Author: David Shama

Ricky Rubio’s 14-year-old sister Laia is moving here with her parents from Spain and she is a talented point guard.  “Some high school team is going to be excited when they get her on the roster,” Ronzone said. “She can play.”

There will be two services today (noon and 3 p.m.) at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church for Rev. Paul Youngdahl who passed away unexpectedly on Monday.  Rev. Youngdahl was a friend and someone I had the highest admiration for.  He was a passionate sports fan and his church for many years hosted a famous spring sports banquet.

Condolences to the Youngdahl family and also to former Gophers’ basketball coach Bill Fitch whose wife Joni Nelson died in Texas on Monday.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has set a July 21 date for hearing the University of Minnesota’s appeal in the Jimmy Williams case.  A jury previously ruled in Williams’ favor regarding the lawsuit involving Gophers’ basketball coach Tubby Smith and the University.

The Twins, with a record of 32-41, will have to be 62-27 in their remaining 89 games to equal last year’s Central Division title record of 94-68.

Gophers’ football coach Jerry Kill meets with the media Tuesday to show the latest renovations to the weight room and outdoor practice fields.

The Gophers Goal Line Club is sponsoring a golf tournament and dinner at the Alexandria Golf Club on Monday.  Gophers’ assistant head coach Bill Miller and former U quarterback Rickey Foggie are among those who will attend.  For more information visit www.goallineclub.com, or contact Dave Vagle at 320-762-2154.

The 2011 Gophers “M” Club Hall of Fame inductees will be Nicole Branagh (volleyball, 1997-2000), Mike Crowley (hockey, 1994-1997), Ben Hamilton (football, 1997-2000), Mike Hebert (volleyball coach, 1996-2010), Joe Pollack (baseball, 1963-1965) and Robb Quinlan (baseball, 1996-1999), along with legends Garth Lappin (wrestling, 1934-1937), Urban Odson (football, 1939-1941), Vicki Swanson (volleyball, 1976/softball, 1977-1978) and John Whitaker (wrestling, 1935-1937).  The official induction will be on September 22 at the Ted Mann Concert Hall on campus.

In celebration of its 15^th season, the WNBA has selected 30 nominees for fan voting to determine the top 15 players of all time.  Lynx players Seimone Augustus and Taj McWilliams-Franklin are among the 30, along with ex-Lynx player Katie Smith. Fans can vote at www.wnba.com.

The Wild’s Cal Clutterbuck took to twitter on Wednesday using the name @roadtourclutter.  He announced he would only tweet for one day, but still had over 500 followers in his first four hours.

Timberwolves business executive Chris Wright told Sports Headliners that the franchise’s signing of Ricky Rubio to a contract last week jump-started season ticket sales. Wright reported yesterday morning that since noon last Friday the club has sold 500 new full season tickets.

Those sales have pushed the team’s full season ticket sales to about 7,000, the franchise’s best total since 2005-06.  (The Wolves also sell partial season ticket packages where fans can buy a portion of the home schedule.)

Rubio’s international name and flashy passing have caused excitement in this marketplace as fans anticipate his rookie season in 2011-12.  But Wright said the two year wait to get Rubio here after drafting him in 2009 accounts for the boom in ticket sales, too.  “There’s been a buzz building, and now he’s here,” Wright said.

With the addition of Rubio this fall, the Timberwolves are likely to have three European players on their roster:  Spain’s Rubio, and centers Darko Milicic from Serbia and Nikola Peckovic of Montenegro.

Wolves assistant general manager Tony Ronzone is known for his international scouting expertise.  It’s not that speculative to believe the Wolves’ roster of foreign born players will continue to grow.

German-born Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks was the 2011 NBA Finals MVP, and his selection symbolizes the presence and sometimes high performance of European players.  The Dallas forward earned the MVP award while leading the Mavericks to a six game series win over Miami.  No doubt European audiences watched with pride and will do the same tomorrow night when the NBA draft is televised from New York.

Reversing a trend of recent years when numbers were low, almost 25 percent of players drafted tomorrow evening are likely to be foreigners, most of them from Europe.  In their NBA draft previews last week Sports Illustrated and Sporting News Magazine predicted seven of the 30 first round draft choices will be from countries other than the United States.  (The number becomes eight if USC’s Nikola Vucevic, a player whose home is in Montenegro, is counted.)

Among the countries represented are Lithuania, a nation that both Sports Illustrated and Sporting News predicted would have two players chosen in the first round, forwards Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas.  S.I. predicted the Timberwolves will choose Motiejunas with their No. 20 pick in the first round.

Top American college players like Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger chose not to declare themselves eligible for this year’s draft.  The result is a less deep and talented draft that created opportunities for more foreign players to be chosen in the first round.

The Wild could make a “splash” this week with a trade, a hockey source told Sports Headliners.  “I think they (the Wild) are really open to trading anybody except Mikko Koivu,” the source said.

General manager Chuck Fletcher and his staff are in pursuit of goal scorers in the draft and via other teams.  The NHL Entry Draft starts Friday and continues on Saturday in St. Paul.  NHL free agency begins July 1.

There is already excitement in the organization over wild prospect and goal scorer Mikael Granlund.  The Finnish player might join the Wild next season, but more likely for 2012-13.  “He’s considered the best potential goal scorer the Wild have had since Marian Gaborik,” the source said.

Fletcher is starting his third season as general manager and the franchise hasn’t participated in the playoffs for three straight years.  No doubt Fletcher and team owner Craig Leipold consider next season a priority year for the organization and one that needs to excite the fan base.

Fletcher signed former Houston Aeros coach Mike Yeo to coach the Wild last week after much speculation that Craig MacTavish would become the franchise’s third head coach.  MacTavish might have reduced his standing with Fletcher by interviewing for the Winnipeg position while the Wild was seeking a coach.

It’s also believed that MacTavish wanted a salary of better than $1 million per year.  That compensation would place MacTavish in the top one-third of highest paid coaches in the NHL.

Yeo’s salary is likely in the $400,000 to $500,000 range per season and similar compensation to what fired coach Todd Richards earned.  It’s likely that Yeo’s less expensive salary was a factor in not hiring MacTavish, but not the only reason.