The Gophers basketball team that plays its opening NCAA tournament game today in Milwaukee against Xavier has three Minnesotans on the active playing roster. Wisconsin and Wofford, two teams that play each other this afternoon in the tournament, have seven Minnesotans.
Former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher said if he were starting a Big Ten team Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer, from Orono, would be his choice for a center.
Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said NCAA tournament revenues are divided among Big Ten teams and the Gophers don’t make any more money by being in the tournament.
Maturi told Sports Headliners he will have his annual post-season review with coach Don Lucia in a couple of weeks. “He will be our hockey coach,” Maturi said. “If I was going to make a change, I would probably make it by now.”
The Gophers ended their season on Sunday with an 18-19-2 record, missing the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five for the second time ever and first since 1998.
Harlem Globetrotters legend Curly Neal will be in town next week to promote the team’s appearance at Target Center on April 3. Neal is from Greensboro, North Carolina, the same home town of former Gophers basketball All-American Lou Hudson.
Albert Young seems the likely Viking to move into Chester Taylor’s vacated role as the No. 2 running back. Ian Johnson might emerge as the No. 3 back. A rookie on the practice squad last season, Johnson signed a new contract with the Vikings earlier this year.
It will be interesting to see how run oriented Mike Tice, the new offensive line coach, and pass guru Mike Martz, the new offensive coordinator, mesh next season on the Chicago Bears staff.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation announced yesterday the final 10 candidates for the Hobey Baker Award honoring college hockey’s top player: Bobby Butler, New Hampshire; Marc Cheverie, Denver; Blake Geoffrion, Wisconsin; Gustav Nyquist, Maine; Mark Olver, Northern Michigan; Chase Polacek, Rensselear; Rhett Rakhshani, Denver; Cody Reichard, Miami of Ohio; Ben Scrivens, Cornell; and Brendan Smith, Wisconsin.
Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher made a positive impression on center Casey Wellman and then signed him this week to a two-year contract. Wellman, 22, was courted by more than 20 NHL teams after recently finishing his sophomore season at Massachusetts. He tied for sixth in the nation with 23 goals. Wellman, whose father Brad was a major league outfielder, said a major factor in signing with the Wild as a college free agent was a visit Fletcher made with Wellman and his family.