Don't be shocked if Pittsburgh has Mike Cook back next year.

Panthers coach Jamie Dixon submitted the appeal to the Big East yesterday, which is basically a formality. Then the Big East will pass it along to the NCAA.

There have been several cases in which a player has been awarded a sixth-year of eligibility (Cook sat out one season after transferring from East Carolina).

The key is that Cook went down with a season-ending knee injury on the 11th game of the season - in overtime against Duke. The current rule states that a player must play in less than 30 percent of the team's games.

``We're hoping he gets the extra year, but we'll have to wait and see what happens," Dixon said.

If Dixon gets Cook back in the fold, he'll have four starters back and will have a club capable of making a legitimate Final Four run next season.

However, Dixon admitted the one area of concern may be that of perimeter shooting - as he lost his top outside shooter in Ronald Ramon.

TOURNEYS

- The two matchups out in South Padre Island will be Kent State against Illinois and Tulsa vs. Texas A&M.

- The Basketball Travelers Invitational at BYU on Nov. 20-22 includes host BYU as well as Cal Poly, North Florida and Rice.

- Cal will host a tourney in late-December that could wind up pitting new Cal coach Mike Montgomery against former player/assistant coach Eric Reveno of Portland in the second round. The other two teams in the event are Air Force and Dartmouth.

RANDOM NOTES: New South Carolina coach Darrin Horn has hired former Gamecocks player Mike Boynton to complete his staff. Boynton has been at Wofford, Coastal Carolina and Furman. ... Murray State coach Billy Kennedy received a extension through the 2011-12 campaign. ... Gardner-Webb associate head coach Chris Holtmann returned to his old spot after briefly taking a similar position at Lipscomb.