Posted March 11, 2011    

•Tubby Smith

•Tsuyoshi Nishioka

•Kyle Gibson

•Jerry Kill

•Kevin Love

Forget Contract Extension for Smith 

Forget about a contract extension for Gophers coach Tubby Smith. 

That’s the advice here and undoubtedly a popular position today among Gophers fans who have watched Minnesota lose 10 of its last 11 games including yesterday’s Big Ten Tournament opener against Northwestern.  The possibility of a contract extension between Smith and the University of Minnesota goes back to last spring with reports now that something might yet be finalized.  

In four seasons coaching the Gophers, Smith has a regular season Big Ten Conference record of 32 wins, 40 losses.  If he achieves certain incentives his present contract can pay him well over $2 million annually.  He signed an incentive-heavy seven-year contract in 2007. 

After four years more was expected than a losing conference record and two trips to the NCAA tournament where Minnesota was one and done each time.  Smith took over a losing program, but with a winning resume at Kentucky much more success was expected here by now. 

Instead this has been a season of disappointments as the Gophers have fallen from a top 20 nationally-ranked team to the worst performing group in the conference in recent weeks.  Included in the last 10 losses are two March wins by Northwestern, historically the league’s worst program and one that never has been to the NCAA tournament.  

Smith lost his two point guards in January to set off the tailspin.  Without Devoe Joseph who transferred to Oregon and Al Nolen out with a broken foot, the Gophers faltered and Smith stepped up the criticism of his remaining players.   

Fans have every reason to wonder, though, if the Gophers didn’t have enough remaining talent to fare better than the current losing streak of six games.  Did the coaches make the best of what they had to work with? 

Frustrated followers include season ticket holders and Gopher letter winners from the past. They’re asking various questions including why the offense is so ineffective and why some players don’t improve.  They’re not just disappointed with this season and the four year results.  They don’t like the coach’s specific criticism of players, although it’s a roster that he and his staff put together. 

At least one person among those who have complained to Sports Headliners had an answer, too.  If asked, he’s not contributing to the potential funding for a new practice facility on campus.   

Right now there are a lot of questions about the program including what kind of a roster and performance Smith can put together for next season.  On the subject of a contract extension, the only correct answer for now is no.  

 

Right now there are a lot of questions about the program including what kind of a roster and performance Smith can put together for next season. 

Worth Noting

Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s arrival as the first Japanese native to play for the Twins has added to the media delegation covering the team and the potential for club merchandising in Japan.   

Japanese media have been covering the Twins’ new second baseman in spring training and about 20 journalists from Japan are expected to report daily on Nishioka and the team during the season.  Signage in Japanese will be on display in the Target Field press box this season.  

Sales of Twins merchandise and memorabilia in Japan is expected to increase not only because this is Nishioka’s first year with the team, but also he’s a high profile player, a former batting champion and gold glove winner in his home country.  “I think it can’t help but raise our profile significantly over there,” said club marketing executive Patrick Klinger.  

When Nishioka was brought to Minneapolis in December for a news conference to announce his signing with the Twins, the Japanese paparazzi were there, too. “It was like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt walked in the room with all the flashbulbs popping,” Klinger said. 

A baseball trading card industry authority said autographed minor league cards of Twins prospects Kyle Gibson and Miguel Sano are worth $25 to $50 via online websites.  The 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card is still among the most prized baseball memorabilia, but generally the trading card industry remains depressed and may never recover to its popularity during the 1980s.  

Gibson, the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, drew long lines of autograph seekers when he attended TwinsFest in January.  If any of the Twins starters falter this spring, Gibson is a likely replacement.  Sano, the 6-3, 195-pound 17-year-old infielder is described by one club spokesman as a “man-child.” 

Twins’ outfielder Michael Cuddyer, a skilled magician, recalled on KSTP Radio last Sunday that former teammate Luis Castillo was frightened by his tricks.  Castillo relocated his locker room far from Cuddyer’s when the two were teammates.

 

Notes Plus

The University of Minnesota athletic department is looking for access to corporate jets from multiple Minneapolis-St. Paul area companies.  

New football coach Jerry Kill is committed to improving the academic performance of his Gophers football players.  Some let their classroom work slip after former coach Tim Brewster was dismissed.  However, it’s not expected that the Gophers will lose large numbers of players because of school work between now and their first game at USC in September.   

In pro basketball history there are nine players who have had double-double streaks of 50-plus games.  The only one not retired and in the Hall of Fame is the Wolves’  22-year-old Kevin Love.  The others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Jerry Lucas, Moses Malone and Bill Russell. 

Trevor Mbakwe, who was All-Big Ten second team and the conference’s leading rebounder, said on KSTP TV’s Sports Wrap show last Sunday he’s probably not going to enter the NBA draft and will return to Minnesota for his senior season.   

Mbakwe had 18 double-doubles during the season, the best total in the Big Ten and fifth highest in Gophers’ history.  Mychal Thompson holds the school record for most double-doubles in a season, 21 in 1975-76. 

If Minnesota coach Tubby Smith leaves to take another job, candidates to replace him should include head coaches Tony Bennett (Virginia), Tim Miles (Colorado State) and Brian Dutcher, assistant coach at San Diego State. 

Smith said redshirt freshman forward Oto Osenieks is the type of outside shooter his team needs.  “Oto lights it up in practice,” Smith said.  

The Fischler Report, an authoritative hockey source, speculates that next year’s NHL Winter Classic will be played in Philadelphia or New York.  Minneapolis-St. Paul seems likely to host the New Year’s Day game within the next couple of years but maybe not in 2012. 

The Wild’s Jose Theodore and Niklas Backstrom have both started 25 games in goal.  Theodore enjoys playing guitar and his favorite athlete is Muhammad Ali. Backstrom likes music, too, and his favorite artists are Metallica, U2, Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen and The Giant Leap. 

The Gophers hockey team is 5-0-2 in its last seven games and has scored 31 goals, an average of 4.41 while giving up 17 goals, 2.42.  During the undefeated streak Cade Fairchild leads the team in points with 11 and assists, 10.  Nick Bjugstad leads in goals with six.  The Gophers host Alaska-Anchorage starting tonight in the WCHA playoffs. 

Hamline University senior center Mary Wilkowski is the MIAC Player-of-the-Year.  Wilkowski led the conference in scoring with an average of 21.3 points per game. She also ranked second in the league in rebounding (8.9 per game), field goal percentage (.560), minutes per game (35.92) and fifth in free throw percentage (.833).  She was an all-conference player all four seasons at Hamline.  

 

   Niklas Backstrom

 Nick Bjugstad
 

Mary Wilkowski