Gophers’ senior forward Trevor Mbakwe is one of 22 players invited by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee to attend the USA Basketball Men’s World University Games Team training camp July 29 through August 7. Three other Big Ten players are on the invite list including Wisconsin senior guard Jordan Taylor from Bloomington. The others are Northwestern senior forward John Shurna and Michigan State forward Draymond Green.
The training camp in Colorado Springs will select the 12-member team representing the USA at the World University Games August 13-23 in Shenzhen, China. The last Gopher to play for Team USA at the World University Games was Vincent Grier following the 2004-05 season.
Tickets remain in all price categories for the September 30 LeeAnn Chin Challenge at Target Center. Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Michael Chang will compete in the event, part of the Champions Series circuit. Courtside seats (first two rows) are $252 each with the lowest price ticket costing $37. At the present time only lower level seating is available for purchase.
The Champions Series begins September 22 in Fort Lauderdale and is scheduled in 12 U.S. cities through October 22. Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander will also participate. A prize pool totaling $1 million will be shared by the top three finishers at season’s end. Each of the 12 one-night tournaments will feature four champions paired off in one-set semi-finals competing for ranking points, culminating with winners contending for the title in an eight-game pro-set championship match.
The annual Hobey Baker banquet will be June 23 at the RiverCentre in St. Paul. Andy Miele from Miami (Ohio) and winner of this years’ Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey will be welcomed by about two-thirds of the former award winners including Minnesota-born recipients Marty Sertich (2005-Colorado College), Brian Bonin (1996-Minnesota), Robb Stauber (1988-Minnesota), Tom Kurvers (1984-Duluth) and Neal Broten (1981-Minnesota). The guest speaker will be former Edina resident Brian Burke, now president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Banquet tickets are available via www.hobeybakeraward.com.
The Wild’s Mikko Koivu is serving in the Finnish military, a requirement by that country for Finnish men. Wild prospect Mikael Granlund is also serving and a Finnish newspaper created a Granlund paper doll game where his likeness can be dressed in a hockey or military uniform.
The annual C.O.R.E.S-Minnesota Minutemen Golf Tournament will be July 13 at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan. Members of those organizations should contact Duane McEwen via email for more information, mcewendh@aol.com. (C.O.R.E.S is an acronym for coaches, officials, educators, reporters and sports fans.)