Author: David Shama

Tubby Smith’s Gophers, 1-2 in the Big Ten and 11-3 overall, have played teams with national reputations and defeated North Carolina and West Virginia, but lost to Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan State.  Sunday in Columbus Minnesota probably faces its biggest “load” so far against No. 2 ranked Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are 15-0 and off to their best start in 20 years.  A group of veterans, plus sensational freshman center-forward Jared Sullinger, have Ohio State close to a No.1 national ranking.  Sullinger has already been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week seven times.

The Gophers are ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll but haven’t impressed since winning the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November with victories over Western Kentucky, North Carolina and West Virginia.  The Gophers rallied in the second half to defeat Indiana at home on Tuesday night, winning 67-63.  Minnesota entered that game winning by an average of 6.4 points per game, second smallest margin in the conference.

Gophers senior point guard Al Nolen said the team’s win over Indiana will help against Ohio State.  “I think getting a win like this after coming off two tough road  losses to two good teams (will) really help our confidence,” he said.  “And I think going in there as an underdog will really help us out.  Kinda take a little bit of pressure off from us and be able to go out there and try to upset them.  I am just ready to go and play a good Ohio State team.”

The Gophers haven’t sold out a game yet this season including Tuesday night’s Big Ten home opener when announced attendance was 12,727.  Minnesota is averaging 12,011 in 14,625 seat Williams Arena.  More surprising is that despite their success, the Buckeyes have no sellouts, either, and are averaging 12,827.

Encouraging reminder about the youthful 9-27 Timberwolves: starting forwards Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, and starting guard Wes Johnson would all be college seniors if they had decided not to leave their schools early for the NBA.  Reserve point guard Jonny Flynn could be a senior at Syracuse.

The Wolves could claim progress next week if they beat the Spurs, the team with the best record in the NBA at 29-6.  The two teams play Sunday night in San Antonio and Tuesday evening at Target Center.

At the request of Sports Headliners, Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien provided his early season rankings of the best prep boys teams in 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.  His top five in big school 4A are Hopkins, Osseo, Lakeville South, Eastview and Eden Prairie.  St. Paul Johnson is No. 1 in 3A followed by DeLaSalle, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Columbia Heights and Minneapolis Washburn.

The top five in 2A are Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Caledonia, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Perham and Montevideo.  Minnesota Transitions is No. 1 in 1A followed by Sebeka, MACCRAY, Maranatha Christian and Ellsworth.

Local basketball fan John Bell Wilson reports that over 400 youth players participated in a Timberwolves-Lynx holiday clinic last week at Target Center that included instructors Jonny Flynn, Wes Johnson, Lindsay Whalen and Jim Petersen.

Twins hall of famers Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew congratulated Bert Blyleven on his long awaited election to the Hall of Fame.  News of the election came Wednesday.

“This is a great day for baseball in general and Twins fans in particular,” Carew said. “Bert’s election to the Hall of Fame is well deserved and long overdue.  Bert was as fierce a competitor as I ever faced on the mound.  I look forward to being in Cooperstown in July and welcoming Bert Blyleven to the most exclusive club in the world.”

“I am thrilled that Bert will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Killebrew said.  “I could not be happier if it was my own son. I played in the first game Bert pitched for the Minnesota Twins in 1970.  He’s been a credit to the Twins organization and all of baseball. I wish it wouldn’t have taken so long but now that he is in, it’s wonderful.”

The Hockey News dated January 17, 2011 ranks Wild owner Craig Leipold No. 42 in its listing of “100 People of Power & Influence.”  The article said Leipold has “the ear” of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and will play a “key role” in collective bargaining agreement talks.

Highly publicized Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones will wait at least another three weeks to resume playing.  His mother, Debbie Jones, told Sports Headliners that earlier this week her son was informed by a doctor that his lacerated kidney needs additional time to heal.

The Apple Valley ninth grader, among the most talked about prep athletes in the state after a breakout varsity season in 2009-2010, was injured in the Eagles first game of the season on December 7.  He was hopeful about receiving clearance to play this week.  A busy team schedule includes a game Friday night against Lakeville South and the Eagles play Iowa’s Linn-Mar Lions in the last game of the Timberwolves Shootout on Saturday night at Target Center.

Jones can work on conditioning and shooting during the next few weeks but will avoid contact, according to his mother who said she and her son will look at his abbreviated season as a life lesson.  “Definitely ups and downs, unfortunately,” she said.  “He was so looking forward to having a great season and now it’s just shortened a little bit. …”

Jones, 14, has received national attention after impressing with his scoring, playmaking and court intelligence not only last season with the Eagles, but in AAU summer basketball.  He’s already received a scholarship offer from the University of Iowa.

His mother said her son likes all the Big Ten teams including Minnesota and Michigan State.  “I don’t know if one sticks out over the other,” she said.

She also said Tyus knows college prospect Marcus Paige, a highly rated junior guard from Linn-Mar High School (Marion, Iowa). “They played against each other in the summer,” she said.  “He was really looking forward to matching up and playing, but it’s just one of those setbacks that you gotta work hard now and come back from.”

At 14 and in ninth grade there would seem to be another Timberwolves Shootout in his future.

Four former Gophers were named to the 50^th anniversary Proviso West Holiday Tournament all-time team.  Jim Brewer, Tom Kondla, Al Nuness and Townsend Orr were among 50 players honored last week.

The prestigious Chicago area tournament has a proud tradition and its 50 member all-time team includes some of the most recognizable names in basketball history.  Among those who played in the tournament as preps are Kevin Garnett, Isiah Thomas, Doc Rivers, Michael Finley, Juwan Howard, Mark Aguirre, Corey Maggette, Jeff Hornacek, Evan Turner, Dee Brown, Shannon Brown and Jon Scheyer.

Kondla and Nuness played together with the Gophers during the 1967-68 season.  Kondla was an All-American center in 1967 while Nuness captained the 1968-69 team and averaged 16.4 points per game as a guard.

Brewer was also an All-American center for the Gophers and one of Minnesota’s best defensive players ever when he helped lead the team to the 1972 Big Ten championship.  Orr was a high energy guard on coach Clem Haskins’ teams in the 1990s.  https://pwhoops.com/

I’ve been scratching my head since last month trying to figure out how Joe Kapp isn’t included among the top vote getters for the 50 greatest Vikings.  Kapp was one of the franchise’s most inspirational players ever and led the Vikings to their first Super Bowl.  On his Facebook page Kapp writes that he’s the only quarterback ever to start in Rose Bowl, Grey Cup and Super Bowl games.

Also on Facebook the former University of California quarterback writes: “My sacrifice is I gave up tequila until Cal wins the Rose Bowl.”

Vikings rookie running back Toby Gerhart plans to “relax” for a short while back home in Norco, California now that the season is over.  The Southern California town is located about 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean.  “It’s nice,” Gerhart said. “It’s different, a little country western town.  A lot of horses, no sidewalks, no street lights. Horse trails and hitching posts and stuff like that.”