Author: David Shama

Recruiting is a world of hype and unfulfilled promises.  Players reportedly headed for one school land at another.  Players “who can’t miss” sometimes don’t even come close to being top producers.  So with that disclaimer, we write about Tubby Smith’s first recruiting class at Minnesota, one that could eventually be among the top 10 in the nation.

Rivals.com reports that the Gophers have verbal commitments from two community college and two high school players for the recruiting class of 2008.  On a star system rating with five being the highest, the Gophers have verbals from three star Paul Carter of Missouri State-West Plains Community College, three star Devron Bostick of Southwestern (Ill.) Community College, four star Ralph Sampson III of Northview High School in Duluth, Georgia, and three star Colton Iverson of Yankton High School in Yankton, South Dakota.  The Gophers also continue to recruit other players.

There’s speculation that the 6-foot-8, 195-pound Carter, originally from Little Rock, will be the most ready of the recruits to help the Gophers next fall.  He is a versatile player who can score, rebound, run the floor and is considered a leader.  A pre-season junior college all-American, Carter is religious and talks openly about his faith.  He said in the team’s media guide that his “proudest athletic moment” was committing to the Gophers in August.

“Paul is very skilled,” coach Brian Ostermann said in the guide. “He can score in a lot of different ways, and he rebounds well. …I really believe that Paul can be one of the best players in the country by February.”

Bostick is a 6-foot-4 scoring forward originally from Racine, Wisconsin.  He’s in his second season at Southwestern where he’s impressed with his ability to score.  He averaged 19.1 points per game last season when he became a junior college all-American.

Sampson is a teasing name and talent. He is the son of famed Ralph Sampson II, who at 7-4 was a dominant player in college and the NBA.  There’s speculation whether the younger Sampson, sometimes now listed at 6-11, 220, will grow a few more inches and certainly he will add strength.  Sampson wasn’t a coveted recruit a couple of years ago, but now could have his choice of many colleges but looks like he will be the Gophers’ starting center before too long.  Known as a shot blocker like his dad, the younger Sampson needs to become more aggressive and consistent in his play.

Iverson, about 6-10, 240, has earned a reputation as a physical power forward or center type.  Iverson, like Sampson, is known as a fast improving big man who could be a physical college player both offensively and defensively.  He averaged about 15 points and 10 rebounds last year.  He had offers from Florida, Kentucky and more than 20 other schools, according to keoland.com, the Web site for KELOLAND TV in Sioux Falls.  Ken Lien, who has scouted high school players for many years as chair of the Minnesota Mr. Basketball Committee, describes Iverson as “an aggressive player….likes to bang and knows his way around the hoop.”

At Kentucky Smith won a national championship and regularly had his team in the NCAA tournament.  Although NCAA rules don’t allow him to talk publicly about specific recruits at this time, he was asked by Sports Headliners about the apparent recruiting success at Minnesota. “I came in with a reputation, having won, having developed players,” he said recently.  “So kids want that.  Parents want that.  They know we’re going to lead the right way.  We’re going to demand certain things of them.  They’re going to be disciplined. And who wouldn’t want that for their son? …”

Smith said he doesn’t invest time or energy following recruiting rankings.  “I’ve never worried about where people rate us.  Rankings mean nothing to me. …It’s what’s inside each player that determines how far he goes.”

Players can sign tenders next week, beginning on November 14 thru November 21. By then the Gophers will be more certain about what they have.  The Gophers, with three senior starters, need talent and bodies for 2008.  The help wanted sign is out at all positions, starters and reserves.

The Gophers are likely to sign more than four players.  Asked last night how many scholarships the Gophers will award for the 2008 class, Smith said he didn’t know but acknowledged he has enough scholarships.

Consistency isn’t a word that is repeatedly associated with the Minnesota Vikings’ offense.  Performance problems at various positions starting with quarterback have resulted in the Vikings offense scoring 15 touchdowns in eight games. Rookie phenom Adrian Peterson has deservedly been much written about and has scored nine of those touchdowns. The team’s other reliable point producer, just as expected, is field goal kicker Ryan Longwell.

In a Vikings’ career that began with the 2006 season, Longwell is 25-25 on field goals of 45 yards or less.  He has made 11 of 14 field goals this season, including a career long 55 yarder that beat Chicago.  That kind of accuracy continues a trend that Longwell has been establishing for years.  He came into this season, his 11^th in the NFL, with the seventh best percentage in career field goals in the NFL (tied with John Carnery of Jacksonville at 81.8 percent).  Longwell started this season third in NFL scoring since 1997 and fourth in total field goals.

Vikings’ special teams coach Paul Ferraro was asked if he was surprised about Longwell’s 25-25 streak. “I am not surprised, no,” Ferraro said.  “If you were to see the kicks that I see day in and day out in practice, I know it’s different than in the live situation, but. … He’s a very accurate kicker. He pays attention to his detail. He works hard.  He worked very hard in the off-season. …”

The off-season work is part of what Ferraro and Longwell said has contributed to him kicking the ball deeper on kickoffs, resulting in more touchbacks.  “Really it’s a result of three things,” Ferraro said.  “Part of it was he changed some of his routine in the off-season, some of his strength training and some of his endurance training. We (also) limited his kicks in training camp.  He had kicked a little bit more the year before in training camp.  And we changed a little bit of his practice routine during the season. …”

Longwell believes his right kicking leg is stronger now than it has been and increased flexibility helps improve performance, too, but there’s also the mental element to kicking. “The good Lord has blessed me with a mind that doesn’t take things too seriously, whether it (the ball) goes through or not,” Longwell explained.  “I’ve said many times I think there’s a million guys that can kick at this level but there’s only a few of us that have the mind to do it. That’s what I think the biggest difference is, is having the right mind set.”

On Sunday Longwell returns with the Vikings to Green Bay where he played from 1997-2005.  Earlier this season he kicked three field goals, including two from over 40 yards, in a 23-16 loss to the Packers.  Longwell said he isn’t one for “moral victories” after being asked if a Vikings win over the Packers Sunday will be a big highlight if Minnesota wins only a few games this season.

Through eight games of an NFL season, Jim Brown’s 1,194 yards rushing in 1963 ranks as the best production ever.  The Vikings’ Adrian Peterson ranks eighth on the list with 1,036 yards.  Peterson is the only rookie in NFL history to have two games of 200 yards or more rushing.  If he has two more, he will tie Earl Campbell’s NFL record of four 200 yard games in one season.

Last Sunday the Vikings’ rushing total of 378 yards (Peterson had 296) was the second best team total since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.  Cincinnati had 407 yards in a game against Denver in 2000. 

The Vikings have about 5,000 tickets remaining for their next home game, Sunday, November 18 against Oakland, according to an e-mail from Steve LaCroix, vice president of sales and marketing.  Ticket sales haven’t surged since Peterson’s NFL single game rushing record last Sunday against San Diego.

Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith has been a coach at Michael Jordan’s fantasy basketball camp that has included celebrity coaches like Smith, Rick Pitino and Jim Calhoun.

Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners that earlier this year Kevin Garnett expressed a willingness to remain with the franchise after the Timberwolves’ owner told him that he would be playing with younger players.  However, when Taylor informed Garnett he would need to accept a lesser salary as part of a contract extension, the superstar forward said no.   “He told me he wanted $60 million for the next three years and that’s what he got out there…,” Taylor said.  In two games with Boston Garnett is averaging 22.5 points and the Celtics are 2-0.

Center/forward Mark Madsen, now entering his fifth season with the Wolves, has the most longevity of any player on the roster.  Popular inside the organization and in the community, Madsen has modest career stats but brings intangibles to a team.  Asked about his role this season, Madsen said, “I feel that my role is to basically do whatever the coach (Randy Wittman) asks me to do. …Some nights it’s going to be energy.  Some nights it’s going to be leadership.  Some nights it’s going to be being positive and communicating with all the guys on the team.”   More specifically, Madsen said one game he may be trying to bolster a teammate’s confidence and on another playing extended minutes because of a favorable match-up with an opponent.

Goaltender Niklas Backstrom, right wing Marian Gaborik and center Brian Rolston of the Wild have been named to the NHL All-Star Ballot.  Players were selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department. The balloting process will be entirely digital.  From November 13 through January 2, fans can “vote now, vote often” for the Eastern and Western Conference starters for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game online at NHL.com.  U.S. fans also can vote through Verizon Wireless cell phones.

As part of a series of Coke appearances involving Minnesota Wild players, Gaborik is scheduled to sign autographs at the Holiday Stationstore located at 8401 Lyndale Avenue South in Bloomington from 5 to 6 p.m. tonight (Wednesday). Tomorrow Derek Boogaard is scheduled to sign autographs at the Holiday Stationstore located at 4167 Ball Road N.E. in Blaine from 5 to 6 p.m.

A crowd of about 25,000 is expected at the Metrodome on Sunday when superstar David Beckham and his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates play against the Minnesota Thunder in an exhibition soccer match, according to an event spokeswoman. “We are going to be bringing the full team to Minnesota, including David Beckham who is fully fit and has been back training for the last few weeks,” said Galaxy coach Frank Yallop.  This is Beckham’s only scheduled US visit to a non-MLS city. The event is being referred to as Copa Minnesota and ticket prices range from $15-$125, with field seats available for $175.  A family four-pack for $100 is also available. To purchase tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com, visit any Ticketmaster outlet, or call 651-989-5151.

Kickoff time for the Minnesota-Wisconsin football game on Saturday, November 17 at the Metrodome will not be announced until Sunday, November 11.  The Big Ten Conference has until then to determine TV plans for the game.

Two Bethel players are MIAC Football Athletes of the Week along with St. Olaf senior punter/kicker Paul Fortman who has been honored for a fifth time this season and 10^th in his career as the special teams selection.  Fortman was 11-for-11 on extra points, extending his streak to 54 without a miss, and averaged 39 yards on four punts in the Oles’ 85-28 win over Carleton on Saturday. Fortman leads the MIAC in punting (42.1 yards/punt) and scoring by kickers (8.7 points/game). Senior quarterback Ben Wetzell, the offensive player of the week, compiled 308 yards of total offense and accounted for three of Bethel’s six touchdowns in a 44-35 win over Augsburg. He gained 177 yards rushing on 22 carries, an average of eight yards per carry.  Bethel senior safety Brandon Carr, the defensive player of the week, had eight tackles, (six solo, and two assists), plus an important fourth quarter interception and three pass break-ups in the win over Augsburg.