Northern Iowa's basketball team will play Indiana or New Mexico or both in December

Some interesting news on Northern Iowa men's basketball comes to us courtesy of this story from the Waterloo Courier.

First of all, the Panthers will play in a Las Vegas pre-Christmas tourney. That means hosting two games against teams to be determined, then going to Vegas to play games against two of the following: Colorado, Indiana and New Mexico.

The New Mexico team, for those who may have forgotten, is coached by Steve Alford.

If nothing else, the tourney should help UNI's strength-of-schedule/seeding come NCAA tournament time, if the Panthers are again in a position to go to the NCAAs. Nothing can be taken for granted, obviously, especially when you play in a conference that has had just one team (UNI) earn NCAA bids the last two seasons. And, the losses of seniors Jordan Eglseder, Adam Koch and Ali Farokhmanesh create rather considerable voids.

There's a question if power forward Lucas O'Rear, a senior-to-be, is a certainty to be back with the team next season.

Though UNI no longer has a baseball team, O'Rear is a pitcher of potential. He can throw a 93 mph fastball, and plays summer college league ball.

"There's some things he'll do this spring and early summer where he'll throw for a couple (pro baseball) teams and be seen," UNI Coach Ben Jacobson told the Courier. "I think that's important, to keep his name in the mix - because he's got the talent to make it at some point.

"But I know Luke wants to get his degree. He wants to continue to be part of this program."

Major League Baseball's amateur draft is in June. O'Rear could play pro baseball this summer and still play for the Panthers this winter.