Author: David Shama

Team president Chris Wright has been with the Timberwolves franchise since one season after its inception and he’s impressed with the attitudes on this year’s young team.  Although the Wolves have the second worst record in the NBA, 11-42, Wright is encouraged by the demeanor and talent of a team he thinks can be in the playoffs in a couple of years.

“Right now we have the best chemistry and the best locker room that we have had in our franchise history,” Wright told Sports Headliners.  “Have the results on the court been what we want them to be?  No, but these guys are 21, 22, 23 year old guys.

“Kevin McHale (vice president of basketball operations) reminds us every day that experience wins games. In the end, these guys have got to grow.  They’ve got to mature.   They’ve got to gain the experience that’s necessary to win games. …”

The way Wright sees it, Wolves management will use good judgment in further shaping its talent and roster.  “The next move has got to be a very careful move because you don’t want to necessarily upset the chemistry and the progress that we’re making with this younger team that we have,” he said.  “We have some really, really nice pieces here. Now the trick is going to be how do you complement the pieces that we already have in place. …”

Wright thinks the Wolves will be a “much better team” next season.  What that translates into regarding wins and losses is anyone’s guess, although he speculates a season that produces 40 or some wins could be two years away.

Eventually Wright sees the nucleus on this team, led by 23-year-old star center Al Jefferson, having the potential to be “something special.”  He said Glen Taylor, owner since 1995, is committed to having a winning team and will spend the necessary money.

“As long as Glen has been here he has not been afraid to sort of maximize opportunities with players and spend what he has considered to be the right amount of money on players,” Wright said.  “I think that going forward, I don’t see that Glen would change that.  I think, like all owners, Glen does really, really want to win. …”

Taylor made Kevin Garnett the highest paid player in the league.  A few years ago he stretched the payroll, too, to acquire veterans Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, two stars who along with Garnett almost took the Wolves to the NBA finals.  Taylor told Sports Headliners in December he expects to lose $10 to $15 million on the franchise this season and forecasts more losses next season.

Wright said the Wolves have sold less than 6,000 full season tickets.  He said that’s not the lowest total in franchise history but the most minimal since the mid-1990s when the total was “just over 5,000.”

Through last weekend’s NBA All-Star break and weekend, the Wolves ranked 25th among 30 franchises in league attendance, averaging 14,380.  On Sunday the Wolves will play to their fourth home sellout crowd of the season against Dallas.

Wright said league representatives were in Minneapolis this week and expressed a “wow” with the attendance success the franchise has had, given the team’s record and recent past that includes no playoff appearances since 2003-2004.

Cooper High School junior forward Rodney Williams has impressed Ken Lien and others with his athleticism.  Lien, who chairs the Mr. Basketball Committee, said a former Gopher and pro player thinks Williams, about 6-5, 185, can one day play in the NBA.

“I am not so sure the kid couldn’t compete for the NBA dunk title right now,” Lien said.  “But physically to be an impact player he needs to get much stronger.”

Lien said Williams also needs to become more consistent with his outside shooting and ball handling.  Williams is part of an impressive junior class of state preps that includes forwards Royce White of De La Salle and Mike Bruesewitz of Henry Sibley.  Lien said Bruesewitz has verbally committed to Wisconsin.  White and Williams are among the metro areas leading scorers, averaging in the low 20’s.

The Mr. Basketball award is for seniors only so none of the above mentioned players can win the honor this year, but meanwhile Lien has announced the names of the 20 finalists.  They are: Armond Battle, Benilde-St. Margaret’s; Jordan Taylor, Benilde-St. Margaret’s; Tarell Clark, Burnsville; Michael Floyd, Cretin-Derham Hall; John Nance, Cretin-Derham Hall; Cody Schilling, Ellsworth; Peter Leslie, Henry Sibley; David Hanson,  Maranatha Christian Academy; C. J. Erickson, Minnetonka; Anthony Tucker, Minnetonka; Carrington Tankson, Osseo; Jared Berggren, Princeton; Jordan Hicks, Rochester Mayo; Lucas Kuipers, Rochester Mayo; Nick Haugen, Rockford; Andrew Brommer, Rosemount; Theo Rothstein, St. Michael-Albertville; Alex Schneider, St. Thomas Academy; Peter Waldvogel, St. Thomas Academy; and Joel Armstrong, Stillwater.

Lien has been associated with the Mr. Basketball Committee for 32 years.  He estimated that already this fall and winter his six member committee has seen about 200 high school games as part of the scouting for the state’s next Mr. Basketball.  The award will be presented at a banquet on April 27 at the Minneapolis Marriott West in St. Louis Park.

Lien’s latest weekly 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. Margaret’s. He compiles his top 10 based on who he considers the best teams regardless of school enrollment size.

He said Hopkins has a “great combination of size and quickness.”  He likes the Royals depth, too, and ability to defend opposing players on the perimeter.  He also said that because they will return so many players, both Hopkins and Henry Sibley will be formidable again next season.

Gopher associate athletics director Marc Ryan e-mailed with news about the NCAA Final Four: “The NCAA has made the decision to go to a raised floor for the Final Four starting in 2009. The main reason is to improve the sightlines, and they referenced ‘The Barn’ (Williams Arena) as an example. They even asked us where we get our stools from that the coaches use to sit up on the floor since that…will be needed as well once this is implemented.”

If the Gophers participate in the NIT it will be a first for coach Tubby Smith.  In 17 seasons of coaching Smith has never had a team in that post-season tournament.  He’s coached 14 consecutive NCAA tournament teams.

Johan Santana is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.  The headline:  “Happy Days, Johan Santana Lifts the Mets Without Throwing a Pitch.”

The verbal commitment of Bloomington Jefferson junior quarterback Moses Alipate to the Gophers is interesting not only because he’s regarded by many as the state’s best prep player in the junior class.  His commitment may give Minnesota momentum and more success with some of the state’s other top recruits.  Holding Minnesota kids home is an issue for the Gophers.  Also, Alipate is of Polynesian descent and his commitment could bring other Polynesians here.  The last 10 years has seen an influx of talented Polynesians at college football programs, particularly western schools.  His father Tuineau played for Washington State and later was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings issued a one sentence press release on Wednesday regarding the release of controversial safety Dwight Smith.

Three Minnesota Wild players will make fan appearances and sign autographs during the next few days. Brent Burns is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. tonight (Friday) at Coburn’s, 225 33rd Street West in Hastings. Niklas Backstrom is booked from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight at Festival Foods, 2218 Bunker Lake Blvd. Northwest in Andover. Mark Parrish is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. at Best Buy, 12905 Elm Creek Boulevard North in Maple Grove.

Gigi Marvin of the Gophers leads the WCHA in overall scoring with 44 points.  Earlier this week she was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.

The Gopher men’s hockey team, 12-13-7, and hoping to improve its offensive production, hosts Wisconsin tonight and tomorrow night.  Minnesota has 10 goals in the last eight games.  The last time Minnesota scored fewer goals in an eight-game period was during January of 1930.  Goalie Alex Kangas has been outstanding.  In his last 11 games he has 1.75 goals against average and .935 save percentage. For the season Kangas ranks 13th nationally with a 2.14 goals against average and 12th with a .923 save percentage. Both of those numbers rank second among all freshmen goaltenders. Colorado College’s Richard Bachman ranks first.

St. Thomas’ Tom Hodgson was named MIAC men’s Coach of the Year and women’s Co-Coach of the Year after Saturday’s conference swimming and diving meet. It was the second consecutive time Hodgson has won the women’s award.  Hodgson’s athletes won four MIAC races and broke 14 of a possible 38 school records in swimming events this year, 13 of those at the MIAC meet.