Author: David Shama

The Gophers, 2-0 in the Big Ten after defeating Iowa on Saturday, are certain to see their coach’s name linked through rumors to another basketball program again this winter.  Tubby Smith, though, told Sports Headliners he isn’t talking to another school and is happy at Minnesota.

Smith won a national championship at Kentucky and made a habit of taking the Wildcats far into the NCAA tournament.  In two plus seasons here he’s had the Minnesota program on the rise and that combined with his past success makes Smith a target for other schools with potential or actual vacancies.  There’s a perception, too, that the Minnesota coaching position isn’t attractive enough to hold Smith here for long.

Last year there were rumors of Smith going to such places as Virginia and Arizona.  Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi expects more speculation.  “Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it,” Maturi told Sports Headliners.  “That will happen.”

Smith is 58 and has his family here including wife Donna and son Saul who is an assistant coach with the Gophers.  “Oh, shoot,” Smith said.  “No, nobody is coming after me.  Trust me.  I am here for good.

“I am enjoying it here.  We’re going to be fine.  We’re going to continue to grow the program.  We’ve got a great situation here so I am very happy and pleased where we are.”

Smith also spoke about freshman forward Royce White and how his players are doing with grades after last semester.  White, the high potential recruit who has yet to play because of a suspension involving legal issues, was allowed to watch two practices before the Iowa game but didn’t workout with the other Gophers.

Smith said White came to him last week at a high school game between Hopkins and St. Paul Johnson and asked for permission to watch practice.  But nothing has changed regarding White’s suspension and Smith said the “law of justice, they don’t give you timetables.”  Smith also indicated White won’t be allowed to routinely come to practice and watch.

Ken Lien, who chaired the Mr. Basketball group that made White the state’s 2009 Mr. Basketball, spoke with White at the Hopkins-Johnson game.  In an email to Sports Headliners, Lien wrote that he asked White about speculation he will leave the Minnesota program and that White responded: “No, I’m loyal to Minnesota.  If I’m playing college basketball, it will be with the Gophers.”

Smith doesn’t expect to lose any players because of academics.  “Everyone seems to be in good status,” he said.  “There’s some guys still have incompletes.  Things  they’ve got to complete or finish up. …”

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said about yesterday’s win that “we just kinda wanted to shut the outside people up and show ourselves that it’s all about what we do.”

Gophers coach Tubby Smith talking about what how the number of points scored isn’t most important:  “I would be happy with a 6-0 (win).”

Center Ralph Sampson III, who twisted his ankle in practice last week and missed the Iowa game, has had previous ankle issues, Smith said.  Colton Iverson started at Iowa and displayed a strong work ethic, grabbing five rebounds in 21 minutes.

“I am always trying to be a hustle guy,” Iverson said last week.  “When somebody is out there hustling, everyone picks up the pace and the team works hard.”

Last Friday Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien ranked the top prep teams for Sports Headliners.  His top five in big school 4A were: Hopkins, Cretin-Derham Hall, Cooper, St. Cloud Tech and Eagan.  St. Paul Johnson was No. 1 in 3A followed by St. Paul Central, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, DeLaSalle and Columbia Heights.

The top five in 2A were Crosby-Ironton, New London-Spicer, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Morris Area and Staples-Motley.  Minnesota Transitions was No. 1 in 1A followed by MACCRAY, Ellsworth, Sebeka and Ada-Borup.

Five of those teams will participate on Saturday at Target Center in the 13^th annual Timberwolves Shootout.  Hopkins will play against Champlin Park starting at 8 p.m. in the final game of a six game schedule.  Other games include Staples-Motley versus the Minnesota Transitions, and Crosby-Ironton against Plainview-Elgin-Millville.  There is a $10 admission to see all six games and the cost includes a free ticket to a Timberwolves game.

SI.com named one of Wild goaltender Josh Harding’s masks the top goalie mask of the decade. The mask debuted in 2006 and featured illustrations of various historic goalie masks. https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0912/all-decade.nhl.top10.goalie.masks.2000s/content.10.html

Wild players Niklas Backstrom, Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen were named to the Olympic roster for Finland last week. Marek Zidlicky and Martin Havlat were named to the Olympic roster for the Czech Republic.

Miettinen said the best Christmas gift he ever received was his gift in 2009.  His wife, Johanna, had their first child, a boy named Noel, on December 20.

Vikings beat writer Sean Jensen left the Pioneer Press for a position with the Chicago Sun Times.  Among his final assignments here was an interview with Trent Dilfer about Brad Childress and Brett Favre.  https://www.twincities.com/ci_14090130.

This is image week for the Big Ten Conference, including in Dinkytown.  Conference teams were 1-6 in bowl games last year so it doesn’t require much improvement to produce a better bowl record during the days ahead. 

Darrell Thompson, the Gophers football radio analyst, was asked if the Big Ten’s image is on the line now.  “I think it is,” he said.  “I think people will look at it harder (this year’s record).  …It just kind of comes down to bragging rights for the Big Ten.”

Somewhere between the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, the Big Ten lost its reputation as numero uno among college football conferences.  But, come on, 1-6 in bowl games.  Is the state of Big Ten football that bad?

No, it’s not and between now and January 5 when the league plays its last bowl game the Big Ten can prove that last year’s big embarrassment was an exception, not a norm.  This year’s conference bowl record might be 4-3, maybe 3-4 and (faint praise) at least 2-5.

College football is loaded with parity and the Big Ten can at least argue its teams are the equal of those in the ACC and Big East, and better top to bottom than the Mountain West and WAC.  Perhaps comparable to the Pac 10, but behind the Big 12 and SEC.

The Gophers are a popular pick to beat Iowa State in Thursday night’s Insight Bowl, a match up between 6-6 teams.  If the Gophers run the ball effectively against what has been a mediocre Iowa State defense, Minnesota should win its first bowl game under coach Tim Brewster and stop a three game bowl losing streak.

The Gophers lost two of their last three games and public opinion went south when Minnesota was unable to beat an average Illinois team at home after a 42-34 win the week before against Michigan State.  The Gophers defense, which in its last two games has given up a total of 100 rushing yards, is impressive but must get help from an offense that hasn’t produced a touchdown in the last four quarters.

The Big Ten has a little more swagger this morning after last night’s 20-14 Wisconsin win over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl.  Other conference bowl wins could come in the Rose Bowl on January 1 and the Orange Bowl on January 5.  Ohio State’s rushing defense, fifth in the nation giving up 83.42 yards per game, is featured against Oregon’s run game, sixth nationally at 236.08 yards per game.  The difference might be a breakout game for Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor whose press clips have sometimes been more impressive than performances.

Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense (No. 2 nationally at 307.15 yards rushing per game) spits out yardage like the Fed prints money but seldom has the attack faced a defense like Iowa’s.  Multiple weeks of preparation for the offense by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and his “Albert Einstein” (Norm Parker) defensive coordinator could slow down the Tech offense and force the Wreck to pass.  Not a good option.  Iowa’s worry, though, is whether its players have enough speed to contain Tech.

The Big Ten might pick up a win in the Penn State-Louisiana State Capital One Bowl game on New Year’s Day.  This could be a toss up game but senior quarterback Daryl Clark and the Nittany Lions’ athleticism gives them a solid chance against another team that is among the fastest in the country.  Northwestern has a leaky pass defense, but has a chance against Auburn in the Outback Bowl on January 1.  Odds are slim that pass deficient Michigan State can make a competitive game out of the Alamo Bowl on January 2 against pass happy Texas Tech (Raiders, 44, Gophers, 41, in the 2006 Insight Bowl).