Gopher athletics director Joel Maturi after being asked last week if football season ticket sales have jumped since the early February announcement about a top 20 recruiting class: “You know what, I am not aware of that but I think we’re going to see some spiking. It’s the last year in the dome. People are going to know that if they have tickets for next year, they’ll get them for TCF Bank Stadium (opening in 2009). Because if they don’t after that, it may not happen.”
Timberwolves radio color man Billy McKinney told Sports Headliners he’s predicting a Lakers-Pistons NBA finals. Flip Saunders and his Pistons will win the title, McKinney said.
McKinney will speak to the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce on March 4 in Fargo. He’s been involved with public speaking for years. His web site is www.billy-mckinney.com.
Timberwolves guard-forward Corey Brewer was the No. 7 pick in last year’s NBA draft. At the NBA All-Star break he’s played in 50 games, started 23 and averaged 5.4 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He has made only .354 percent of his field goal attempts (.194 percent of three pointers). He said in an interview last week that he “should shoot 45 (percent) and above.”
Luke Walton, 28, said he and his Lakers’ teammates are aware of the franchise history that includes Minneapolis but they don’t talk about it. The oldest Laker, 33- year-old Derek Fisher, was born 14 years after the team moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. “When I started watching it was Magic (Johnson) and them in the ‘80s doing the showtime. ….You gotta give respect for the people who started it all,” Walton told Sports Headliners last week.
Laker players are wearing a logo this season to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the franchise. The logo includes the words Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Lakers.
Prep basketball expert Ken Lien’s latest rankings of the state’s top 10 boys’ teams are: Hopkins, Osseo, Minnetonka, Henry Sibley, Cretin-Derham Hall, Shakopee, Crosby-Ironton, Stillwater, Wayzata and Benilde-St. Maragaret’s. Lien, chair of the Mr. Basketball program, compiles his top 10 based on who he considers the best teams regardless of school enrollment size.
Twins president Dave St. Peter said there have been ongoing discussions with ace closer Joe Nathan regarding a new contract. Nathan is a free agent after this season. With more concerns than in the past about the starting pitching, St. Peter said the bullpen is “more important” now to the team’s success.
The 2008 Diamond Awards Dinner will air on FSN North three times during February, with the first broadcast tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event was held last month and is the Twins Cities chapter of the Baseball Writers of America’s opportunity to present their awards for the 2007 season. The other broadcast dates are Sunday, February 24 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Friday, February 29 from noon to 1:30 p.m.