TGIF Linkage 07/03

To start off the holiday weekend, let’s take a look at some news surrounding the University of South Dakota men’s basketball program.

First some 2009-10 scheduling notes:

** The USD men will host Morehead State (Ky.) on Monday, Dec. 28. MSU was 20-16 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

** USD and Kansas State will meet on Jan. 3, 2010, according to KSU’s non-conference schedule. The teams last faced each other in 1986.

In non-schedule news:

** Mike Lafrenz, who redshirted for USD last season, has transferred to Division II Upper Iowa. He likely wasn’t going to see much playing time in Vermillion, but should have plenty of chances at Upper Iowa.

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Now for the real linkage.

** Bittersweet news out of the Twin Cities. Minnesota Twins beat reporter Phil Miller has been laid off from the St. Paul Pioneer Press. This leaves the door open for fellow Twins scribe Kelsie Smith to become the primary beat writer. Smith is a former USD student and sportswriter at The Volante, where her and I worked together for one year. So, congrats to Kelsie.

** Quite a month for swimming and diving in The Summit League. June 5: Western Illinois drops men’s & women’s programs. June 26: USD joins the conference as an associate member. June 29: Western Illinois reinstates its programs.

** After 8 hard-to-watch years, the Best Dam Sports Show Period is closing up shop. Let’s all take a moment. OK, done. Bye bye, Chris Rose.

** Due to the high number of arrests of Washington State football players, the WSU student newspaper reports to a hilarious Mad-Libs style editorial.

** Check out all 8 videos of Oprah Winfrey’s 1993 interview with Michael Jackson. If nothing else, it’s an interesting look inside Jacko’s mind.

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TGIF Recommended Tune

This is a song I’ve been meaning to link for some time now. It’s “Pain” by Three Days Grace. Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone.