Author: David Shama

Royce White is a preseason choice to be the Big Ten Freshman of the Year but it’s a fair question to ask whether he will be playing for the Gophers when the conference season begins on December 29 at Williams Arena against Penn State.

White missed last Thursday night’s opening exhibition game with the University of Minnesota Duluth.  He won’t play tonight, either, in the Gophers second exhibition game (Minnesota State University Moorhead).  White was suspended indefinitely last week by coach Tubby Smith for violation of team rules.  News reports have said White was involved with shoplifting and fifth-degree assault at the Mall of America earlier this year.

Smith told Sports Headliners he’s uncertain about when White will return to the team.  “As soon as I can see he’s done the things that have to get done,” Smith said.  “Hopefully, he will learn this is something that is not going to be tolerated.”

Smith is a disciplinarian who loves his players, but he won’t give anyone a free pass on behavior.  He also won’t accept ongoing problems.

Will White avoid future issues?  The opinion here is that he better because one more incident is likely the end of his college career with the Gophers.

Smith’s expectation for all players is that they behave as gentlemen. Their responsibilities include attending class, being good citizens in the community and doing what they’re asked within the basketball program.

White, a Minneapolis native and 2009 Mr. Basketball winner, is full of basketball potential.  At 6-8, 250 pounds he is the inside power forward who can help take the Gophers from middle of the crowd in the Big Ten toward the top.  Still a teenager, White is exceptionally strong and capable of hoarding rebounds, muscling shots and taking up space on defense to limit scoring by other teams.  He’s also so gifted athletically he can drive to the basket better than most big players.  Sporting News Magazine recently chose White as its Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten and the publication isn’t alone on that prediction.

White was one of the nation’s best and most highly publicized prep players last season. When he left Hopkins High School last spring, it looked like he had an itinerary sending him to the Gophers for a couple of years, then on to the NBA where millions of dollars awaited.

Is this still the plan?

Joe Mauer and his grandfather Jake Mauer will play golf this fall in Florida despite the elder Mauer having macular degeneration.  The eye disorder has left Jake blind in the right eye and with reduced vision in his left.

Jake told Sports Headliners he’s going to play golf using a special dark colored ball.  In April he’s planning to visit the Mayo Clinic and be fitted with innovative eyeglasses that could improve both his reading and distance vision.

Jake’s vision has been declining and he seldom drives a car now.  Earlier this year he announced he wouldn’t return to Canterbury Park in 2010 to sell the handicapping sheet he’s produced since the horse racing track’s inception in 1985.

That was an emotional loss and so, too, is not driving.  Jake hopes the special colored golf balls and the new eye glasses will keep him on the golf course.  “I’ve got nothing left if not for golf,” he said.

Jake had thoughts of being an 80-year-old tour guide at the new Target Field next year but that won’t be possible because of his vision.  His spirits lift when he talks about his grandchildren including Jake Mauer, 30, who was recently promoted by the Twins to manage the Single-A affiliate Fort Myers Miracle (Florida State League).  For the last two seasons Mauer managed the Gulf Coast League Twins.

The elder Mauer is hoping for good news in late November when the announcement is made about the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player.  Joe, who won his third batting title last season, is considered a favorite to win his first MVP award.

Meanwhile, a panel of 12 USA Today reporters and editors voted Mauer AL MVP with 163 points, 56 more than runner-up Mark Teixeira of the Yankees received, according to a story in last week’s USA Today Sports Weekly.  The Twins RonGardenhire finished second to Mike Scioscia of the Angels for top manager.

Gophers football coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners the potential for sophomore wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight is “huge.”  McKnight made a superb catch for a two point conversion in last Saturday’s game against Illinois.

Brewster said as of last week the Gophers and Iowa were tied for most comebacks this season (five) in major college football.

The Vikings had over 3,000 tickets remaining late last week for this Sunday’s game with Detroit, according to an email from Steve LaCroix, vice president of sales and marketing.  Prices start at $48.

Tubby Smith’s Gophers were impressive in their opening exhibition win over the University of Minnesota Duluth, 114-47.  The Gophers played harder and more cohesively than the Division II Bulldogs.  The Gophers blocked 14 shots and had more than 40 deflections.  Centers Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson appear improved from their freshmen seasons.  Freshman forward Rodney Williams had a spectacular first half dunk and looks like a candidate for air time on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

In its college basketball preview issue Sporting News Magazine predicts the following order of finish (with the first seven teams making the NCAA tournament): Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Penn State, Indiana and Iowa.

Two of the Wild’s best players, goalie Niklas Backstrom and forward Martin Havlat, are dedicated to stretching to maintain maximum flexibility in their bodies.  Havlat has a Twitter account: Twitter.com/martinhavlat.

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis has already watched a lot of inconsistent play from rookie Jonny Flynn, but predicts the 20-year-old will become an “elite guard.”

The Lynx have the first pick in next April’s WNBA draft and two players creating talk that they could go No. 1 are Connecticut’s Tina Charles, and Stanford’s Jayne Appel.

The Lynx are the only Minnesota major pro sports team to draft No. 1 overall since the Twins in 2001 (Joe Mauer).

Carlos Gomez, who hit .229 in 137 games for the Twins last season, didn’t sound too disappointed to leave here in last week’s trade to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy. He told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: “I know I can hit,” he said. “When you’re young and you play every day, it’s easier. Last season, I didn’t play every day. It’s tough.

“I need to play every day. This is good for me. I can’t wait for the season to start. I want to show everybody how I can play.”  More at https://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/69423807.html.