Author: David Shama

Frank White told Sports Headliners he doesn’t know what his grandson Royce is planning for his future.  Speculation is that White, who dropped out of school at Minnesota earlier this year, might return to the Gophers and coach Tubby Smith.

Frank, who has been an adviser to Royce, said he hasn’t spoken to his grandson in recent weeks.  “I don’t know anything,” Frank said. “My hope is Royce gets over (to Minnesota) and talks to Tubby.  This is the best place for Royce to be. Tubby is one of the best basketball and life coaches in the country, second to none.”

White is the 2009 Minnesota Mr. Basketball who didn’t play for the Gophers this past season as a freshman because of suspensions involving off the court incidents. .  Reports that White and the Gophers might have a mutual interest in reuniting included an article last week by Nadine Babu on GopherHole.com.

Babu wrote that former Gophers basketball player Willie Burton contacted GopherHole to communicate that White is interested in talking with Smith about a return to the program.  Her article also said the Gophers coaching staff might be open to White’s return.  Burton, who was a star forward for the Gophers in the late 1980s, has known the White family for years.

Frank White tried to arrange a meeting involving himself, Royce and Smith the week of February 28.  But at that time the younger White wasn’t ready to meet.

White is a 6-7 power forward who has the rebounding and physical skills the Gophers missed last season, and still have a need for.  The team’s front court depth was further reduced last week when junior forward Paul Carter announced he was transferring.

Frank said earlier in the year he believes his grandson has learned from his mistakes.  He’s also said “Royce is a very smart kid” who is capable of excelling in his school work.

Frank White is the curator of an exhibit at the Landmark Center in St. Paul that pays tribute to African-American baseball history in Minnesota.  On Thursday, April 22 beginning at 6:30 p.m. there will be a panel discussion titled “The Way We Played the Game” and it will include former black players and be moderated by local sports historian Kwame McDonald.  There’s no admission charge to attend.

White said that among his research findings is the discrimination in Twin Cities housing many years ago.  Deeds stated that houses were not to be sold to Negroes and Jews.  He also said that in the 1930s and 1940s blacks had to sit in the balconies of local movie theatres.

Yesterday StubHub.com listed a ticket range of $74 to $3,000 for today’s historic Target Field opener between the Twins and Red Sox.

FOX Sports North will begin live Target Field pregame coverage at noon today.  Pregame programming, including batting practice, continues until game time at 3 p.m.

From 2002 through 2009 the Red Sox had the second best winning percentage in major league baseball.  The Yankees were No. 1 with a .605 percentage followed by the Red Sox at .581.  The Twins were sixth at .547.  Ron Gardenhire has been the Twins manager and Rick Anderson the pitching coach since 2002.

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission executive director Bill Lester told Sports Headliners “we have to remove the uncertainty” to convince the NCAA to book another Final Four in Minneapolis. With the future of the Metrodome in doubt and the uncertainty of a new covered stadium to replace it, this area won’t have any more Final Fours for awhile.

The Metrodome has been the site of two Final Fours and many earlier round tournament games.  A new downtown Vikings stadium with a retractable roof will undoubtedly interest the NCAA in a return here.

Indianapolis was the site of this year’s Final Four.  Lester said the NCAA has a contract with Indianapolis to play host to the Final Four every five years until 2039.  The NCAA is interested in downtown sites like Indianapolis and Minneapolis where the game and other activities can be more closely coordinated than in the suburbs.

Bobby Bell, the best player on the Gophers’ 1960 national championship team and the Rose Bowl teams of 1961 and 1962, will be in town for Minnesota’s spring football game on Saturday, April 24.  The former All-American tackle is a good friend of Gophers coach Tim Brewster.  The University will recognize the 50^th anniversary of the 1960 team at a home game next season.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will honor brothers Bob and Pinky McNamara for their contributions to Minnesota football at the chapter’s annual awards dinner on Sunday, April 18 at the University of St. Thomas.  Other award recipients will be former Gophers’ trainer Jim Marshall who worked 42 years for the University of Minnesota and John Lieser who has almost 100 years of combined experience officiating football and basketball games.

Eight high school football players will be recognized as outstanding scholar-athletes at the dinner: Marshal Ash (Milaca), Dan Freund (St.Thomas Academy), Jacob McHenry (Henry Sibley), Gabe Mezzenga (Totino-Grace), Anthony Osifuye (Woodbury), Alexander Richelsen (Holy Family Catholic), Jason Schneider (Andover and Kristopher Wensmann (Melrose Area).  To purchase tickets to the event, or become a member of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation, visit www.nffmn.org.

Canterbury Park re-opens its card club on Wednesday following a renovation costing more than $2 million.  The Shakopee racetrack hopes to have the legislature approve slot machines for its card club operation.  That would significantly improve revenues for Canterbury, celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year.  The track opens for live racing on Friday, May 14.

Do the Gophers have another Dion Lewis?

Minnesota football coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners any or all of his three incoming freshmen running backs could be a big time college player.  Lewis was a surprise All-American at Pittsburgh in 2009, a not so well known freshman running back at the beginning of the season.  He set school records, was a major contributor in Pitt’s not anticipated 10-3 season and will be included on Heisman Trophy watch lists in 2010.

Brewster will welcome a five man competition to determine the Gophers’ starting running back in August.  Two junior returnees, Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge, will be in the competition but so will incoming freshmen Lamonte Edwards, Donnell Kirkwood and Devon Wright.

Brewster isn’t “discounting” a returnee earning the No. 1 job but neither Bennett nor Eskridge has so far performed as an elite Big Ten Conference running back.  Bennett ran for 395 yards last season, Eskridge, 309.

The two have been part of an offense that frequently was sluggish last season.  The Gophers need better performance from Bennett and Eskirdge, or immediate impact from the three freshmen.  “It’s really going to be interesting seeing those three young kids,” Brewster said. “They’re really going to get a very quick opportunity to show what they can do in fall camp.”

Brewster said what the freshmen will need to do is more than running.  They must show a complete package of skills including pass protection and route running.

“It’s exciting for me to think about Donnell Kirkwood, Lamonte Edwards and Devon Wright, who are all I think talented young players,” Brewster said.  “It’s going to be interesting to see whether or not one of those three has the maturity, has the ability similar to a Dion Lewis at Pitt because obviously he made a huge impact on Pitt’s program.”

Edwards is 6-2, 215 from Woodbury.  Kirkwood, 5-10, 197, and Wright, 6-0, 190, are both from Florida high schools.  None of the three has been included among the most publicized running back recruits in the nation for 2010 but they aren’t unknowns either.

Brewster said the running skills of Edwards, Kirkwood, and Wright appear to be what the Gophers need.  “I would say all three of them are physical runners, have physicality about the way they run the football, and all three of them have good speed,” Brewster said.  “And that speed, size, physicality is something we’re looking for.”

Edwards might be the most physical and fastest of the three, according to Brewster.  In high school there were projections that Edwards might be a college linebacker but he looks too valuable to a needy Gophers offense to play on defense.