Author: David Shama

David Shama is a former sports editor and columnist with local publications. His writing and reporting experiences include covering the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Gophers. Shama’s career experiences also include sports marketing. He is the former Marketing Director of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He is also the former Marketing Director of the United States Tennis Association’s Northern Section. A native of Minneapolis, Shama has been part of the community his entire life. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he majored in journalism. He also has a Master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas. He was a member of the Governor’s NBA’s Task Force to help create interest in bringing pro basketball to town in the 1980s.

Time to Change Boys’ Tournament

Posted on March 20, 2013March 20, 2013 by David Shama

The State Boys’ Basketball Tournament is stale.

The tournament is mired in mediocrity and greeted with a certain amount of apathy each year by the public — even by those who love amateur hoops. Four classes and 32 teams ensure plenty of trophies but the commitment to mass participation doesn’t stir much excitement for some of us.

Why not combine Class 1A and 2A? Do the same with Class 3A and 4A. Two tournaments with eight teams each could be played in three days instead of the four-day format that begins today. Fewer teams, less games and more focus means a revitalized overall tournament and image with two state champions instead of four.

A slimmed down tournament offers potential for more intriguing matchups. I want to see Anders Broman — who averages 41.7 points per game on 58.1 percent shooting for his Class 1A Lakeview Christian Academy team — play against rivals from Class 2A.

How about a game between powerhouses Apple Valley and DeLaSalle? That won’t happen this year because the two schools are in separate classes, 4A and 3A.

There is something else that could be considered after creating two classes and reducing the field to 16 teams. Determine an overall state champion on the Tuesday following the two championship games on Saturday. Defenders of the status quo will scream the smaller schools can’t compete against the bigger schools but let’s find out. Coaches and players — regardless of where they are from — are competitors and want to test themselves. Schools should welcome the challenge.

If the game results are too lopsided after a three year trial run, try something different. For example, have a tournament with 16 total teams from schools with all sizes of enrollment. Then seed those teams in two different but equal groups, and start play on a Thursday. By Saturday night two teams from each group are playing in a Minnesota prep version of the Final Four, with winners advancing to the state championship game on Tuesday night.

I know others have ideas about tournament changes but the point is the boys’ state tournament needs a shakeup. The crowds are small and there is nowhere near the anticipation about the tournament as was true years ago when it had only eight teams and was the highlight on the sports calendar for many Minnesotans.

The tournament today is mostly for inside followers like parents, students and teachers. It should be that but the tourney also belongs to the greater public including passionate fans who want to see some flexibility and creativity in the format. And the byproduct could be more young kids interested in playing basketball.

A matchup like Apple Valley, 28-1, against DeLaSalle, 27-1, is the kind of attraction we’re missing out on. Although the Islanders are in Class 3A, they just might be the best team in the state but we won’t find out. A matchup between the teams would include two of the most talked about junior players in the state, Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones and DeLaSalle forward Reid Travis.

Another outcome that won’t happen is seeing Grand Rapids from Class 3A play against a Class 4A team. The Thunderhawks are led by sophomore forward Alex Illikainen who averages 27 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. It would be fun to see Illikainen — a player who has been compared to Kevin McHale — be on the floor against Edina senior center Reggie Lynch who holds the school record for blocked shots averaging six per game.

And what about those start times for the No. 1 seeds? No. 1 Apple Valley plays Brainerd today at 10 a.m. at Target Center. No. 1 DeLaSalle opens against Sartell-St. Stephen at the same time. Why not play those games closer to the noon hour or end of the day to afford more fans the opportunity to leave the office and catch some hoops. Better yet start the tournament with the most attractive teams playing at night.

Worth Noting

The only player in the tournament who has a Big Ten scholarship for next fall is Edina senior guard Graham Woodward. The school’s all-time leading scorer averaged 26.3 points per game this season and is headed to Penn State.

Woodward wasn’t recruited by the Gophers who probably will have only one scholarship Minnesotan on the roster next season, junior Joe Coleman. The Gophers’ two recruits for next fall are both from Chicago.

In six seasons at Minnesota coach Tubby Smith has yet to sign a player from outstate Minnesota to a scholarship. The big miss was former St. Cloud Tech guard Nate Wolters, now the Summit League Player of the Year who has helped South Dakota State to two NCAA Tournaments including a tourney game tomorrow against Michigan. Wolters’ outside shooting is just what the erratic shooting Gophers could have used this season to win more games.

Smith has expressed disappointment with his team’s inside defense that could have been helped by either of two former Minnesota high school players who are on NCAA Tournament teams. Ex-Roseville center Mike Muscala is the Patriot League Player of the Year for Bucknell after leading the conference in blocked shots, rebounding and scoring. Wisconsin center Jared Berggren, the Princeton High alum, led the Big Ten in blocked shots.

CBS basketball authorities Greg Anthony, Seth Davis and Doug Gottlieb have No. 1 tournament seed Louisville advancing to the Final Four. Anthony’s picks: Louisville, Georgetown, Gonzaga and Miami. Davis: Louisville, Kansas, Miami and New Mexico. Gottlieb: Louisville, Florida, Indiana and New Mexico.

Strangest pick: ESPN’s Dick Vitale predicting the Gophers are a sleeper team for the Final Four.

Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian Academy, Riley Dearring, Minnetonka, Quinton Hooker, Park Center, Aaron Lien, Moorhead, and Graham Woodward, Edina, are the five finalists for the Mr. Basketball award with the winner to be announced after the state tournament. Broman, Hooker and Woodward are playing in the tourney.

At the request of Sports Headliners, Mr. Basketball president Ken Lien provided his rankings of the best prep boys’ teams in 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A. His top eight in big school 4A are Apple Valley, Park Center, Edina, Osseo, Lakeville North, Hopkins, Eden Prairie and Brainerd.

DeLaSalle is No. 1 in 3A followed by Austin, St. Paul Johnson, Marshall, Blake, Delano, Waconia and Grand Rapids.

The top eight in 2A are Minnehaha Academy, Litchfield, Perham, Redwood Valley, Byron, Annandale, Hayfield and Esko.

Upsala is No. 1 in 1A followed by Maranatha Christian Academy, Southwest Christian, Rushford-Peterson, Lakeview Christian Academy, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, Mountain Lake and Battle Lake.

Former Vikings’ quarterback Donovan McNabb will be part of the talent on the new NBC Sports Radio network that begins on April 1. McNabb will team with another former NFL quarterback, Mark Malone, to host a Monday-Friday four hour program from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Minnesota time.

Greg Jennings, the former Packer wide receiver signed by the Vikings last week, made a big impression with team insiders with his positive demeanor.

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Ex-U Coach: ‘Great Draw’ for Gophers

Posted on March 18, 2013March 18, 2013 by David Shama

Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher predicts Minnesota will defeat UCLA on Friday in its NCAA Tournament opening game in Austin, Texas. “The Gophers got a great draw,” Dutcher told Sports Headliners last night.

The Gophers have struggled against teams effective on the inside but that’s not the Bruins. “They’re not a physical team, and the big advantage Minnesota’s got is their best perimeter player broke his foot in the conference tournament against Arizona,” Dutcher said. “Jordan Adams, he’s their second leading scorer. He’s by far their best three-point shooter.”

Dutcher believes the Gophers are not only more physical than UCLA but also deeper. “Their depth is really suspect,” he said.

UCLA’s games often involve scores in the 70s and beyond, a contrast to the low scoring, grind down the shot clock style Minnesota encountered in the Big Ten Conference. “You’ll get chances (against UCLA) to score on the open floor,” Dutcher said. “You’ll get some open looks from the perimeter. I think style wise it’s really an excellent draw for Minnesota.”

Dutcher not only believes Minnesota will win the game but when prompted he predicted the score. “I say the Gophers 77, UCLA 67.”

The Bruins, Pac-12 regular season champions with an overall 25-9 record, received a major upgrade in talent this season from their incoming freshmen led by two guards, Adams (15.3 average) and Shabazz Muhammad, the team’s leading scorer at 17.8. Redshirt junior forward Travis Wear is the team’s other double figures scorer at 11.2 points per game.

The Bruins lost 78-69 to Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament title game last week. It was UCLA’s second loss to the Ducks this year. Dutcher pointed out that Oregon is a No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region while the Bruins are a No. 6 seed in the South Region.

The Gophers, the No. 11 seed in the South with an overall 20-12 record, have lost three consecutive games. They have won only five games since January 9 while UCLA has 13 wins during the same period. But, as Dutcher said, this game could be about styles and UCLA being without a key player in Adams.

If the Gophers defeat the Bruins, their opponent Sunday will almost certainly be No. 3 seed Florida. Dutcher believes the Gators will be too much for Minnesota. “There’s a reason they’re No. 3. They’re a good solid basketball team.”

Dutcher’s Final Four predictions? His choices are Louisville, New Mexico, Kansas and Syracuse. He likes Kansas to win the national championship on April 8 in Atlanta, praising Bill Self’s tournament coaching skills, plus the experience and talent of the players. “I just think they’ve got a lot going for them,” Dutcher said.

Dutcher and some other college basketball experts are leaving the Big Ten out of Final Four predictions despite the league’s reputation during the season of being the nation’s best conference. Dutcher doesn’t discredit the league’s overall strength but he likes the chances of other teams more.

Indiana, Dutcher said, is the Big Ten team most likely to reach Atlanta. “They’re a good team but they’re not a dominant team.”

Dutcher said the Hoosiers, Big Ten regular season champs, don’t have “big man depth” behind center Cody Zeller and that’s a problem in pursuing a national title. “They need Zeller to play a great game for them to win, and when he’s good, they’re good.” Dutcher said. “You saw at Williams Arena when he’s not good, they’re not as good. …”

In the highlight moment of their season, the Gophers defeated then No. 1 ranked Indiana, 77-73, on February 26. Minnesota’s only win since has been against lowly Penn State, beating the Nittany Lions, 73-44, on Senior Day March 2.

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Flip’s Tweets Draw Attention to Gophers

Posted on March 15, 2013March 15, 2013 by David Shama

What’s up with Flip Saunders’ tweets yesterday during and after the Gophers game?

The former Gophers guard and assistant coach had plenty to say about Minnesota’s performance including sharing his expertise on lack of execution. Saunders wasn’t critical of individuals but his passion for the Gophers was obvious.

Was it all the emotion of a U alum? Or was it more? Flip followers think the unemployed former NBA coach has interest in the Gophers if there is a job opening.

His resume is loaded with pluses including popularity with the fan base, Gophers donors and media. And this is one guy that doesn’t come with a costly buyout involving his former employer. During a year of coaching unemployment Saunders has stayed close to basketball on the college and pro levels, and even the Minnesota high school scene.

Meanwhile, the Gophers will learn on Sunday if they can back their way into an NCAA Tournament invitation after losing eight of their last 11 games and turning up the heat on embattled coach Tubby Smith. The Gophers, 20-12 after losing 51-49 to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament yesterday, are still a likely selection for the NCAA Tournament because of the difficult schedule the team has played and its high RPI ranking.

But if the perspective is about recent results and appearances, this is a team that has doused plenty of public enthusiasm concerning postseason play. Minnesota has lost three consecutive games and only won five times since January 9 when the Gophers were 15-1. And the way Minnesota has often played has to cause doubt among the players and coach.

Smith was asked before yesterday’s game if the Gophers might have renewed energy with the regular season over and about to open play in the Big Ten Tournament. “That’s a good question,” Smith said on 1500 ESPN. “This team has been hard to read all year long. I would like to think so. We’ve got a lot to play for. …But again, we’ve had many opportunities before.”

Minnesota said no to its latest opportunity, displaying both energy and focus that faded in and out. In a 49-49 tie and possession of the ball with about 16 seconds remaining in the game, the Gophers turned the ball over when guard Austin Hollins stepped out of bounds. Illinois’ Brandon Paul then made a jump shot as the game ended to defeat Minnesota.

The Gophers self-destructed at the end just as they had earlier in the game and so many times during the last two months. The team’s turnovers prompted BTN play-by-play man Gus Johnson to say early in the second half: “Minnesota just looks sloppy from top to bottom.”

Eleven first half turnovers (19 total yesterday) played a significant role in changing an early 7-2 Minnesota lead into the Illini pushing ahead 19-12 with about six minutes remaining in the period. Austin Hollins had scored five of the first seven points in the first half and was moving effectively without the ball. Center Trevor Mbakwe was a brute on the boards. But after seven minutes both players were on the bench with two personals each.

Hollins and Mbakwe were grounded for the rest of the half. Their presence almost certainly would have lifted a team that has often been in free fall in past weeks, and one that was stumbling again yesterday. Why not risk the possibility of more fouls on either or both players?

Instead the Gophers played without Mbawke and Hollins while missing defensive assignments that twice allowed Illini players to race down the lane without being guarded. Offensively, Minnesota was even more of a mess in the first half, often passing up shots, and playing indecisively with ineffective player and ball movement.

The Gophers reverted to other bad habits including botched efforts to inbound the ball underneath the basket or on the sideline. An early second half pass thrown by guard Joe Coleman was intercepted and resulted in a three-point goal by Illinois that slowed Minnesota’s momentum.

Behind the scoring of Mbawke, Austin Hollins and point guard Andre Hollins the Gophers made a comeback in the second half after trailing 25-16 at halftime. The Gophers built leads by as many as five points.

But Minnesota couldn’t’ score a field goal in the last five minutes and wasted an opportunity to win. The defeat adds to the criticism directed at Smith who in six years has yet to produce a winning record during the Big Ten regular season, or win an NCAA Tournament game.

But he is likely to have an opportunity to win his first “Big Dance” game next week.

Worth Noting

Don’t be surprised if in a couple of years beer is sold to the public at Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena, following the trend started last fall at TCF Bank Stadium. A majority of state legislative leaders might support the additional beer sales and the change will increase athletic department revenues.

Also ahead is a likely Big Ten schedule where each conference football team plays nine or 10 league games. A nine game schedule means in alternate years a school plays four or five home conference games.

Asked on WCCO Radio Wednesday morning about the future of basketball coach Tubby Smith, Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague said Smith is “ensconced” in his work.

New University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones will speak at the Minnesota Football Clinic on Thursday, April 4 at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park. North Dakota State national championship coach Craig Bohl will also speak on Thursday as part of the three-day clinic. Coaches interesting in registering for the clinic can Google Minnesota Football Clinic and find the link for more information.

The Vikings will choose Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson with the No. 23 pick in the first round of the NFL draft next month, according to Joe Dove’s Bleacherreport.com NFL mock draft posted on Wednesday. At No. 25, using the first round pick acquired in the Percy Harvin trade with the Seahawks, the Vikings will select Kansas State inside linebacker Arthur Brown.

Other names of wide receivers you may see on mock draft listings are DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson; Keenan Allen, California; and Tavon Austin, West Virginia.

The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Pompei, writing for a March 9 online story about Marc Trestman, points out how fickle the coaching profession can be. Trestman, the former Gophers quarterback and Vikings assistant coach, has been fired seven times during his pro and college coaching career. At 57 he has his first NFL head coaching job with the Bears. In the story Trestman talks about how he values players as more than athletes.

Tommy Hannon — the St. Thomas All-MIAC and All-Region senior center who has already played for one Division III Tommies national championship team and is trying to win another — could have given up on his basketball career after being cut from the Cretin-Derham Hall team as a junior.

“I was so out of shape then,” Hannon said. “I was 6-foot-2 and weighed about 235. After I was cut from the team as a junior, I played intramurals. I also started working out a lot, and got myself in shape. I lost 35 pounds or so and grew three or four inches.”

Hannon, now 6-foot-7, 210, keeps a picture in his wallet from his junior year to “remind me where I once was.” Hannon and his teammates play Calvin (Michigan) at home on Saturday starting at 7 p.m. The matchup will be a Sweet 16 Division III playoff game between the 28-1 Tommies and 26-3 Calvin.

Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic will sign autographs on Sunday, April 14 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Valley West Mall in Bloomington. The Sports Card Show is a two-day event (April 13-14) and is organized by the Twin Cities Sports Collectors Club. Club members receive a discount on autographs.

Fox Sports North will televise the Twins-Red Sox game beginning at 6 p.m. Minneapolis time tonight. Other Fox North Sports telecasts from spring training will be March 21, 23, 24, 25 and 28.

It’s been a winning sports winter at Edina High School where the boys’ hockey team won an 11^th state title, the girls’ hockey team placed third in the state tourney, the boys’ swimming team finished second at state, and the boys’ basketball team has advanced to next week’s state tournament.

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