Big 12 teams...
and Mizzou gets ranked LAST (12th) largely because they play Illinois!!
http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2010-07-13/ranking-big-12s-nonconference-schedules


More conference realignment fallout...
a bunch of D-II schools are asking the NCAA to help straighten out the mess that has left them in a conference that I guess they don't want to be in. They say they're all worried about travel costs.....
http://www.couriernews.com/story.php?ID=25277


Oklahoma State releases their non-conference schedule...the "HIGHLIGHT" of their entire non-conference schedule is a mid-major - Gonzaga!!
They also face DePaul and have a game with Valley member - Missouri State.
http://newsok.com/cowboys-face-competitive-schedule/article/3476060


Long before George Steinbrenner owned the Yankees or any baseball team - he was owner of the Cleveland Pipers, an early ABA basketball team!
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/98391624_Steinbrenner_always_The_Boss.html


The IHSA March Madness Dunk Contest is soon to be history. This is one of Osiris Eldridge's claims to fame, winning the Big School dunk contest in 2006, but it's ending due to lack of interest!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-bkh-dunkcontestdies,0,7378513.story


NCAA tries to spin where all its money goes...
http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/answers/eye+on+the+money


Bruce Pearl fills out his staff by hiring the guy who was fired at Appalachian State last year...
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/mar/18/fancher-no-regrets-about-time-at-asu/sports/
http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2010/jul/14/former-appalachian-state-head-coach-houston-fanche/?partner=yahoo_feeds