P.J. FLECK – Page 75 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Signability Didn’t Dictate Twins Pick

Posted on June 13, 2017June 13, 2017 by David Shama

The Twins used the No. 1 overall pick in last night’s Major League Draft on a surprise choice, California high school shortstop Royce Lewis. Although management had dropped no hints, a lot of Twins followers probably predicted and hoped that another California prep, pitcher-shortstop Hunter Greene, would be the choice.

But Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners today that money and the likelihood of signing the club’s No. 1 pick didn’t dictate choosing Lewis who he said was at the top of Minnesota’s draft board. MLB policy allows a slot value of up to $7.7 million for the draft’s No. 1 selection. “We believe we can get a deal done with Royce for the allotted slot, but also maintain some flexibility deeper in the draft,” St. Peter said.

If Lewis signs for less than $7.7 million it will allow the Twins to potentially spend more on subsequent choices through the draft’s many rounds. But St. Peter said his club’s decision wasn’t based on saving money, and he talked enthusiastically about Lewis’ attributes including speed, potential power, leadership, charisma, and even describing Lewis as someone who “could evolve to be a face of our franchise.”

St. Peter referenced “a lot of different elements that we thought were separators for (drafting) Royce Lewis,” and that the club looked at many potential number one selections before deciding in the last 48 hours prior to Monday night’s draft to take Lewis, despite an acknowledged need for pitching in the organization. “We considered him the best player for the Minnesota Twins,” St. Peter said. “Time will tell. We are really comfortable that we have a great fit for the Twins in Royce Lewis.”

Greene was the glamour guy of the draft, playing two positions, throwing 100 miles per hour fast balls and landing this spring on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The Reds took him in the draft right after the Twins chose Lewis.

Greene was the top ranked player by Baseballamerica.com. Lewis, was ranked No. 5. It’s interesting that the Twins used their first choice on a prospect who plays the same position as 21-year- old Nick Gordon. Gordon was the team’s No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft. Some authorities consider the young shortstop the No. 1 prospect in the Twins farm system. He is hitting .340 with the Double A Chattanooga Outlooks.

St. Peter said the Twins project Lewis as a player who can reach the majors as a shortstop. What about a potential competition some day between Gordon and Lewis to be Minnesota’s starting shortstop? “I put that in the category of a really good problem to have,” St. Peter said.

Lewis was a player Twins evaluators have been watching for a long while and St. Peter said it was an “incredibly collaborative” decision by the club’s talent evaluators to choose Lewis. He also said that even “more voices’ than in the past were involved in the decision of what to do in the first round. That leadership is led by new baseball executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine who St. Peter hired last fall.

Worth Noting

Twins’ 23-year-old pitcher Jose Berrios is 5-1 with a 2.84 ERA since being recalled from Triple A Rochester. He won his first Twins game May 13 and he has five of the club’s 13 wins since that date.

Lou Nanne’s left hip replacement went well last Friday and he arrived home from the hospital on Saturday, a day early. The Minnesota hockey legend has had two knee replacements, plus rotator cuff and prostate surgeries over the years following a career of playing in the NHL with the North Stars, the organization he also coached for and served as president.

Now a senior managing director for RBC, Nanne, 76, passionately follows the NHL. After watching the Stanley Cup Finals, he thinks the Wild could be close to making a deep playoff run next year.

Frank Ragnow, the Arkansas senior from Chanhassen High School, is the first team preseason All-American center choice by college football magazines Athlon and Lindy’s. Ragnow is a second team offensive line All-American by Street & Smith’s college football publication.

Athlon ranks the 21 major college coaching hires during the offseason and lists the Gophers’ P.J. Fleck as No. 2 in the country. Tom Herman, the new coach at Texas, is ranked No. 1.

Nothing has been announced but there is speculation the Gophers have extended the contract of men’s hockey coach Don Lucia beyond the 2018-2019 season. A year ago Lucia’s contract only went through the 2016-2017 season but was extended two years.

It likely won’t be long before an announcement regarding the Gophers’ opponent for a December 2018 basketball game in U.S. Bank Stadium, but one factor complicating a deal could be a return game. Minnesota may have to assure another school the Gophers will play a game on that foe’s home court at a later date.

Race Thompson, the highly recruited Armstrong basketball player, leaves today for the prestigious NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Virginia. Thompson, who will be a senior at Armstrong next season, reportedly isn’t close to selecting a college from a list that includes the Gophers.

Minnesota war hero and motivational speaker John Kriesel shares his story on June 28 at the Capital Club breakfast gathering at Town and Country Club in St. Paul. Years ago a roadside bomb in Iraq blew away his legs and he lost two buddies in the explosion. Kriesel is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. In recent months Alan Page, Lou Nanne, P.J. Fleck and Patty Wetterling have spoken to club members. More information is available about the club by contacting Patrick Klinger, Patrick@thebrandenhancementgroup.com.

Dave and Linda Mona’s annual fundraiser assisting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is July 11 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. The Wright Brothers, a favorite of Minnesota music fans, will perform in concert, and a silent auction includes items targeting sports fans. Learn more about the Camden’s Concert evening by calling 952-979-1111.

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Fleck Recruiting Earns Rival’s Praise

Posted on June 11, 2017June 11, 2017 by David Shama

When Darrell Hazell was the wide receivers coach at Ohio State more than 10 years ago, P.J. Fleck worked for him as a graduate assistant. They still have a relationship while the two have moved through career coaching stops including Fleck’s hiring this winter as the Gophers new head football coach.

“So I know P.J. very well,” Hazell told Sports Headliners during an interview. “We’ve talked quite a few times. I think he’ll do a great job. He’ll work hard and he’s a great recruiter. He’ll work hard at it.”

Fleck’s recruiting is a major offseason story this winter and spring. At times the Gophers’ 2018 recruiting class flirted around the top 10 composite national rankings by 247Sports. In the latest 247 composite rankings the Gophers are still an impressive No. 20.

Hazell was head coach at Purdue until last fall when he was dismissed during his fourth season. The Boilermakers and Minnesota are two of the teams in the Big Ten’s West Division, so Hazell knows what it takes to compete in the league.

Can Fleck’s recruiting result in enough quality players for the Gophers to soon contend for division titles? Hazell said because he doesn’t know much about the Minnesota program, he can’t predict, but he issued words of caution.

“There’s a lot of people to beat in the Big Ten in recruiting,” Hazell said. “That’s the hard part. But he’ll go after it hard.”

Hazell talked to Sports Headliners at Winter Park last week where he has transitioned from college coaching to the NFL and being the Vikings’wide receivers coach. Hazell, 53, has 30 years of coaching experience including 14 working directly with wide receivers. He’s been a career college coach, with his only taste of the NFL an internship working with wide receivers in Oakland in 1998. As a player, he was an All-American wide receiver at Muskingum College in Ohio.

Was Hazell’s ego bruised going from Big Ten head coach to an NFL assistant?

Darrell Hazell (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

“No, not at all,” he answered. “This is something I had not done (in his coaching career). That was one of the things that I said. I am not going to go back and do something I’ve done.

“Obviously coaching receivers is natural. This was an opportunity for me to do something that was exciting. Something that was new. It’s been a great three or four months.”

When Hazell was out of coaching after losing his job at Purdue, he received calls regarding other opportunities, but he was not in a hurry to decide on his next career move, and it had to be right. He had no idea that opportunity would be the Vikings, an organization where he knew no one and located in a city where he had never worked.

What was going through Hazell’s mind during the dead of winter? “Take it one day at a time, enjoy life,” he said. “I wasn’t worried about anything. Just trying to relax and enjoy the family.

“I got the phone call. I said, Hey, this is a heck of an opportunity if it’s afforded to me. I am going to look into it very closely.

“I am really elated that I did because the players have been phenomenal. Their work ethic is tremendous, and the coaching staff, it meshes so well together. Then you know we’ve got such great leadership here with Rick and Zim.”

The phone call from the Vikings to Hazell initially came on February 13 from general manager Rick Spielman. Ten days later, with the approval of Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer, the Vikings announced their new wide receivers coach, replacing George Stewart who joined the Chargers’ staff.

Understandably the last few months have been a period of evaluation by both Hazell and his wide receivers. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group,” he said. “We’ve got 11 guys in there and they are all eager to be really good. …”

Hazell goes about his work with intensity and the goal of excellence. Although he is no longer responsible for the entire operation of a football program, his past experience helps him understand what Zimmer is doing.

Hazell’s four years leading Purdue and two years before that at Kent State was something he talked about in his interview with the Vikings. “I said I can be a better assistant coach now that I’ve been a head coach, because I see things with a different perspective. …”

Worth Noting

Fleck and athletic director Mark Coyle meet the public at a Minnesota Alumni Association sponsored event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. June 22 in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium. Fleck will talk about the upcoming season at the gathering which is open to both alumni association members and nonmembers. More information at 612-624-2323.

Street & Smith’s college football magazine headlined its Mid-American Conference section like this: “What the Fleck? No. P.J. means new hope in the MAC.”

The publication also said: “Engaging, energetic and a flat-out winner, Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck rowed his boat all the way to Minnesota and the league will miss him.”

Individuals with Minnesota connections being considered for 2018 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame include Blake Elliott (Saint John’s); Ross Fortier (MSU Moorhead); Marcus Harris (Wyoming); and Bob Stein (Gophers).

The pecking order of talent in the NBA Finals is a bit muddled including the positioning of former Timberwolves star Kevin Love. Does the Cavs power forward deserve the No. 5 spot, or is Draymond Green from the Warriors a better choice? We might need to call in IBM’s Watson to figure that out, and also how to rank LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry.

Frank Deford, the acclaimed sportswriter who died recently, wrote about his career in a 2010 story for Sports Illustrated that included a night in Minneapolis when he was doing a Roller Derby article. Deford said one of the skaters, who was “flamboyantly gay,” made a move on him late night at a bar. Deford, who was straight and married to a former runway model, was more than surprised the next night in Duluth when team members approached him and sang, “Here comes the bride.”

If the Twins don’t draft Hunter Greene tomorrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft and he turns out to be a star either as a pitcher or position player, Minnesota management will hear about it for a long time including the criticism they didn’t want to spend the money to acquire the southern California phenom. The guess here is that soon after 6 p.m. tomorrow night MLB will announce the Twins have chosen Greene.

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Taylor: Wolves May Trade Draft Pick

Posted on June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 by David Shama

Owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners his basketball decision makers are looking at a “scenario” where the Timberwolves acquire a veteran player by giving up their No. 7 pick from the first round of the June 22 NBA Draft.

The team’s starting lineup has three players 22 or younger, and the others are ages 27 and 26. That young core has talent and promise but the last two seasons the Wolves have won a combined total of only 50 games, and haven’t made the playoffs since 2004. The team’s development could be enhanced by a skilled veteran player. Specifically, a defensive stopper who will limit the opposition’s best scorer, according to Taylor.

President-coach Tom Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden are looking at alternatives on how to improve the team including evaluation of potential draft choices. Taylor won’t demand roster changes before next season but he wants potential moves to be explored by his two top basketball executives.

Glen Taylor (photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves).

“I don’t think we’re just going to sit there and say we’re going to go with what we’ve got,” Taylor said. “We could do that. I think they’re willing (Thibodeau and Layden) to do that, but I think they want us to look at…other opportunities…and I guess it would be a free agent or a trade. I don’t think their expectations are our draft choice, even though it’s seven, is going to be an immediate answer.”

Taylor said a challenge in evaluating players for the June 22 draft is sometimes access to watch them, and also to obtain medical information. Agents will set limitations in both areas, trying to do what they think is most advantageous for clients.

“I was hopeful that when we were doing the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) discussions that we would get some of these things handled better so that we would have more consistency,” Taylor said. “That all medical records were shown equally. (That) everybody had access to watching a player scrimmage against some of the other players.

“We weren’t able to get that. Personally, I don’t think it’s the best way to do things, that the agents are controlling the players much more and giving you less access to them.”

Worth Noting

Taylor met with Thibodeau and Layden recently to understand why his promising team won only two more games last season than the year before. He was told it was a combination of things including major injuries to starting guard Zach LaVine and reserve forward Nemanja Bjelica. Another key was the team’s inconsistent and often inadequate defense.

Taylor had news about center Nikola Pekovic who didn’t play last season and has a history of recurring injuries. About a month ago Taylor said a doctor declared Pekovic probably can’t play next season and now the Wolves need corroboration from an NBA doctor. “We’re waiting for that confirmation,” said Taylor.

Next season is the last of Pekovic’s contract with the Wolves and likely the end of his NBA career. If doctors rule the 31-year-old can’t play, insurance covers 80 percent of the Wolves’ obligation.

Starting guard Ricky Rubio had his best of six NBA seasons in 2016-2017 but rumors continue to circulate about the Wolves trading him. “I don’t know where they’re coming from,” Taylor said. “I’ve read them just like you’ve read them, but I don’t know where they’re coming from, or why they’re saying that.”

College football magazines are now on newsstands offering predictions including for the Big Ten’s West Division. Athlon, Lindy’s and Street & Smith’s all forecast a fifth place finish for Minnesota in the seven-team division.

“The first seven games all are very winnable. After that—yikes,” Lindy’s says. Minnesota’s last five games are on the road at Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern, and at home against Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Lindy’s has the Gophers ranked 40th in the country and Street & Smith’s projects a Quick Lane Bowl invite to Detroit. Athlon sees Minnesota finishing with a 6-6 overall record and 4-5 in the Big Ten.

Both Athlon and Lindy’s include Gopher junior placekicker Emmit Carpenter on their first team All-Big Ten offensive units. Gopher senior Steven Richardson is part of Lindy’s first team All-Big Ten defensive line.

Street & Smith’s labeled new Gophers coach P.J. Fleck best interview on a Big Ten list that also says Ohio State’s Urban Meyer is the league’s best coach and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is the best tweeter. “No coach will be more entertaining at Big Ten Media Day than Fleck,” the magazine says.

The 46th annual Big Ten Football Media Days are July 24 and 25 in Chicago. Fleck addresses the media on the second day.

The Big Ten office announced TV times for 35 games on ESPN and FOX Sports last week. The only Gophers’ game listed was Minnesota’s Homecoming against Illinois on October 21 with a 2:30 or 3 p.m. kickoff.

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