Author: David Shama

Maturi said it hasn’t been decided what nights of the week the Big Ten Network will air conference hockey games.  A six team Big Ten hockey league that includes the Gophers will start in 2013-2014.

This week’s issue of Sports Illustrated predicts the Twins will not only win the Central Division, but also defeat the Yankees in the playoffs before losing to the Red Sox to determine the American League’s representative in the World Series.

The Twins have lost two regular season openers in a row and four of the last six.  Tonight in Toronto they open against a Blue Jays team expected to be competitive like last year’s 85-77 club.

The Twins’ lineup tonight has four changes from the unit that took the field last year in Los Angeles for the season opener.  Second baseman Orlando Hudson, shortstop J.J. Hardy and third baseman Nick Punto are no longer with the ballclub, while Carl Pavano replaces Scott Baker as the starting pitcher.

Pavano was the winning pitcher last season in the first ever regular season game at Target Field.

Harmon Killebrew, Kent Hrbek and Rod Carew had the most opening game starts in their Twins careers with 12 each.

Coach John Anderson’s Gophers (8-8) play Purdue (15-8) in Big Ten opening baseball games today and tomorrow at Target Field.  Purdue pitcher Brad Schreiber leads the Big Ten with 38 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a batting average of .207, second best in the Big Ten.

The St. Thomas baseball program, MIAC champions 12 of the last 15 years, is the favorite again, according to a poll of conference coaches.  St. Olaf and Saint John’s had the second and third most votes, followed by Concordia, Hamline, Augsburg, Bethel, Macalester, Gustavus, Saint Mary’s and Carleton.  Weather permitting, the MIAC schedule is to begin tomorrow.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been training in the 200 and 400 meters, and wants to compete in the 2012 Olympics, according to Sporting News reports in its magazine and online.

Former Gophers wrestler Brock Lesnar was on ESPN’s First Take this week promoting his new reality TV show and book.  The popular UFC star said he was a “fish out of water” trying out for the Vikings several years ago.  He admires Bears’ linebacker Brian Urlacher.

While the Wild are struggling, the team’s minor league affiliate, the Houston Aeros, is in second place in the AHL’s Western Conference.  The hope is for a successful playoff run and the roster includes NHL veterans Jed Ortmeyer, Patrick O’Sullivan and Warren Peters, plus young prospects like Casey Wellman and Matt Hackett.  Other players include Minnesotans Jarod Palmer (Fridley), Nate Prosser (Elk River), and Chad Rau (Eden Prarie).  The AHL playoffs begin April 14.

The father of former Gopher Colton Iverson was supportive of coach Tubby Smith during an interview with Sports Headliners this week.

Iverson was granted permission by Minnesota last week to transfer to another school, although according to media reports the program can’t be in the Big Ten Conference or on the Gophers’ schedule next season.  Chuck Iverson, speaking by telephone from Yankton, South Dakota where he is the athletics director at Mount Marty College, was asked if his son thought he received fair treatment at Minnesota.

He said Colton never expressed criticism of coaches or teammates.  “He’s never expressed any regrets that way,” Chuck said.  “I don’t think it (transferring) has anything to do with coaching staff or teammates.  I just feel like he felt like it was something he needed to do.  No, I don’t think there’s any issues that way.”

The older Iverson, a former player at the University of South Dakota and NBA draft choice, said his son’s decision was from the “gut.”  Leaving the Gophers after three seasons came down to Colton feeling his basketball experience would be better elsewhere.

“There really wasn’t one specific thing,” Chuck said.  “Sometimes you just go on a gut feeling.  He just felt like he needed to make a change at this point.”

Chuck said Colton deliberated on his decision and made lists of “pros and cons” about leaving or staying. “It was a real tough decision for him,” Chuck said.  “He didn’t do it lightly.  I think he spent a lot of time thinking about it. …”

Iverson, a part-time starter during his Gophers career, was coming off the bench more as a junior this season than he did as a freshman (11 starts versus 27).  The 6-10 forward-center had the lowest field goal percentage of his college career, .446 versus .603 as a freshman.  Even some of his close-in shots were off target.

Chuck said his son “lost confidence” this season.  “I think he’d take as much blame for that as anybody,” his father said.  “Coaches make tough decisions (on playing time).  He lost some confidence.  Some shots that were going for him earlier.  The mind is a very powerful tool.”

Chuck said his son talked to one potential college last Friday and will have several possible places to transfer.  If Colton chooses a Division II school he can play next fall, but a Division I choice means sitting out a season.

There will be “tough decisions” deciding on that issue and also landing somewhere Colton believes he can contribute.  “He’s had some really good offers that he likes,” Chuck said.  “Some quality schools, some quality basketball programs that certainly have piqued his interest.”

The older Iverson wouldn’t detail much about potential options, although he did say his alma mater of South Dakota will likely be considered.  Asked about Iowa State which has been loading up with transfers including former Gopher Royce White, Chuck said he’s not “aware” of the Cyclones being in contact.

The younger Iverson wants to play pro basketball after college, perhaps in Europe.  His dad described the NBA, at least for now, as a “stretch.”  In three years with the Gophers, Colton averaged between 5 and 5.4 points per game and never more than 5 rebounds.  He was an aggressive defender ready to block shots or muscle opponents out of the way.

“He loves playing basketball,” Chuck said. “I don’t think he’s ready to give that up at this point of his life.”

Including Iverson, the Gophers have had five players transfer out within about 12 months.  Chuck said he understands transfers can sometimes happen in large numbers in a short period of time.

“I think you look at almost any program, there’s going to be changes,” he said. “…It goes in cycles.  I don’t read anything into it.”