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.

U Needs to Limit Illini 3-Pointers

Posted on January 9, 2013January 9, 2013 by David Shama

The Gophers, 14-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, play three-point-minded Illinois, 14-2 and 1-1, tonight in Champaign. The Illini, No. 12 in the latest A.P. poll, lead the conference in three-point attempts with 411 (Northwestern is second at 331), and don’t stress inside scoring.

Illini guards D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul have 114 and 109 three-point attempts. By contrast, the Gophers’ leader, Austin Hollins, has 68.

“We gotta lock in on stopping the threes, but then it also comes down to our weakside,” said Gophers forward Joe Coleman. “We could be backdoored…so we want to make sure that our help-side is on point the whole game.”

Illinois made only 35.6 percent of its shots in an opening league loss to mediocre Purdue, 68-61 on January 2. Then last Saturday, in the Illini’s first conference home game, Illinois routed No. 15 Ohio State, 74-55, making 48.3 percent of attempted field goals including 41.7 percent of three-pointers in the second half.

Stop the three-point shot and stay calm is a worthwhile mantra for the No. 8 ranked Gophers tonight in the game that starts at 8 p.m. and is televised on the Big Ten Network. Staying poised can be a challenge in Assembly Hall, perhaps the loudest basketball facility in the conference.

“It’s a great environment,” Hollins said. “It is tough to play there, but it’s a fun environment to play in as well. “

The Gophers are starting their most difficult three-game stretch of the season tonight. On Saturday Minnesota is at No. 5 ranked Indiana and next Thursday plays No. 2 ranked Michigan at Williams Arena.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith has an experienced and balanced team. The starting lineup includes two seniors and all five players were regulars last season. The Gophers score inside and out, they usually out-rebound opponents, they can pressure with their defense either full or half court, and Minnesota leads the league in blocked shots (6.7 per game). Plus, the bench has made contributions, too.

It’s not a team dependent on one or two players. “That’s what I like about this team,” Smith said. “Anybody can step up at any time. We have a lot of players we can go to. A lot of weapons this year.”

The Gophers have already played No. 1 Duke (neutral court loss) and No. 22 Michigan State (home win) but tonight the opponent is on the road and is also a top 15 team.

“Illinois is a great team and we’re playing at Illinois,” Hollins said. “It’s going to be a tough game. It’s going to be a dog fight. We’re gonna have to come in there and play our ‘A’ game.”

Worth Noting

Hollins said during his basketball career he had not made five consecutive three-point shots like he did on Sunday night. In the second half his consecutive three- pointers stretched the Gophers’ lead over Northwestern from nine to 20 points.

Hollins, who has an exceptional work ethic and will to improve, had been bothered by a groin injury. “He’s finally healthy for the first time since Southern Cal (game on December 8),” Smith said.

The Gophers have had one win (2010) against Illinois in Champaign since 2000.

At Sports Headliners’ request, prep basketball authority Ken Lien sent on Monday his rankings of state boys’ teams listed below.

Class 4A: ParkCenter, Apple Valley, Hopkins, Osseo, Eden Prairie, Roseville, Tartan, Minnetonka.

Class 3A: DeLaSalle, Waconia, Blake, Austin, Holy Angels, Marshall, Delano, Grand Rapids.

Class 2A: Pelican Rapids, Melrose, St. Peter, Hawley, Litchfield, St. Cloud Cathedral, Byron, Hayfield.

Class 1A: MaranathaChristianAcademy, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrose, Upsala, Heritage Christian, Southwest Minnesota Christian, Ulen-Hitterdal, Lakeview Christian, Dawson-Boyd.

Vikings fullback Jerome Felton said he will pay for five to 10 family members to accompany him to his first Pro Bowl in Hawaii later this month.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier confirmed yesterday Christian Ponder is the No. 1 quarterback going into next season. Ponder helped the Vikings to four consecutive wins to close the regular season and earn a playoff opportunity.

“…We saw glimpses of what he can bring to our football team and the way he led us down the stretch, you feel like you have a chance to win every game when your quarterback plays the way he played,” Frazier said. “We’re excited about his development and looking forward to him getting better through this offseason.”

Geep Chryst, the quarterbacks coach for the 49ers, was coached as a high school football player in Madison, Wisconsin by Joel Maturi, a former prep coach and more recently the Gophers athletic director. Geep is the brother of University of Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst.

The No. 1 ranked Gophers hockey team, after defeating No. 2 Notre Dame last night, is now 7-1 against ranked teams this season. The playmaking of Minnesota’s Christian Isackson made ESPN SportsCenter’s highlight plays.

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Harvin’s Future Stirs Offseason Interest

Posted on January 9, 2013January 9, 2013 by David Shama

What to do with Percy Harvin could be the most defining decision the Vikings ownership and management makes during the offseason. His contract expires contract after the 2013 season.

In four seasons Harvin has proven he’s among the NFL’s most skilled kickoff returners and slot receivers. He’s also been controversial, reportedly arguing with coaches and wanting to be traded. Because of his injured ankle he didn’t play after November 4, but rather than be on the sidelines for some of the Vikings important late season games he stayed home in Florida rehabbing.

At his season ending news conference yesterday, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said it’s not unusual for a rehabilitating player not to be with the team and that Harvin is supportive of his teammates. Asked about what is involved with coexisting with Harvin, Frazier said:

“I don’t know if there’s anything that needs to be done. He’ll coexist peacefully, he exists peacefully now. Just get back, get healthy and get back on the football field.”

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the organization and is a closer observer of the NFL, told Sports Headliners on Sunday he thinks management will trade Harvin and could secure a first round pick in the 2013 college draft. “You can fight the system to a point and be belligerent to a point, and he stepped over that. They will get a No. 1 easily (in a trade).”

Whether Harvin is on the roster or not, Lurtsema said the No. 1 offseason need is to develop or acquire a deep receiving threat. While Harvin can be explosive after the catch and run for 20 yards or more, the Vikings need a wide receiver whose speed and catching ability can result in long distance scores like Randy Moss used to provide. “Get those cornerbacks to back off a little bit,” said Lurtsema who favors retaining Harvin.

The Vikings thought they acquired that kind of talent when last offseason wide receiver Jerome Simpson signed as a free agent. Simpson, though, missed some games (started 10 of 12) and never seemed to develop a consistency and rhythm with quarterback Christian Ponder.

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, a free agent this coming offseason, might be a possibility for the Vikings. With probably the best wide receivers corps in the NFL, the Packers are thought unlikely to retain Jennings.

While Ponder has erased doubts he is the No. 1 quarterback, it might be time to switch backup Joe Webb to wide receiver, or let him go. Lurtsema said the Vikings should replace Webb with a veteran quarterback like Sage Rosenfels who was cut before the season.

Webb, who has played three seasons with the Vikings, struggles with his accuracy and decision making despite being a gifted athlete. Replacing the injured Ponder in the playoff game last Saturday against the Packers, Webb threw some poor passes and stepped back in the pocket when he should have moved forward to avoid pass rushers.

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Big Ten Bowl Woes Roll on

Posted on January 7, 2013January 7, 2013 by David Shama

Although he doesn’t think the Big Ten is “that far away,” former Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi feels the disappointment of conference fans when reviewing bowl results.

The latest bowl season is over for Big Ten teams who won two games and lost five. Not that the results surprised close observers who for years have seen the Big Ten—once regarded as the king of college football—turn in season after season of mediocre and poor results.

Among the losses this bowl season was Stanford’s 20-14 win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. The Badgers have now lost three consecutive Rose Bowls and Big Ten teams are 1-9 in their last 10 games played in the Granddaddy of the bowls.

Big Ten teams are 28-47 in bowl games the last 10 years, including 17-28 in early January games like the Rose Bowl, according to a story posted last Thursday by Bleacherreport.com.

“The fact of the matter is the Big Ten hasn’t been quite as good as it once was, and everyone wants it to be,” Maturi said.

The conference football product has been slipping for years and the Big Ten has gone from head of the class in the 1950s and 1960s, to among the best in later decades, to its present inferiority compared to at least three other conferences—the SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12. Maturi, who has followed the league for more than five decades and retired as Gophers athletic director last summer, acknowledges the Big Ten is struggling more than any time he can remember.

The Big Ten has Hollywood like football tradition and rivalries. The Big Ten Network, with football as the lead product, is a money machine for the 12 conference schools. More than half the stadiums in the league seat 70,000 or more fans and are routinely packed for games.

So what’s the problem? The best guess is shifting demographics. While the Rust Belt and Midwest states are generally stagnant or declining in population, the South and West are growing. More population means a deeper talent pool of young football players targeting college careers.

The SEC has won the last six national titles. Tonight southern power Alabama, the defending national champion, plays Notre Dame for the 2013 title. The West Coast dominated Pac-12 Conference holds impressive wins this bowl season in the Rose Bowl and in the Fiesta Bowl where Oregon defeated Kansas State, 35-17. The SEC is rich in players from the South while the Pac-12 recruits California high schools and junior colleges, and signs players from football-crazy Texas, too.

Ohio State, the Big Ten’s best program, wasn’t eligible in 2012 for a bowl game. Maturi said when the Buckeyes return to bowl games starting next season that will be a major boost for the conference and so too will a resurgent Michigan program under second year coach Brady Hoke. Traditional power PennState looks crippled for years to come by NCAA sanctions including three more years of bowl bans. “I am worried about how long it will take Penn State to come back,” Maturi said.

Maturi is taking an optimistic view toward the future. He notes some of the bowl losses in the last few weeks have been close games (three decided by 14 total points including the Gophers’ 34-31 loss to Texas Tech). He also points out that after years of losing the annual basketball series with the ACC, the Big Ten has now won the last four ACC/Big Ten Challenges.

“I don’t think we’re that far away (in football),” Maturi said.

From Nebraska to Penn State—and 10 schools in between—a lot of people hope he is correct.

Worth Noting

Gophers assistant basketball coach Saul Smith told Sports Headliners he’s leading a quiet lifestyle away from the court. “I went to J.D. Hoyt’s for dinner with family on New Year’s Eve,” he said.

Gophers head coach Tubby Smith sat next to North Carolina coach Roy Williams watching point guard Tyus Jones and shooting guard Rashad Vaughn play in the 17^th annual Timberwolves Shootout at Target Center on Saturday. The two juniors are among the most coveted prep players in the country for the class of 2014. Jones’ Apple Valley team defeated Vaughn’s Cooper team, 80-70.

Assistant coaches Saul Smith and Vince Taylor watched the game along with Gophers players Joe Coleman, Trevor Mbakwe, Oto Osenieks and Rodney Williams. The group was targeted by fans for photos and autographs.

It’s my opinion the Gophers have a better chance of securing Vaughn than Jones who won’t surprise recruiting observers if he chooses Duke. Other schools on his short list could be Kentucky and Michigan State. Jones admirers hope to see him reduce the time he’s missed in the past with physical problems including recent back spasms.

Timberwolves Shootout organizer Jeff Munneke is already working on teams for next year’s event. Among schools being contacted is Chicago Whitney Young, a team that features junior center Jahlil Okafor, a friend of Jones and among the best players nationally in the class of 2014.

Teams participating in the Timberwolves Shootout pay their own expenses and don’t receive appearance fees. Munneke said the Timberwolves, trying to help promote prep basketball, have some years made a small profit on the event while other times breaking even on finances. This year’s Shootout field included eight teams and four games on Saturday.

Former Duluth Central and Gophers guard Terry Kunze was a state tournament star in the early 1960s. Asked at the Shootout who are the most dominant players to play in the tournament over the years, he listed Lake City’s Randy Breuer, North’s Khalid El-Amin, Melrose’s Mark Olberding and Ellsworth’s Cody Schilling.

On Saturday, for the first time this season, the Timberwolves put single game tickets on sale for their February 1 and March 27 home games with the Lakers, plus March 4 against the Heat, March 29 versus the Thunder and April 1 with the Celtics.

Northwestern, 9-6 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, lost at home to No. 2 (A.P.) ranked Michigan last week, 94-66. The No. 9 Gophers, 14-1 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, beat the Wildcats 69-51 in Williams Arena last night.

How ironic if Montreal CFL head coach Marc Trestman, a St. Louis Park native and former Vikings assistant, is the next head coach of the Bears. Trestman, who played part of his college career at quarterback for the Gophers, has been a past favorite of U alums for the Minnesota head coaching job.

Doesn’t look like former Vikings coach Mike Tice, the Bears offensive coordinator in 2012, will be promoted to Chicago head coach.

For the first time ever during the 17 week regular season, an NFL game was the most watched national TV program each week, according to a January 4 email from Sports Media News.

In an online article last Saturday, Sbnation.com reported most college football authorities are predicting Alabama will defeat Notre Dame in the national championship game tonight. Will Harris of ESPN, Stewart Mandel from Sports Illustrated, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports and John Tamanaha from NBC Sports College Football Talk were all quoted as favoring the Crimson Tide.

Former Twins Kyle Lohse, Matt Capps, Carl Pavano and Delmon Young are among major league baseball’s remaining free agents.

Hall of famer and St. Paul native Paul Molitor remains a subject of speculation to one day manage the Twins who for two consecutive years have finished last in the AL Central Division.

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