COUGARS

Though there isn't a lot of links this morning, the ones out there are pretty darn interesting. They range from some Oregon football suspensions to the NIT … and beyond. Read on.
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• We'll start with basketball, because it is basketball season. The Times' Bud Withers doesn't think it's out of the question six Pac-10 teams could be invited to the NCAA tournament, though five looks to be the more rational number. Those fine folks at NIT-ology are in the five camp, with only one Pac-10 school (Arizona) for sure in the NIT and another (Stanford) as on the bubble but in. They have Washington State listed as a NIT bubble team but more likely a CBI participant. One note about the latter tournament. The CBI is run by the same group that ran the preseason tournament in Newark in which the Cougars faced Mississippi State and Pitt, so there is a history there. ... Register Guard columnist George Schroeder states his belief Ernie Kent should be retained and given the opportunity to turn the Ducks around next year. ... Staying in Oregon, the Oregonian has this piece on Tajuan Porter's resurgence. ... Buster Sports' Nick Daschel has the Cougars rated seventh in the Pac-10 this week.

• Let's move on to football. The Ducks have suspended two players indefinitely, including running back LeGarrette Blount, expected to carry the load next season. ... Remaining with the Ducks, Daschel thinks coach Mike Bellotti will be back for another year. ... Finally, the Mercury News' Jon Wilner examines each of the Pac-10 teams' nonconference schedules. He also buys into the Thursday-night-game-vs.-Stanford talk, but as I pointed out last night, though that may happen, it's still up in the air.

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• That's it for this morning. We will post our Thursday story this afternoon along with any other notes and links that come up. Till then …

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